農業經營成功之路：糧食銷售管道多元化之實證研究

The Prosperity of Farming: Empirical Evidence from Diversifying Food Distribution Portfolio

絕大多數既有實證研究發現農家所得多元化策略能夠有效改善整體農家福利；然而，聚焦於探究多元化銷售管道經濟效果的研究付之闕如。本研究之貢獻在於透過具代表性的農家調查資料，以辨識臺灣農民採用多元銷售管道之成因及探究其經濟效果，來彌補此領域知識缺口。本研究發現，農家若增加從農時間、農業勞動力的投入、以稻作與水果作為主要作物以及本身具備較高程度的管理能力等，會更傾向採取多元銷售管道。內生性處理效果模型(endog¬enous treatment-effect model)的估計結果顯示，農業經營在多元化分配銷售管道下，相較單一銷售管道，會呈現較佳的經濟表現。此外，低於貧窮線的農家則呈現分歧的實證結果：採取多元化銷售管道的效果仍為正向，但影響程度則相當程度地下降。針對小農面對生產資源有限現況的侷限性，本研究發現採取多元銷售管道能夠有效減緩小規模農業經營者在朝向商業化發展過程中所面臨的衝擊。

Empirical evidence supports the consensus that adopting income-diversification strategies can improve farm household welfare. However, few attempts have been made to investigate the economic consequences of pursuing a diversified food distribution portfolio. To bridge this knowledge gap, this study identifies the determinants and economic effects of diversified distribution portfolios for farm households in Taiwan. It was found that farm households that devote more time to working on farms, using more labor, producing rice and fruit, and having a high level of managerial ability, were inclined to adopt a diversified distribution strategy. The results from endogenous treatment effect modeling indicate that farm households selling farm produce to multiple outlets significantly outperform those that mainly rely on a single outlet. Further analysis focusing on households below the poverty line revealed pronounced differences. The economic influence of a diversified set of distribution outlets was found to exert a positive, but much smaller treatment effect. Given the smallholders’status quo of limited production resources, the findings suggest that adopting a diversified distribution portfolio can help lessen the constraints faced by smallholders in their progression toward commercialization.