\documentclass[english,german]{scrartcl}
\usepackage[latin1]{inputenc}
\usepackage{geometry}
\geometry{verbose,a4paper,tmargin=1.75cm,bmargin=2cm,lmargin=2cm,rmargin=2cm,headheight=0.8cm,headsep=0.5cm,footskip=0.5cm}
\usepackage{babel}
\usepackage{url}
\urlstyle{same}
\newcommand\email{\begingroup \urlstyle{same}\Url}\usepackage{graphicx}
\usepackage{units}
\usepackage{tabularx}
\usepackage{wasysym} % enable use of \permil instead of \textperthousand
\usepackage{marvosym}
\usepackage{arabtex}
\usepackage{hyphenat}
\usepackage{booktabs}
\usepackage{mdwlist}
\renewcommand{\thefootnote}{\relax}
\usepackage{index}
\newindex{key}{kdx}{knd}{Keywords}
\newindex{author}{idx}{ind}{Authors}
\usepackage{fancyhdr}
\pagestyle{fancy}
\renewcommand{\headrulewidth}{0pt}
\fancyfoot{}
\usepackage{ifpdf}
\ifpdf
%\usepackage[activate]{pdfcprot}
%\usepackage[owner=Tapioka, print=true, copy=true, edit=false, annotate=false,set]{pdfcrypt}
%encryption: not supported any more (since pdftex 1.10)
\usepackage[pdftex]{thumbpdf}
\usepackage[pdftex]{hyperref}
\hypersetup{pdftitle={Analysing Economic Efficiency in Organic and Fair Trade Cotton Production in Benin},pdfauthor={Dansinou Silvere Tovignan, Zakari F. Tassou, S. Paul Hountondji},pdfsubject={Tropentag 2016: Abstract},pdfkeywords={Benin, economic efficiency, fair trade cotton, organic cotton, stochastic frontier, Tobit regression},pdfpagemode=None,colorlinks=true}
\else
\usepackage{ae}
\usepackage{textcomp}
\fi
\begin{document}
\ifpdf
\parbox[b]{2.5cm}{\resizebox*{2.5cm}{!}{\includegraphics{dtt2016.jpg}}}
\else
\parbox[b]{2.5cm}{\resizebox*{2.5cm}{!}{\includegraphics{dtt2016.eps}}}
\fi
\hfill
\parbox[b]{13.4cm}{\centering \large{\textbf{Tropentag, September 18-21, 2016, Vienna, Austria}}\\[1ex] \Large{``Solidarity in a competing world ---\\fair use of resources''\\[2ex]}}
\hspace{0.1cm}
\begin{center}
\Large{\textbf{Analysing Economic Efficiency in Organic and Fair Trade Cotton Production in Benin\footnote{\textbf{Contact Address:} Dansinou Silvere Tovignan, University of Parakou, Faculty of Agronomy, Parakou, Benin, \mbox{e-mail}: \email{tsilvere@yahoo.fr}}\\[0.8ex]}}
\normalsize{\textsc{Dansinou Silvere Tovignan, Zakari F. Tassou, S. Paul Hountondji}}
\end{center}
\begin{itemize*}
\item[]{\small{\textit{Universty of Parakou, Fac. of Agronomy, Benin}}}
\end{itemize*}
\index[author]{Tovignan, Dansinou Silvere}
\index[author]{Tassou, Zakari F.}
\index[author]{Hountondji, S. Paul}
\begin{center}
\vspace{1.1cm}
\textbf{Abstract}
\begin{abstract}
\normalsize{
Organic farming has been recognised as belonging to the most environmental friendly way of production and consumption. In particular, the adoption of such method in cash crop production in West African small scale system has reduced enormously farmers' reliance on synthetic chemical inputs. In order to enlarge the market outlets their organic cotton, farmers in West Africa use to get certified also for the fair trade standard in order to take advantage of its social benefits. In this regard, organic and fair trade certified cotton appears to be one important development tool for small producers and their communities. The present study investigates technical, allocative and economic efficiencies in organic and fair trade cotton (OFTC) production in Benin.  Cross sectional data were collected from 96 OFTC producers randomly selected in Banikoara, Tanguieta (north) and Glazoue (centre). Stochastic frontier production and cost of Cobb-Douglas, was used to estimate production functions and costs, and served to assess the levels of technical, allocative and economic efficiencies. In order to identify the determinants of efficiency indices, a Tobit regression analysis has been performed.



The results show that organic cotton production is economically profitable. The estimated average profit per hectare is about 100 Euros with a return to capital of 2.15. In addition, the average indices of technical, allocative and economic efficiencies obtained are respectively 0.90, 0.60 and 0.54. This reveals that OFTC production is to a large extend efficiently using the production resources. The factors determining these levels of efficiencies of OFTC producers are among others: the number of training received, exercise of a secondary activity beside farming, frequency of contact with extension agents, the fertility level of the soil, size of livestock and practice of crop rotation with legumes. Therefore, these factors are necessary tools to improve the efficiencies of OFTC, basically, farmers training on production itinerary and improving capacity in terms of soil fertility.



}

\vspace{0.5cm}
\end{abstract}
\end{center}
\noindent \textbf{Keywords:} Benin, economic efficiency, fair trade cotton, organic cotton, stochastic frontier, Tobit regression
\index[key]{Benin}
\index[key]{Economic!efficiency}
\index[key]{Fair trade!cotton}
\index[key]{Organic!cotton}
\index[key]{Stochastic!frontier}
\index[key]{Cotton}
\end{document}
