Public Awareness Concerning the Multifunctionality of Cypriot Agriculture

AbstractAgriculture's multifunctionality constitutes a core dimension in the design of rural development policies of the European Union, recently reformed through the introduction of Reg. EC/1305/2013. Within a generalized rural development context, agriculture plays numerous roles; in Cyprus three sectors other than the production of food and fiber are particularly affected: the environment, including the management of water reserves as water is the scarcest resource on the island and irrigation accounts for more than 70% of the total water consumption, rural amenities, through the protection of the agricultural cultural heritage and the livelihood of rural areas, and the continuation of the farming profession, which is endowed with non-use values. This study presents the findings of a survey regarding the degree to which Cypriots are interested in the aspects of life on the island which are affected by the multifunctional character of agriculture. Using Likert-scale questions, 300 respondents were interviewed concerning their opinions and attitudes towards four of these aspects: environmental quality, management of water resources, rural amenities and the maintenance of the farming profession. The analysis indicates that Cypriots are aware of the roles that agriculture plays. Then, in order to examine the validity of this conceptual framework of multifunctionality, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed. The results of the CFA revealed that Cypriots incorporate these four aspects within the same framework, thus understanding the distinct effects of multifunctionality on their everyday life. The results of this study can be used in the implementation of Reg. EC/1305/2013, as they reflect public preferences concerning the orientation of agriculture

Dairy Farmers’ Strategies against the Crisis and the Economic Performance of Farms

AbstractDairy farming in Greece constitutes a particular case of livestock farming, because of its highly entrepreneurial nature. The modern Greek dairy cattle farming is predominantly based in Northern Greece, where more than 80% of Greek cow milk is produced. Since the 2000's the dairy cattle sector is characterized by a rapid increase in the mean size of farms, which permits them to undertake investments in machinery and buildings and to have access to improved genetic material for the achievement of higher productivity. Nevertheless, this development renders dairy farms vulnerable to volatile economic conditions, as they are heavily dependent on capital endowments. The main purpose of this study is to examine the consequences of the economic crisis on the dairy cattle sector and the strategies undertaken by farmers to cope with it. The analysis is based on data from a questionnaire survey of farmers in Northern Greece. Strategies undertaken by dairy farmers in order to face the crisis and to ensure the survival of their businesses are recorded through a set of Likert-scale questions. Technical and economic data are also analyzed in order to examine the economic performance of farms, revealing that the sampled dairy farms are viable, with satisfactory economic results, with capital returns of 6.2% annually. Based on the Likert-scale data, dairy farmers adopt active strategies to face the crisis, by undertaking investments and augmenting their farm sizes, while they deem that the crisis does not have catastrophic results on the profitability of their farms. On the other hand, strategies which entail less expenses and/or diminished productivity are unpopular among dairy farmers. Finally, the vast majority of respondents claim to have seen negative consequences on their farms from the recent measures concerning the prolongation of the duration of fresh milk in retail markets: lower quality, increased vulnerability to international competition, shrinking dairy sector

Assessing the importance of soil testing in fertilizer use intensity: a tobit analysis of P fertilizer demand by dairy farmers in Ireland

Phosphorus (P) is considered the second most important nutrient for grass growth following nitrogen (N) and it is applied on grasslands mainly through chemical fertilizers. Irrational use of chemical fertilizers, however, lead to severe and often irreversible environmental degradation, which has, consecutively, an impact on the overall sustainability of the world. Farmers are responsible for the amount of P fertilization on their farm, and despite the efforts to design policies to assist them with precise chemical fertilizer use, chemical P use is still high, particularly on pasture fields where grass needs to be constantly maintained. . In Ireland, where agriculture is majorly pasture based, soil testing is highly recommended, as part of the Irish rural development plans, in order to encourage efficient nutrient management. This study uses an econometric model on data from the Irish national farm survey to examine the examines the relation between soil testing and chemical P fertilization in Irish pasture based farm systems. Results indicate the soil-testing leads to the use lower amounts of chemical fertilizers, which is also correlated with landscape characteristics and farm intensity, indicating the need for targeted management approaches to farm level management decision making

Sustainability assessment of goat and sheep farms: a comparison between European countries

European sheep and goat farming faces diverse challenges at global or local scales and constitutes an important sector for many countries, playing important sociocultural, economic and environmental roles. A closer examination of the overall sustainability of the sector is necessary to assess the performance of different farm types in various geographical settings. This comparative study evaluates the use of a common sustainability assessment (SA) tool for the major European countries in the sheep and goat sector. In particular, the study reports the results of a SA using the Public Goods (PG) Tool, adapted within the Innovation for Sustainable Sheep and Goat Production in Europe (iSAGE) Horizon 2020 project, which includes questions accounting for 13 dimensions of a sheep and goat farm sustainability. In total, 206 farmers from Greece, Italy, Spain, Finland, United Kingdom, France and Turkey were interviewed, all of which were typical of specific types of a pan-European sheep and goat farm typologies elaborated within iSAGE. The study resulted in composite indicators of performance in each dimension for each country. Finland, Italy and the United Kingdom performed better than other countries, while Turkey and Greece performed below average in most categories. The results highlight challenges for each country but also at the European level, the latter mainly relating to generational renewal and an unwillingness to invest in the adoption of a more sustainable approach with long-term results.</jats:p

The multifunctional pastoral systems in the Mediterranean EU and impact on the workforce

Meeting of the Mediterranean Sub-Network of the FAO-CIHEAM International Network for the Research and Development of Pastures and Fodder Crops.This study partly results from the TRAMed research funded by the EU Marie Curie programme.Pastoralism constitutes a multifunctional system of animal production; the system is endowed with a range of values, which, nonetheless, are not captured in the prices of products. Indeed, pastoralism protects rural livelihoods especially in marginal and remote areas which, in the absence of inhabitants, would become abandoned or nurturing illegal activities , is endowed with important cultural features, produces high-quality dairy products and plays an irreplaceable role in preserving and maintaining ecosystem functioning. An important function of the system lays in the provision of income and employment to communities inhabiting mountainous or remote areas, for whom productive opportunities are limited. The purpose of this study is to present the main functions of pastoralism, alongside with the main pre-conditions for the protection and development of its various forms in the Mediterranean (transhumance, island animal production, grassland-based livestock farming). The study focuses on necessary political, social and regulatory adjustments to formulate a favorable operational environment, which should accommodate its unique multifunctional features and differentiate it from conventional intensive or semi-extensive systems

Valuation of agricultural externalities in Strymonas basin

The agricultural sector produces a wide range of externalities. These non-traded goods and services are produced jointly with food and fiber and affect the environment, rural development and food security. The production of externalities from agriculture is referred to as agriculture’s multifunctionality. The main purpose of this Thesis is the valuation of several externalities of agriculture in Strymonas valley. The choice experiment technique is employed in order to examine the locals’ preferences for three characteristics of multifunctionality. These characteristics are externalities on water resources, the transfer of surplus labor from agriculture to other sectors in order to safeguard agricultural cultural heritage and agricultural landscapes and the values of farming, which are reflected in increased incomes from agriculture to ensure the existence of faming in the region. The valuation scenario includes the extensification of farming in the region, by the establishment of a non-profit regional Organization in charge of supervising farming in the area. A parametric programming model is employed in order to examine the possibilities for such an extensification. The results indicate that substitution of intensive crops by irrigated wheat and lucerne postulates significant benefits in terms of lower pressures on local ecosystem and increased individual incomes from agriculture, however it is expected to bring about a fall in employment in agriculture. The results of the econometric analysis point out the heterogeneity of preferences, which entails that the majority of habitants are interested in safeguarding these externalities. The estimated marginal willingness to pay indicates a mean willingness to pay of 5,92 € for reducing agrochemical use by 1 percent, of 0,09 € for retraining one farmer in order to work in the emergence of agricultural cultural heritage and agricultural landscape and of 5,77 € for increasing average incomes from farming by 1 percent in order to motivate farming. These estimates are used to calculate the compensating surplus from benefits that are expected to occur from extensive agriculture. Comparisons of compensating surplus against income loss reveal a net social surplus from changing the cropping pattern. This surplus represents the values that society places on farming with low resource use, on cultural and natural characteristics created by agriculture and on farming itself, which is endowed with non-use vaues.Οι εξωτερικές επιδράσεις αποτελούν εγγενές φαινόμενο της γεωργίας. Πρόκειται για μη εμπορεύσιμες εκροές οι οποίες επηρεάζουν το περιβάλλον, την αγροτική ανάπτυξη και την ασφάλεια των τροφίμων. Η παραγωγή εξωτερικών επιδράσεων από τη γεωργία συνιστά την πολυλειτουργικότητά της. Σκοπός αυτής της διδακτορικής διατριβής είναι η αποτίμηση ορισμένων από τις εξωτερικές επιδράσεις της γεωργίας στην κοιλάδα του ποταμού Στρυμόνα. Η αποτίμηση στηρίζεται στη μέθοδο του πειράματος επιλογής με την οποία καταγράφονται οι προτιμήσεις των κατοίκων της περιοχής για τρία χαρακτηριστικά της πολυλειτουργικότητας. Πρόκειται για τις εξωτερικές επιδράσεις της γεωργίας στο περιβάλλον και ιδιαίτερα στους υδατικούς πόρους, την αποδέσμευση εργασίας από τη γεωργία για την ανάπτυξη δραστηριοτήτων όπως η διατήρηση του γεωργικού τοπίου και της γεωργικής πολιτιστικής κληρονομιάς, και τις αξίες του γεωργικού επαγγέλματος, που αντανακλώνται στην επιδίωξη για υψηλότερα εισοδήματα στον τομέα, που θα διασφαλίσουν τη συνέχισή του. Η επίτευξη αυτών των στόχων διερευνάται στα πλαίσια ενός σεναρίου εκτατικοποίησης της γεωργίας, με την ίδρυση ενός κοινωφελούς τοπικού Οργανισμού που θα την επιβλέπει. Οι δυνατότητες μιας τέτοιας εκτατικοποίησης διερευνώνται με τη μέθοδο του παραμετρικού προγραμματισμού από την οποία προκύπτει ότι η υποκατάσταση εντατικών καλλιεργειών από εκτατικότερες συνεπάγεται μείωση των πιέσεων της γεωργίας στο οικοσύστημα και αύξηση των εισοδημάτων, αλλά θα επιφέρει μείωση της απασχόλησης στον τομέα. Τα αποτελέσματα του πειράματος επιλογής φανερώνουν την ετερογένεια των προτιμήσεων ως προς αυτά τα χαρακτηριστικά και αποκαλύπτουν πως η πλειοψηφία των κατοίκων είναι διατεθειμένη να πληρώσει 5,92€ για τη μείωση της χρήσης αγροχημικών κατά 1%, 0,09€ για την επανεκπαίδευση ενός γεωργού, ώστε να απασχοληθεί στην ανάδειξη της γεωργικής πολιτιστικής κληρονομιάς και του γεωργικού τοπίου και 5,77€ για την αύξηση του μέσου γεωργικού εισοδήματος κατά 1%, ως κίνητρο συνέχισης της άσκησης της γεωργίας στην περιοχή. Οι εκτιμήσεις αυτές αξιοποιούνται στον υπολογισμό των ωφελειών από την εκτατικοποίηση της γεωργίας. Η αντιπαραβολή τους με τις αντίστοιχες εισοδηματικές απώλειες φανερώνει ένα καθαρό κοινωνικό πλεόνασμα που οφείλεται στις αξίες που αποδίδει η κοινωνία στην επικράτηση μιας γεωργίας χαμηλών αγροχημικών εισροών, στα πολιτιστικά και φυσικά χαρακτηριστικά που διαμορφώνει η γεωργία και στο ίδιο το γεωργικό επάγγελμα

Evolution of the Structure and Economic Management of the Dairy Cow Sector

In this paper, we examine the changes in the structural, economic and managerial characteristics of dairy cow farms during their shift towards a new business model that operates under a highly intensified system. Based on farm accounting data from Greek dairy farms for the 2004&ndash;2017 period, the main technical and financial indicators are estimated and compared to provide a clear picture of the structural adjustment of the dairy cow sector during the last two decades. The outcomes and the implications described herein are relevant for specialized dairy farms in most European countries. The results indicate that modern farms breed a larger number of cows, achieve a higher milk yield, rely on high compound feed intakes and operate under an intensive pattern. This trend is even more evident in larger farms with an entrepreneurial nature, whose structural adjustments occurred in a more concise and effective manner. The latter benefited from a downward shift in their long-term average cost curves and the resulting economies of scale, achieving reasonable gross margins despite the ever-increasing feeding costs. Nowadays, the European dairy cow sector faces major economic, social and environmental challenges that must be properly addressed to secure its survival. The findings of this study provide insights concerning the efficient financial management of dairy farms that can support the development of strategies and policy recommendations that will enhance the resilience and sustainability of the sector

Evolution of the Structure and Economic Management of the Dairy Cow Sector

In this paper, we examine the changes in the structural, economic and managerial characteristics of dairy cow farms during their shift towards a new business model that operates under a highly intensified system. Based on farm accounting data from Greek dairy farms for the 2004–2017 period, the main technical and financial indicators are estimated and compared to provide a clear picture of the structural adjustment of the dairy cow sector during the last two decades. The outcomes and the implications described herein are relevant for specialized dairy farms in most European countries. The results indicate that modern farms breed a larger number of cows, achieve a higher milk yield, rely on high compound feed intakes and operate under an intensive pattern. This trend is even more evident in larger farms with an entrepreneurial nature, whose structural adjustments occurred in a more concise and effective manner. The latter benefited from a downward shift in their long-term average cost curves and the resulting economies of scale, achieving reasonable gross margins despite the ever-increasing feeding costs. Nowadays, the European dairy cow sector faces major economic, social and environmental challenges that must be properly addressed to secure its survival. The findings of this study provide insights concerning the efficient financial management of dairy farms that can support the development of strategies and policy recommendations that will enhance the resilience and sustainability of the sector

Alternative Approaches of Summer Milk Sales from Transhumant Sheep and Goat Farms: A Case Study from Northern Greece

Sheep and goat transhumance provides a wide range of ecosystem services (ES). Transhumance-specific dairy products could function as a nexus between the system and the public, incorporating ES which are not remunerated in markets, but in Greece, there are actually no such dairy products. Within this context, the objective of this paper was to present a case study regarding a comparative assessment of three different approaches (supply chains) in milk sales from transhumant farms. The first involved production of cheese on-farm and direct sales to consumers. In the second approach, farmers sold their milk to the same industry throughout the year, where it was mixed with milk from non-transhumant farms. The third approach concerned cheese produced solely from milk of transhumant flocks in a small dairy in the highlands. An assessment framework was developed examining the perceived quality; economic performance of farms; compatibility and; representativeness and contribution of each approach. Based on five in-depth interviews with farmers and dairies, it was found that a combination of the three approaches would be beneficial for farms&mdash;to decrease risks&mdash;and for the system as a whole, in order to convey the &lsquo;agro-pastoral message&rsquo; to wider audiences and to increase the recognisability of transhumance. In addition, the analysis showed that the economic performance of each approach was related more to managerial issues and organizational requirements rather than to the achievement of higher prices and more added value in the first and third approach

Impact of Feeding Pattern on the Structure and the Economic Performance of Dairy Cow Sector

In dairy farms, the feeding cost, which includes the expenses for purchased feed but also the expenses for feed production, constitutes a very large part of production cost (more than 60%), which indicates the economic importance of the feeding strategy. This study discerns three different feeding strategies: landless farms only purchasing feed from markets (“Purchasing”), farms for which home-grown feeds stand for more than 10% of feeding costs (“Producing”) and farms with less than 10% home-grown feeds (“Multi-purpose”). Based on technical and economic data from 47 dairy cow farms in Greece, alternative scenarios of development of the dairy sector are determined taking into account the dependence on on-farm feed production. Through a parametric programming model, the study provides insights regarding the optimal structure of the system under different scenarios (changing availability of variable capital, changes in milk prices). The results indicate that “Purchasing” farms are the preferred option when variable capital is abundant and milk prices are satisfactory, while “Producing” are the ones surviving with milk prices significantly lower than the actual ones in Greece and European Union. “Multi-purpose” farms perform worse than the other two and are sidelined in both scenarios, as they do not seem to be able to specialize in the dairy enterprise or in crop production and thus to minimize costs