99 research outputs found
Assessing Investment in Precision Farming for Reducing Pesticide Use in French Viticulture
The paper develops a mathematical programming model for assessing the impact of Environmental Policy instruments on French winegrowing farmâs adoption of pesticides-saving technologies. We model choices with regards to investment in precision farming and plant protection practices, in a multi-periodic framework with sequential decision, integrating uncertainty on fungal disease pressure and imperfect information on equipment performance. We focus on recursive models maximizing a Utility function. These models are applied on a representative sample of 534 winegrowers from the French Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). As expected, both ecotaxes and green subsidies make precision farming equipment more profitable, but the investment rate remains however low and concentrated on basic systems. One explanation is growerâs financial constraint in a context of market crisis and farm indebtedness. Shortcomings and further development of the models are discussed.Discrete Stochastic Programming, Precision Farming, Viticulture, Pesticides, Environmental Policy, Crop Production/Industries, Farm Management,
Economic Instruments to Combat Eutrophication: A Survey
Eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems is a functional process triggered by excessive nutrient inputs into water courses. It causes disruption to ecosystems, with impacts on associated goods and services, which consequently might not be provided in a sustainable way. These impacts have served to politicize the issue in recent years. In this chapter, we present the main lessons learned from an international literature review on the economic aspects of eutrophication, first with the purpose of managing the problem in France and second in the context of a European research project. This study aims to help public decision-making in the reduction of this water pollution. By analyzing past experiences and the results of recent modeling work, it allows to avoid a number of pitfalls and focus on efficient solutions
Chapter Economic Instruments to Combat Eutrophication: A Survey
Eutrophication of aquatic ecosystems is a functional process triggered by excessive nutrient inputs into water courses. It causes disruption to ecosystems, with impacts on associated goods and services, which consequently might not be provided in a sustainable way. These impacts have served to politicize the issue in recent years. In this chapter, we present the main lessons learned from an international literature review on the economic aspects of eutrophication, first with the purpose of managing the problem in France and second in the context of a European research project. This study aims to help public decision-making in the reduction of this water pollution. By analyzing past experiences and the results of recent modeling work, it allows to avoid a number of pitfalls and focus on efficient solutions
Observations complémentaires sur les fonctionnements hydrologiques et hydrosédimentaires de la Vallée Obscure (commune de Peyrolles)
Rapport techniqueCe rapport prĂ©sente les rĂ©sultats des suivis limnigraphiques et pluviographiques, campagnes de jaugeages en Ă©tiage, traçages dans les sĂ©diments en arriĂšre des tancats, Ă©tude des transports solides, relevĂ©s cartographiques... sur les bassins versants du Rouquet et de la VallĂ©e Obscure. Les recherches ont Ă©tĂ© coordonnĂ©es avec les investigations menĂ©es parallĂšlement dans le cadre d'un projet europĂ©en INTERREG IIIB : TERRISC (RĂ©cupĂ©ration des paysages de terrasses et prĂ©vention des risques naturels). Le dispositif d'observation mis en place vient en outre d'ĂȘtre intĂ©grĂ© Ă un Observatoire de Recherche et ExpĂ©rimental (ORE) du CNRS, l'Observatoire Hydro-mĂ©tĂ©orologique MĂ©diterranĂ©en CĂ©vennes-Vivarais (OHM-CV), preuve de l'intĂ©rĂȘt des travaux rĂ©alisĂ©s sous l'Ă©gide du SMAGE des Gardons
Using critical source areas for targeting cost-effective best management practices to mitigate phosphorus and sediment transfer at the watershed scale
The impact of implementing different best management practices (BMPs) at the small watershed scale were examined for the Petzenkirchen catchment in Austria and Lake Vico in Italy, in terms of data needs, hydrological processes, tools and models involved. Identification of critical source areas for targeting soil and phosphorus losses turned out to be crucial for correct allocation of BMPs. Comparison of environmental effectiveness and costs, both calculated using various modelling approaches, enabled us to compare different levels of introducing BMPs ecologically and economically. Within each catchment, small areas of land tended to be the source of disproportionately large amounts of pollution . Therefore, confining mitigation to these areas costs less than targeting wider areas. This suggests that a policy for environmental programmes should be focussed on hydrological units and critical source areas within these units instead of introducing universal controls - the âwatering canâ principle - as practised today
Evaluation intégrée des mesures agro-environnementales territorialisées à enjeu "qualité des eaux" sur la période 2007 à 2011 : le projet MAEVEAU
The MAEVEAU project has developed an approach for an integrated assessment of effectiveness of regionalized Agro-Environmental Measures (MAET) intended to preserve water quality in relation to pesticides. This approach investigates the concept of efficiency through a triple analysis: the impact (net effects), the environmental cost-effectiveness and the role of organizational factors in the contracting process. The impact is assessed by a quasi-experimental approach by counterfactuals and examines adaptation of the matching method to the regionalized MAET. Cost-effectiveness analysis is based on integrated modeling spatially distributed coupling the agro-hydrological SWAT model, pesticides pressure indicators and a bio-economic model optimizing gross margin. The effectiveness of organizational factors focuses on transaction costs, the role of collective action and preferences for alternative contracts.La recherche conduite dans le projet MAEVEAU a développé une démarche d'évaluation intégrée de l'efficacité des Mesures Agro-Environnementales Territorialisées (MAET) à enjeu préservation de la qualité de l'eau vis-à -vis des pesticides sur la période 2007 à 2011. La question scientifique traite le concept d'efficacité de la politique en s'appuyant sur une triangulation des approches: une évaluation de l'impact (c'est-à -dire des effets propres de la politique), une évaluation coût-efficacité environnementale et une évaluation du rÎle des facteurs organisationnels dans le processus d'adhésion. L'impact est évalué par une approche quasi-expérimentale par contrefactuel et questionne l'adaptation de la méthode du matching à la territorialisation des MAET. L'analyse coût-efficacité s'appuie sur une modélisation intégrée spatialisée couplant modÚle agro-hydrologique, indicateurs pesticides spatialisés et optimisation économique des marges brutes. L'efficacité des facteurs organisationnels s'est intéressée aux coûts de transaction, au rÎle de l'action collective et aux préférences pour des contrats alternatifs
Understanding Stakeholder Synergies Through System Dynamics: Integrating Multi-Sectoral Stakeholder Narratives Into Quantitative Environmental Models
To reach the global aspiration of 17 ambitious SDGs, local realities must be integrated.
Often, models are developed based on quantitative statistical data sources from
databases on environmental indicators or economics to assess how a given SDG can
be achieved. This process however removes the local realities from the equation. How
can you best include stakeholders in this mathematical modelling processes distanced
from their local realities, though, and ensure higher probability of future compliance with
top-down global decisions that may have local consequences once implemented? When
researching stakeholder involvement and their ability to form public policy, their opinions
often get reported as a single assessment, like counting the fish in the ocean once and
stating that as a permanent result. Too seldom do stakeholders get invited back and
given the opportunity to validate results and allow researchers to adjust their models
based on on-the-ground validation or change requests. We tested the full integration of
stakeholders in the modelling process of environmental topics in six different case areas
across Europe, with each area holding six sectoral and one inter-sectoral workshops.
In these workshops, the scope of the issues relevant to the stakeholders was driven
by first the sectoral priorities of the given sector, followed by a merging of issues. In this
process, we were able to identify what the commonalities between different sectors were
and where synergies lay in terms of governance paths. These results were then returned
to the stakeholders in a mixed session where they were able to come with feedback
and advice on the results researchers presented, so that the models reflected more
closely the perceptions of the regional actors. We present these methods and reflect
on the challenges and opportunities of using this deep-integration method to integrate
qualitative data from stakeholder inclusion in a quantitative modelThe authors would like to acknowledge funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under Grant Agreement N° 773782Peer reviewe
Understanding Stakeholder Synergies Through System Dynamics: Integrating Multi-Sectoral Stakeholder Narratives Into Quantitative Environmental Models
To reach the global aspiration of 17 ambitious SDGs, local realities must be integrated.
Often, models are developed based on quantitative statistical data sources from
databases on environmental indicators or economics to assess how a given SDG can
be achieved. This process however removes the local realities from the equation. How
can you best include stakeholders in this mathematical modelling processes distanced
from their local realities, though, and ensure higher probability of future compliance with
top-down global decisions that may have local consequences once implemented? When
researching stakeholder involvement and their ability to form public policy, their opinions
often get reported as a single assessment, like counting the fish in the ocean once and
stating that as a permanent result. Too seldom do stakeholders get invited back and
given the opportunity to validate results and allow researchers to adjust their models
based on on-the-ground validation or change requests. We tested the full integration of
stakeholders in the modelling process of environmental topics in six different case areas
across Europe, with each area holding six sectoral and one inter-sectoral workshops.
In these workshops, the scope of the issues relevant to the stakeholders was driven
by first the sectoral priorities of the given sector, followed by a merging of issues. In this
process, we were able to identify what the commonalities between different sectors were
and where synergies lay in terms of governance paths. These results were then returned
to the stakeholders in a mixed session where they were able to come with feedback
and advice on the results researchers presented, so that the models reflected more
closely the perceptions of the regional actors. We present these methods and reflect
on the challenges and opportunities of using this deep-integration method to integrate
qualitative data from stakeholder inclusion in a quantitative modelThe authors would like to acknowledge funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation programme under Grant Agreement N° 773782Peer reviewe
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