Improving market outcomes: A qualitative assessment of the Greek dairy supply chain

ΔΕΝ ΔΙΑΤΙΘΕΤΑΙ ΠΕΡΙΛΗΨΗThis study provides a qualitatative assessment of the overall outcomes of the dairy supply chain in Greece. Based on the framework of the Taskforce for Agricultural Markets, a questionnaire survey with in-depth interviews was conducted to farmers, industries and supermarkets in Greece in order to gain knowledge about trading practices, market transparency, risk management, contracts, access to finance and the role of Producer Organizations. The analysis did not reveal significant unfair trading practices and showed positive prospects for the overall supply chain

Values of natural and human-made wetlands: A meta-analysis

The values of goods and services provided by wetland ecosystems are examined through a meta-analysis of an expanded database of wetland value estimates and with a focus on human-made wetlands. This study extends and improves upon previous meta-analyses of the wetland valuation literature in terms of the number of observations, geographical coverage, wetland class and integrity, and the measurement of the effects of scarcity and anthropogenic pressure. We find that water quality improvement, nonconsumptive recreation, and provision of natural habitat and biodiversity are highly valued services. Substitution effects are observed through the negative correlation between values and abundance of other wetlands. Wetland values are found to increase with anthropogenic pressure. An extended metaregression model with cross effects shows that the valuation of specific services varies with the type of wetland producing them. Human-made wetlands are highly valued for biodiversity enhancement, water quality improvement, and flood control

Mobility and Migrations in the Rural Areas of Mediterranean EU Countries

AbstractThis chapter focuses on the ambivalent nature of contemporary migrations in European rural areas. The growing presence of immigrants in these areas is a direct result of the restructuring of agriculture and global agri-food chains. Evidence indicates that while agricultural work and rural settings are decreasingly attractive to local populations, they represent a favourable environment to international newcomers, due to the higher chances to access livelihood resources. The non-visibility and informality that characterise rural settings and agricultural work arrangements provide on the one side opportunities for employment, while also fostering illegal labour practices and situations of harsh exploitation

Change in Euro-Mediterranean pastoralism: which opportunities for rural development and generational renewal?

Mediterranean rural regions represent rich and fragile settings in agro-ecological and socio-economic terms. The region is increasingly beset by growing human presence and climate change dynamics. Agro-pastoral systems are still important activities in terms of employment and income, but also for ecosystem functioning and landscape management. Traditional agro-pastoral systems have gone through important reshaping in recent decades and they have to confront today the dynamics challenging their future. This paper examines how problems and issues in the generational renewal of EU-Mediterranean farms affect their profìle and their future roles in the development of the area, in particular in Italy and Greece. Current dynamics seem to indicate that the younger members of livestock farm families often seek alternatives to pastoralism, thus favouring the depopulation of mountain areas and exposing grasslands to problems of abandonment and socio-economic desertifìcation. This context witnesses a growing presence of immigrant shepherds, who reach southern Europe from other pastoral areas in the Mediterranean region, coming to provide skilled labour at a relatively low cost. Their presence enables the pastures of mountainous areas to be maintained and kept productive, reproducing the patterns of generational renewal associated with an ethnic substitution that has characterized Euro-Mediterranean pastoralism in the last century. Women also seem to gain an active role in the family farms once again, as in the past their role had been neglected

A COST-BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF THE DAM IN SIMANTRA-PORTARIA REGION

Η κατασκευή φράγματος στην περιοχή Σημάντρων-Πορταριάς αποσκοπεί στην άμβλυνση των αρνητικών συνεπειών της υπερχείλισης του τοπικού χειμάρρου στον τουρισμό, τη γεωργική δραστηριότητα και σε άλλες δραστηριότητες της περιοχής. Η οικονομική του αξιολόγηση βασίζεται στην αποτίμηση των ωφελειών με τη μέθοδο της εξαρτημένης αποτίμησης και στη διερεύνηση της σκοπιμότητας κατασκευής του με την ανάλυση κόστους-ωφελειών. Τα αποτελέσματα της ανάλυσης καταδεικνύουν τις προϋποθέσεις που καθιστούν συμφέρουσα την κατασκευή του έργου. Η απόδοση του έργου μεταβάλλεται σε σχέση με τον αριθμό των πλημμυρικών φαινομένων που θα αποφευχθούν.The construction of a dam in Simantra-Portaria region aims at the mitigation of the problems from local torrent overflow, which affect tourism, farming and other local activities. The expected benefits for the region are valuated with the Contingent Valuation method. A cost-benefit analysis for a period of 50 years reveals the conditions under which the construction of the dam is economically efficient. It is illustrated that the expected returns are linked to the frequency of flood incidents that will be avoided

Socioeconomic Appraisal of an Early Prevention System against Toxic Conditions in Mussel Aquaculture

This paper examines the financial viability and potential socioeconomic effects of introducing and operating an automated, remote-controlled management system for mussel farms which uses probes of temperature, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity associated with prediction software to demonstrate the potential need for mussel movement between marine areas. This system provides an early warning to farmers regarding the presence of toxins in aquatic ecosystems, thus contributing to saving mussel production and avoidikng significant economic losses. The analysis combines two established methodological tools in agricultural economics (linear programming and cost-benefit analysis) and provides estimates of the Net Present Value of the investment under two scenarios—one reflecting the existing situation and one a possible future situation where the mussel production system is expanded. The results of the analysis reveal the mid- and long-term effects of using the automated system, both of which demonstrate that the system is economically viable even if it contributes to saving mussel production from toxicity occurrence for only one year during its period of operation. The annual gross margin in the first scenario was €386,069 but almost tripled in the second scenario (€1,154,649). In addition, the future development and expansion of the mussel sector will likely be based on larger farms with an entrepreneurial and exporting orientation where risk mitigation systems, such as the one appraised in this paper, can play an important role