Impacts of the French bio-fuel policy on the French arable crop sub-sector

The paper provides an analysis of the impacts of the biofuel policy on the French arable crop sub-sector. The model used is a biofuel supply model composed of an agricultural module and an industrial biofuel processing module. The agricultural supply model is an aggregation of 1094 farm models, based on data from the French Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). Different biofuel chains are included in the model: ethanol from wheat and sugar beet, biodiesel (Vegetable Oil Methyl Ester) from rapeseed and sunflower. Scenarios are built upon the recent policy of an increased demand of biofuels for the next years, under the assumption of fulfilling the targets with domestic production only. Results show that the incorporation target of 7% of biofuels in transport fuels would have small impacts on the wheat and sugar beet cultivated areas but would lead to a considerable increase in the rapeseed area. In the main producing regions, the rapeseed area would reach approximatively a third of the total farmed area. This would not be without consequences on the environment, due to the increase in pesticide use that this change in cropping patterns would most certainly induce. It would not be possible to reach a 10% incorporation target without imports. Furthermore, we analyse the impacts of reaching these production levels on the rapeseed opportunity costs, and show that reaching high level of incorporation (above 7%) will need a very high increase in rapeseed prices paid to farmers. We calculate the impacts of this opportunity cost increase on the competitiveness of biofuels with respect to fossil oil, for different levels of oil prices. We test the sensitivity of the results against the wheat price, and show that this latter will have a significant impact on the biodiesel competitiveness.biofuel, agriculture, France, Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries,

Spatially explicit farming system modelling for an efficient agri-environmental policy design

A mathematical programming model is developed and associated to a spatial pattern index (Ripley L-function) to analyse the optimal reserve design and implementation for the Little Bustard conservation in Plaine de Niort. The model structure corresponds to three spatial levels, fields, farm and landscape. Simple in terms of area representation it is detailed in term of farm behaviour and spatially explicit. The model is applied in a normative and in a positive way. The major findings of the normative approach relate to the trade-offs between the reserve pattern and its cost. It was found that the environmentally optimal reserve, which is randomly dispersed across the zone, is the most costly one. Within the positive approach, it is illustrated that the various reserve patterns generated within the normative approach can be obtained through relatively simple uniform contract structures. The most effective contract structure is a degressive set of two payments enabling all the farms to enrol at least a small share of their land.Biodiversity, spatial optimization, mathematical programming, agri-environmental policies, Tetrax tetrax, Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Spatially explicit farming system modelling for an efficient agri-environmental policy design

A mathematical programming model is developed and associated to a spatial pattern index (Ripley L function) to analyse the optimal reserve design and implementation for the Little Bustard conservation in Plaine de Niort. The model structure corresponds to three spatial levels, fields, farm and landscape. Simple in terms of area representation, it is detailed in terms of farm behaviour and spatially explicit. The model is applied in a normative and in a positive way. The major findings of the normative approach relate to the trade-offs between the reserve pattern and its cost. It was found that the environmentally optimal reserve, which is randomly dispersed across the zone, is the most costly one. Within the positive approach, it is illustrated that the various reserve patterns generated within the normative approach can be obtained through relatively simple uniform contract structures. The most effective contract structure is a degressive set of two payments enabling the farms to enroll at least a small share of their land.Biodiversity, spatial optimization, mathematical programming, Environmental Economics and Policy, Farm Management,

Competition and State Aid Policy in the European Community

This article discusses the effect of European Community state aid policy on competition. First, the article defines and discusses the types of state aid under the Treaty Establishing the European Community. Second, the article analyzes the distortion of competition and effect on trade that state aids have. Third, the article discusses whether state aid qualifies for an exemption because it fulfills some other goal of the Treaty

Impacts du développement des biocarburants sur la production française de grandes cultures

The paper provides an analysis of the impacts of the bio fuel policy on the French arable crop subsector. The model used is a bio fuel supply model composed of an agricultural module and an industrial bio fuel processingule. Our results show that the incorporation target of 7% of bio fuels in transport fuels would lead to a considerable increase in the rapeseed area. In the main producing regions, the rapeseed area would reach approximately a third of the total farmed area. It would not be possible to reach a 10% incorporation target without imports. Furthermore, we analyse the impacts of reaching these production levels on the rapeseed opportunity costs, and show that reaching the incorporation targets will need an increase in rapeseed prices paid to farmers. We calculate the impacts of this opportunity cost increase on the competitiveness of bio fuels with respect to fossil oil, for different levels of oil prices.Agriculture , Bio-fuels , Energy policy , French arable crops

Les enjeux du développement des biocarburants dans l’Union européenne

En mars 2007, le Conseil européen a annoncé qu’à l’horizon 2020, une proportion minimale de 10 % de biocarburants devrait être incorporée dans les carburants utilisés pour le transport routier. Les pouvoirs publics communautaires mettent en avant trois facteurs principaux pour justifier une telle ambition : la réduction des émissions de gaz à effet de serre (GES), la diversification des approvisionnements énergétiques et le soutien des revenus agricoles. Alors qu’on s’interroge sur les conditions dans lesquelles les 5,75 % d’incorporation fixés par le cadre législatif actuel pourraient être atteints en 2010, ce nouvel élan donné à la politique communautaire des biocarburants suscite plusieurs interrogations.

The evaluation of packet transmission characteristics in a multi-access channel with stack collision resolution protocol

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Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Correction to: Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake