Abatement costs for agricultural nitrogen and phosphorus loads: a case study of South-Western Finland

Designing efficient agri-environmental policies for agricultural nutrient load reductions calls for information on the costs of emission reduction measures. This study develops an empirical framework for estimating abatement costs for nutrient loading from agricultural land. Nitrogen abatement costs and the phosphorus load reductions associated with nitrogen abatement are derived for crop farming in southern Finland. The model is used to evaluate the effect of the Common Agricultural Policy reform currently underway on nutrient abatement costs. Results indicate that an efficiency designed policy aimed at a 50 % reducton in agricultural nitrogen load would cost 25 to 28 million euro, or 1995 to 2197 euro per farm

Abatement costs for agricultural nitrogen and phosphorus loads: a case study of crop farming in south-western Finland

Designing efficient agri-environmental policies for agricultural nutrient load reductions calls for information on the costs of emission reduction measures. This study develops an empirical framework for estimating abatement costs for nutrient loading from agricultural land. Nitrogen abatement costs and the phosphorus load reductions associated with nitrogen abatement are derived for crop farming in south-western Finland. The model is used to evaluate the effect of the Common Agricultural Policy reform currently underway on nutrient abatement costs. Results indicate that an efficiently designed policy aimed at a 50% reduction in agricultural nitrogen load would cost € 48 to € 35 million, or € 3756 to € 2752 per farm

How much can be gained by optimizing nutrient abetment spatially – Cost – efficiency comparison of non – point arable loads from different Finnish watersheds

Targeting has become the buzz word in the national agri-environmental policy reform in Finland. It is generally accepted that more environmental benefits could be reaped by implementing environmental protection measures where they have the biggest positive impact. However, considering one of the main environmental problems in Finland resulting from agriculture, eutrophication, the identification of first-best policy or even the biggest contributors among the diffuse nutrient sources remains as a considerable challenge. The model developed in this study aims to demonstrate how the agricultural nutrient load potential can be calculated in a way which supports the identifying of cost-efficient abatement policies. We use metamodeling of dynamic nutrient load model (ICECREAM) to establish load parameters for non linear economic optimization to derive abatement cost functions for nutrient loads of 2 Finnish catchments. We calculate the difference in costs of the spatially optimal allocation of reduction measures and compare with the costs based on average non-targeted measures.nutrient abatement, nitrogen, phosphorus, non-linear optimization, GIS, Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Land Economics/Use, Productivity Analysis,

Maatalouden ravinnekuormituksen kustannustehokas vähentäminen : lyhyen aikavälin näkökulma typen ja fosforin vähentämiseen Suomessa

This dissertation examines the economic efficiency of nutrient abatement measures in agriculture, focusing on the case of Finland. The thesis consists of an introduction article and four separate studies, which consider the problem of nutrient abatement from different angles. Nutrient abatement was put on the environmental policy agenda decades ago because of the adverse impacts of eutrophication in surface waters, and remains there as water quality, in Europe and elsewhere, has not reached satisfactory levels. In particular, the Water Framework Directive of the European Union requires the member states to reach a good ecological surface water status. In Finland, agriculture accounts for a major share of nutrient loads and could play an important role in achieving the water quality targets. However, the current environmental policy, relying on subsidies paid to farmers, has not met the abatement targets set for agriculture. As the European farm subsidy regime is revised, new environmental policies could be adopted. To identify the policies that would reach water protection targets, more information on costs-efficient measures is required. The objective of this dissertation is to estimate nutrient abatement costs in agriculture and to rank the measures in terms of cost-efficiency. The focus is on the measures that have been considered in the agri-environmental support scheme. Analysis relies on empirical numerical models that are based on microeconomic theory. Numerical representative farm models were developed for dairy and crop production. Abatement costs were found to fluctuate, depending on the target abatement levels, environmental and market conditions as well as production structure of agriculture. It is argued that reaching the national abatement targets, set by the government for 2015, is unlikely; extending the measures currently common in Finland is insufficient. For such a high abatement targets, policies should aim at increasing the share of green fallow, which can be effective in cutting down both nitrogen and phosphorus loads and conserving biodiversityTämä väitös tarkastelee maatalouden ravinnekuormituksen vähentämiskeinojen taloudellista tehokkuutta lähinnä suomalaiseen aineistoon nojautuen. Tutkimus koostuu johdantoluvusta ja neljästä artikkelista, joissa kuvataan tutkimuskysymystä eri näkökulmista. Johtuen vesistöjen rehevöitymisen haitallisista vaikutuksista, ravinteiden vähentäminen on ollut osa ympäristöpolitiikkaa Euroopassa ja muuallakin vuosikymmenten ajan. Ravinteiden vähentäminen on edelleen ajankohtainen ongelma, sillä vedenlaatu ei ole yhteiskunnallisesti tyydyttävällä tasolla. Etenkin Euroopan Unionin vesipuitedirektiivi edellyttää jäsenvaltioitansa tavoittamaan vesistöjen hyvän ekologisen tilan. Suomessa maatalouden osuus ravinnekuormituksesta on merkittävä ja sillä voi olla merkittävä rooli vesiensuojelutavoitteiden saavuttamisessa. Tästä huolimatta tukiaisiin perustuva maatalouden ympäristöpolitiikka ei ole toteuttanut maataloudelle asetettuja ravinteiden vähennystavoitteita. Euroopan yhteisen maatalouspolitiikan muutos mahdollistaa maatalouden ympäristöohjauksen kehittämisen. Vesiensuojelutavoitteet saavuttavan ympäristöpolitiikan suunnittelemiseksi on tunnettava vähennyskeinojen tehokkuus ja kustannukset. Tämän väitöksen tavoitteena on arvioida ravinteiden vähentämisen kustannuksia suomen maataloudessa ja asettaa vähennyskeinot järjestykseen kustannustehokkuuden perusteella. Pääpaino on maatalouden ympäristötukijärjestelmän toimenpiteillä. Analyysi nojaa mikrotalousteorian pohjalta laadittuihin laskentamalleihin, jotka käyttävät empiiristä aineistoa. Tutkimuksessa luotiin maito ja peltoviljely -tuotantosuuntia edustavat tilamallit. Tuloksista käy ilmi että ravinnekuormituksen vähentämisen kustannukset vaihtelevat riippuen vähennystasoista, ympäristöllisistä tekijöistä, markkinatilanteesta ja tuotantosuunnista. Kansallisten maataloudelle vuoteen 2015 asetettujen vähennystavoitteiden saavuttaminen nykyisten keinojen avulla vaikuttaa epätodennäköiseltä. Kun vähennystavoitteet on asetettu korkealle, niiden saavuttamiseksi tähtäävän politiikan kannattaisi lisätä viherkesantojen osuutta, sillä siten on tehokasta vähentää sekä typpeä että fosforia ja toisaalta suojella biodiversiteettiä

An integrated simulation model to evaluate national policies for the abatement of agricultural nutrients in the Baltic Sea

This study introduces a prototype model for evaluating policies to abate agricultural nutrients in the Baltic Sea from a Finnish national point of view. The stochastic simulation model integrates nutrient dynamics of nitrogen and phosphorus in the sea basins adjoining the Finnish coast, nutrient loads from land and other sources, benefits from nutrient abatement (in the form of recreation and other ecosystem services) and the costs of agricultural abatement activities. The aim of this study is to present the overall structure of the model and to demonstrate its potential using preliminary parameters

An integrated simulation model to evaluate national policies for the abatement of agricultural nutrients in the Baltic Sea

This study introduces a prototype model for evaluating policies to abate agricultural nutrients in the Baltic Sea from a Finnish national point of view. The stochastic simulation model integrates nutrient dynamics of nitrogen and phosphorus in the sea basins adjoining the Finnish coast, nutrient loads from land and other sources, benefits from nutrient abatement (in the form of recreation and other ecosystem services) and the costs of agricultural abatement activities. The aim of this study is to present the overall structure of the model and to demonstrate its potential using preliminary parameters. The model is made flexible for further improvements in all of its ecological and economic components. Results of a sensitivity analysis suggest that investments in reducing the nutrient runoff from arable land in Finland would become profitable only if Finland’s neighbors in the northern Baltic committed themselves to similar reductions. Environmental investments for improving water quality yield the highest returns for the Bothnian Bay and the Gulf of Finland, and smaller returns for the Bothnian Sea. In the Bothnian Bay, the abatement activities become profitable because the riverine loads from Finland represent a high proportion of the total nutrient loads. In the Gulf of Finland, this proportion is low, but the size of the coastal population benefiting from improved water quality is high.ecosystem services, nutrient abatement, Monte Carlo simulation, recreation, valuation, Environmental Economics and Policy, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Manner-Suomen maaseutuohjelman 2014-2020 arviointia tukeva selvitys

Luken kirjat, raportit, oppaat ja esitteet. Raportti Maa- ja metsätalousministeriölle201

Creating Conditions for Harnessing the Potential of Transitions to Agroecology in Europe and Requirements for Policy

Food systems require reorientation to take greater account of interactions with the environment, economy, health and society. Transitions to agroecological farming practices and systems can connect policy areas and realise environmental, economic and social aims. These transitions provide a lens for reviewing policy, practice and behaviours of actors in farming systems and value chains, identification of barriers to uptake, and policy areas to which they contribute or where there are gaps. Developing social and human capital, and governance structures that enable transitions to agroecology are key to their prospects of success. Education and life-long learning are key to developing the knowledge and skills of younger generations of land managers and other actors in value chains, throughout their careers. The outcome sought is for a shared understanding of the benefits of agroecological practices and systems, creating opportunities to rebalance policies towards delivering climate neutrality, reversing biodiversity loss, and enhancing rights of citizens. To realise those opportunities policies and strategies should be coherent across territorial and systems levels, and tailored to place, system, people, and stages of transitions. Overall, they should be designed to ensure all citizens are beneficiaries of transitions to agroecological farming systems, over the long term, and that no-one or place is disadvantaged by the processes of change or the outcome intended.</p