ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides the reader with an understanding of agricultural productivity research in terms of its conceptual development and existing empirical evidence and to identify directions for future research. Productivity research encompasses a broad spectrum of theoretical and applied research aimed at better measuring, understanding, and predicting productive activity. As economic theories began to receive increasing scrutiny by applied researchers, the nexus between productivity theory and measurement became increasingly clear. This confrontation of theory with reality has led to significant advances in both methodology and theory; as a result, productivity research has advanced rapidly during the past two decades. The chapter concludes with the current status and limitations of efforts to measure and explains agricultural productivity.
