ASSESSMENT OF FACTORS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR USING THE COBB-DOUGLAS PRODUCTION FUNCTION

Abstract

The aim of the article is to assess the impact of various factors (forms of capital) on the formation of gross value added and gross output of the agricultural sector of Ukraine’s economy under sustainable development using the modified Cobb-Douglas production function. Methods. The theoretical and methodological basis of the study consisted of the papers on economic growth, sustainable development and forecasting by scientists in classical and modern economics. A monographic method was used to cover the scientists’ views on the research issue. The parameters of the production function describing how variables (physical and human capital, pollutant emissions) act on gross value added and gross output of the agricultural sector of Ukraine were estimated on the basis of the modified Cobb-Douglas production function. Statistics for agriculture covering the period 2008-2018 were used for the assessment. The correlation and regression analysis was used to determine and verify the parameters of the production function. Equations of balance and construction of isoquants were used to foresight the optimal combinations of factors of the production function. Results. Using the Cobb-Douglas production function, econometric analysis with eco-socio-economic factors has shown that economic growth in agriculture is associated with improved quantitative and qualitative characteristics of labour potential, growing capital investment and reducing pollutant emissions. Estimation of the elasticity coefficients of the constructed Cobb-Douglas function (the sum exceeds 1) justifies that the economic development of agriculture mainly contains the features of a large-scale economy: modern level of science and technology provides advantageous expanding production to increase output. Practical significance. The constructed models allow to forecast assessment of the development of the agricultural sector’s components and can be used to develop the basic directions of the state agricultural policy to manage the formation and use of resource potential. Value/originality. Modelling how the resource factors act on output using the method of construction and calculation of parameters of the production function allows to predict the sustainable development of agricultural production under quantitative and qualitative changes in the use of labour and capital, as well as environmental factors. Further research ensures obtaining a dynamic multi-factor model of sustainable development of the agricultural sector and determining the main mechanisms of influence on the levers of economic growth.