Socio-economic impact of ecological agriculture at the territorial level

This deliverable investigates the socio-economic effects of ecological approaches to farming through implementing two participatory approaches, namely Delphi exercise and Q-method, at the level of a case study area (CSA). The focus is on how people and other productive assets are employed and remunerated by ecological approaches to agriculture, particularly those aspects that can influence employment, and drive the prosperity and vitality of local communities and some rural businesses. It is based on the collaborative research on Task 4.2 ‘Socio-economic impact of ecological agriculture at the territorial level’ of the LIFT project between UNIKENT (United Kingdom-UK) (Task Leader), BOKU (Austria), INRAE (France), VetAgro Sup (France), DEMETER (Greece), MTA KRTK (Hungary), UNIBO (Italy), IRWiR PAN (Poland), IAE-AR (Romania), SLU (Sweden), SRUC (UK). Beginning with the Delphi exercise, this deliverable presents qualitative information extracted from stakeholders in the following four steps. First, the researchers build a presentation of differences between ecological and conventional farming approaches in each CSA. Second, stakeholders elaborate on how they understand ecological farming approaches to exist in each CSA. Third, stakeholders develop a scenario of adoption of ecological approaches to farming depending on two factors: pattern (ecological farms forming clusters or randomly spread within the territory) and rate of adoption 10 years in the future. After establishing this scenario across two rounds, the stakeholders explore the socio-economic effects of their adoption scenario. The Q-methodology then presents a Q-set of statements that the Delphi has developed and, through factor analysis,studies the key stakeholder perspectives of the socio-economic effects of the perceived adoption of ecological practices in 10 years in the future. Four key results can be derived from the Delphi exercise and the Q-methodology. First, a higher adoption of ecological farming approaches, especially so at a 50% adoption rate, is mostly thought by stakeholders in the Delphi Exercise to lead to an increase in skill level and quality of life in on-farm employment. This is as a result of an increased diversity of farming enterprises on farms using ecological farming approaches, the interest generated from this, the knowledge of natural processes and biology required, engagement with nature and change in machinery that is coming into the industry. Strongly related to this need for skills is a predicted increase in the number of advisers and civil servants to deal with more complicated farms and incentives as well as monitoring of ecological effects on farm. An increase in required skill level is repeated across all Q-studies. Second, especially where farms are clustered together, Delphi Exercise respondents predict an increase in the trade of inputs such as manure and compost replacing synthetic fertiliser, as well as more sharing of capital and labour. Q-methodology highlights that these clusters may support a stronger social movement, more consumers buying local food and increase collaboration between farmers. Supply chains are expected to become shorter as farmers sell more directly and there are fewer intermediaries upstream of the farming sector. As farmers collaborate more with each other on environmental objectives, trading inputs and sharing best practices, farmer relationships should improve in rural communities. Third, Delphi exercise finds that contracting, machinery purchasers, and machinery traders and dealers could increase, decrease or display no change – the anticipated effects are mixed. Stakeholders are in no doubt that machinery use will change and therefore new skills will need to be learnt, but the wider effect on machinery purchase is uncertain. However, stakeholders conclude that a greater specialisation in machinery will occur leading to changes in farm management as well as the suppliers of this machinery. Q-methodology highlights that ecological practices will not mean the end of machinery and a lot more labour – often machinery will be useful in weeding and reducing physical labour as technology has significantly improved and skills are improving too in order to use these technologies. Fourth, Delphi respondents argued that although rural populations might be little affected by ecological farming, a shift in people moving from urban to rural settlements, and thereby a higher rural population density, seeking a more attractive rural environment, might contribute to higher local consumer demand. The Q-methodology highlights that where there is high adoption, rural areas are expected to become more attractive, as landscapes will have a much greater variety of crops instead of fields of monocrops. This variety of crops may include agroforestry (farmers interested in ecological approaches to farming may also be interested in agroforestry as a way of boosting their yields and protecting crops and livestock from the elements) as well as intercropping

Molecular detection of Campylobacter spp. and fecal indicator bacteria during the northern migration of sandhill cranes (Grus canadensis) at the central Platte River

The risk to human health of the annual sandhill crane (Grus canadensis) migration through Nebraska, which is thought to be a major source of fecal pollution of the central Platte River, is unknown. To better understand potential risks, the presence of Campylobacter species and three fecal indicator bacterial groups (Enterococcus spp., Escherichia coli, and Bacteroidetes) was assayed by PCR from crane excreta and water samples collected during their stopover at the Platte River, Nebraska, in 2010. Genus-specific PCR assays and sequence analyses identified Campylobacter jejuni as the predominant Campylobacter species in sandhill crane excreta. Campylobacter spp. were detected in 48% of crane excreta, 24% of water samples, and 11% of sediment samples. The estimated densities of Enterococcus spp. were highest in excreta samples (mean, 4.6 x 10^8 cell equivalents [CE]/g), while water samples contained higher levels of Bacteroidetes (mean, 5.1 x 10^5 CE/100 ml). Enterococcus spp., E. coli, and Campylobacter spp. were significantly increased in river water and sediments during the crane migration period, with Enterococcus sp. densities (~3.3 x 10^5 CE/g) 2 to 4 orders of magnitude higher than those of Bacteroidetes (4.9 x 10^3 CE/g), E. coli (2.2 x 10^3 CE/g), and Campylobacter spp. (37 CE/g). Sequencing data for the 16S rRNA gene and Campylobacter species-specific PCR assays indicated that C. jejuni was the major Campylobacter species present in water, sediments, and crane excreta. Overall, migration appeared to result in a significant, but temporary, change in water quality in spring, when there may be a C. jejuni health hazard associated with water and crops visited by the migrating birds.Peer reviewedBiosystems and Agricultural Engineerin

Voraussetzungen und Effekte betrieblicher Interessenvertretung in eigentümergeführten Unternehmen

Zusammenfassung Im Zentrum ökonomischer Mitbestimmungsforschung steht die Frage, ob Betriebsräte effizient sind. Die hierzu vorliegenden empirischen Befunde tendieren zu einem überwiegend positiven Einfluss von Betriebsräten auf die Performance eines Unternehmens. Weniger Beachtung in diesem Kontext fand bisher die Rolle des Eigentürmers als Geschäftsführer. Mit den Daten des IAB-Betriebspanels wird daher untersucht: (1) welchen Einfluss die Eigentümerführung auf die Wahrscheinlichkeit der Existenz eines Betriebsrats hat und (2) welche ökonomischen Effekte (Produktivität) unter den besonderen Bedingungen der Eigentümerführung erzielt werden. Mittels gepoolten OLS-Schätzungen und dynamischen Panelansätzen wird aufgezeigt, dass eigentümergeführte Unternehmen auf positive ökonomische Effekte der betrieblichen Interessenvertretung verzichten, um ihre nicht-ökonomischen Ziele wie den Erhalt von Einfluss und Kontrolle zu erfüllen. Abstract The efficiency of works councils has always been in the focus of economic research on co-determination. Empirical findings show a positive influence of works councils on firm performance. Less attention so far has been given to the role of owner-managers. The data of the IAB establishment panel is used to (1) examine the influence of owner management on the likelihood of the existence of a works council and (2) the economic effects achieved under the particular conditions of owner management. The estimations of pooled OLS and GMM models show, that owner-managers dispense with positive economic effects of works councils in order to achieve their non-economic goal of maintaining control and influence

Changes of basic bone turnover parameters in short-term and long-term patients with spinal cord injury

The bone mineral density (BMD), the cross- links (PYD, DPD and NTx) and the bone specific alcaline phosphatase (BAP) was investigated in a cross-sectional study in 62 male patients with spinal cord injury (SCI), n = 28 short-term (0–1 year after SCI) and n = 34 long-term SCI patients (> 5 years after SCI). Knowledge about this parameters are necessary to find an adequate therapy for this special kind of osteoporosis. Immobilisation osteoporosis in SCI patients is a well-known problem that may lead to pathological fractures. Little is known regarding the extend of the osteoporosis as well as the causative factors. Measurements of the BMD in the proximal femur and the lumbar spine were performed with dual-energy-X-ray-absorptiometry (DEXA), of the osteoblast marker BAP (bone specific alkaline phosphatase) from serum and the osteoclast markers PYD (pyridinoline), DPD (desoxy-pyridinoline) and NTx (N-telopeptide of collagen type I) from urine. We found a significant decrease of BMD in the proximal femur and no relevant change in the lumbar spine compared to an age- and sex correlated control group (Z-score) in short-term and long-term SCI patients. There was a significant bone loss at the proximal femur between short and long-term SCI patients, whereas at the lumbar spine the BMD even slightly increases. Bone resorption (cross-links) was increased in both groups, though in long-term SCI patients it is significantly decreased compared to short-term SCI patients (DPD from 211.7 u/g creatinine to 118.1 u/g creatinine; NTx from 215.1 nmol/mmol creatinine to 83,6 nmol/mmol creatinine). The bone formation marker BAP is slightly below normal range in both groups (12.3 U/l in short-term, 9.7 U/l in long- term SCI patients). Only the proximal femur is affected by the immobilisation osteoporosis of SCI patients, therefore the BMD measurements in these patients should be performed at the lower limb. The problem of the immobilisation osteoporosis in SCI patients is the striking increase of bone resorption and the missing reaction of the bone formation

LIFT large-scale farmer survey questionnaire

Ecological approaches to farming practices are gaining interest across Europe. As this interest grows there is a pressing need to assess the potential contributions these practices may make, the contexts in which they function and their attractiveness to farmers as potential adopters. In particular, ecological agriculture must be assessed against the aim of promoting the im-proved performance and sustainability of farms, rural environment, rural societies and econ-omies, together.The overall goal of LIFT is to identify the potential benefits of the adoption of ecological farm-ing in the European Union (EU) and to understand how socio-economic and policy factors im-pact the adoption, performance and sustainability of ecological farming at various scales, from the level of the single farm to that of a territory.To meet this goal, LIFT will assess the determinants of adoption of ecological approaches, and evaluate the performance and overall sustainability of these approaches in comparison to more conventional agriculture across a range of farm systems and geographic scales. LIFT will also develop new private arrangements and policy instruments that could improve the adop-tion and subsequent performance and sustainability of the rural nexus. For this, LIFT will sug-gest an innovative framework for multi-scale sustainability assessment aimed at identifying critical paths toward the adoption of ecological approaches to enhance public goods and eco-system services delivery. This will be achieved through the integration of transdisciplinary sci-entific knowledge and stakeholder expertise to co-develop innovative decision-support tools.The project will inform and support EU priorities relating to agriculture and the environment in order to promote the performance and sustainability of the combined rural system. At least 30 case studies will be performed in order to reflect the enormous variety in the socio-eco-nomic and bio-physical conditions for agriculture across the EU