Resource efficiency and economic implications of alternatives to surgical castration without anaesthesia

This paper presents an analysis of the economic implications of alternative methods to surgical castration without anaesthesia. Detailed research results on the economic implications of four different alternatives are reported. castration with local anaesthesia, castration with general anaesthesia, immunocastration and raising entire males. The first three alternatives have been assessed for their impact on pig production costs in the most important pig-producing Member States of the EU. The findings on castration with anaesthesia show that cost differences among farms increase if the anaesthesia cannot be administered by farmers and when the veterinarian has to be called to perform it. The cost of veterinarian service largely affects the total average costs, making this solution economically less feasible in small-scale pig farms. In all other farms, the impact on production costs of local anaesthesia is however limited and does not exceed 1 (sic)ct per kg. General anaesthesia administered by inhalation or injection of Ketamin in combination with a sedative (Azaperone, Midazolan) is more expensive. These costs depend heavily on farm size, as the inhalation equipment has to be depreciated on the largest number of pigs possible. The overall costs of immunocastration - including the cost of the work load for the farmer - has to be evaluated against the potential benefits derived from higher daily weight gain and feed efficiency in comparison with surgical castrates. The economic feasibility of this practice will finally depend on the price of the vaccine and on consumer acceptance of immunocastration, The improvement in feed efficiency may compensate almost entirely for the cost of vaccination. The main advantages linked to raising entire males are due to the higher efficiency of feed conversion, to the better growth rate and to the higher leanness of carcass. A higher risk of boar taint on the slaughter line has to be accounted for Raising entire males should not generate more than 2.5% of boar taint among slaughter pigs, in order to maintain the considerable economic benefits of better feed efficiency of entire males with respect to castrates

Cross compliance and competitiveness of the European beef and pig sector

Beef and pig production are important sectors affected by the cross-compliance policy. Full compliance with SMRs and GAECs generates costs and benefits which may have an impact on the competitiveness of these sectors on the world market. Compliance with the Nitrate Directive, animal identification and registration requirements and animal welfare standards can give rise to non-negligible cost of production increases at individual farm level and at sector level. Additional costs can be relevant either due to a low degree of compliance or by significant adjustments costs at farm level. Full compliance generates a level playing field between Member States of the EU, as some countries have to face higher additional costs than others, which are be attributed to differences in degree of compliance. This paper first presents evidence of additional costs at individual farm level due to full compliance. Then for beef and pork a methodology has been developed in order to calculate sector cost impacts following an upcsaling procedure for each of the analysed directives. Simulations with the GTAP model have enabled an assessment of the trade effect of compliance with standards and the impact on the external competitiveness of the EU beef and pork production. In some policy fields covered by cross-compliance important trade partners such as Canada, USA and New Zealand have implemented policies similar to the EU. In these three countries comparable standards to those in the EU were identified and the level and cost of compliance have been assessed. The pig sector will be affected most by a unilateral compliance with standards in the EU, in particular as the Nitrate Directive is concerned. Within the EU pig production costs will rise by 0.545 %. Imports may increase by 4% and exports may fall by 3%. However full application of the Clean Water Act in the US, which contains similar obligations to the Nitrate Directive, generates a significant sector cost increase (1,08%) which may counterbalance the loss of competitiveness of EU pork production towards the US. Compliance with the mandatory animal welfare standards has only minor cost implications and has negligible effects on external competitiveness of the EU both because of a high degree of compliance and relatively low adjustment costs at farm level. Finally, in many EU member states the degree of compliance of beef farms with the animal registration and identification directives is below 100%. Additional costs for full compliance within the EU have been estimated at 0.455%, which may cause an increase of beef imports of 2.21% and a decline of exports of ¿2.12%. This loss in competitiveness of the EU will further favour the position of Brazil on the world beef market. At the other hand significant benefits are obtained in food security of EU beef

Costs of compliance with EU regulations and competitiveness of the EU dairy sector

The introduction of cross-compliance mechanism in the European Union with its 2003 CAPreform might affect the costs of production and thus competitiveness of the EU. Little evidence is available to asses the costs of compliance with regulations and it implication for trade. In this study a farm level competitiveness analysis of the impacts of the Nitrate Directive and the Identification & registration Directive focuses on the dairy sector in Germany, France, Italy, Netherlands and UK (within EU), and the US and New Zealand (outside EU). The findings from this study are integrated into a trade analysis which assesses the impact of compliance costs on competitiveness of the various trading nations in global trade. Representative farm studies were used as a basis for the cost increase calculations. Best-estimates of compliance are used from the existing literature and expert judgements. The negative impact of these measures (for nitrates, and animal identification and registration) on EU imports and exports are less than 3 percent. If a smaller increase in compliance takes place, these already relatively small trade impacts will be further diminished. When the standards for nitrate pollution taken by the US and New Zealand are taken into account along with full compliance assumption in all countries analysed, this would only slightly improve the EU exports. The trade impacts obtained when no changes are assumed to happen in key competitor countries can thus be argued as providing the upper bound of the likely trade impacts

The production of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese : the force of an artisanal system in an industrialised world

In many respects the Parmigiano-Reggiano production system is a unique dairy system. The processing of 1.35 million tons of milk into a high quality product in 600 small cheese dairies using predominantly artisan production techniques is not found anywhere else in Europe. The high labour input required both on the dairy farms and in the cheese dairies creates considerably more employment than any other dairy system. About 20,000 men and women work everyday in this very special system. In an industrial dairy system designed to produce the same quantity of milk, no more than 8,000 people would be employed. The final quality of the cheese is heavily dependant on the ability of the cheese-maker to process the different qualities of raw milk - which varies from season to season and from farm to farm - without using any additive except for the dairy-based whey starter and rennet.In an industrial dairy system milk is the raw material for a wide range of dairy products all of which are the result of a combination of technological processes and additives and the latest bio-chemical research. The central question addressed in this study was formulated as follows. Given the fact that most European dairy systems have adopted industrial production techniques, how has the Parmigiano Reggiano systems been able to maintain the use of artisan, labour intensive techniques? Why has this system not industrialised, like other ancient cheese production systems in many other countries?The answer to these questions can only be found if we use theories that go beyond the liberal, atomistic conception of the profit maximising ' homo economicus '. His behaviour can only be understood when his institutional and social context is taken into account. The problem is that notions such as loyalty, commitment, trust and a sense of belonging do not fit easily into economic concepts. Although it must be said that more recent economic theories are moving towards an incorporation of concepts that go beyond mere economic variables to take account of the behaviour of the actors involved.The theory on economic districts and institutions contains considerable interpretative power and can help us understand the reasons for the economic validity and persistence of the Parmigiano-Reggiano system. The integration of positive externalities generated within the district into the firm balance, alleviates the higher costs generated by limited economies of scale in predominantly small firms. In the peripheral zones of the Parmigiano Reggiano production area, where the network of cheese dairies is less dense the tendency to resist during periods of price crises is weaker than in areas with a high concentration of cheese dairies. Here, a dairy farm will be more likely to close down for there is neither the density of farms or sufficient cheese dairies to create a system of common shared values about how milk should be produced. Neither is there a sense of belonging to the Parmigiano Reggiano system. These common values and a sense of belonging are very strong in the central zones of the Parmigiano Reggiano production area.The small-scale co-operative structure of the cheese dairies is a second factor that is also extremely important to the strength of the system. The strong integration of milk production and milk processing significantly reduces the transaction costs in this link of the Parmigiano-Reggiano system. Mutual trust and loyalty to the cheese dairy on the part of its members are the basic forces that hold this social organisation together. Enlarging the scale of the cheese dairies and effecting mergers with other dairies are subjects that always generate fierce debate. They not only involve the clash of two political worlds, but there is also the fear that such changes might have a detrimental effect on the final quality of the cheese. The fact that the cheese-maker must exercise control over key operations within the production process is regarded as a prerequisite for the quality of the cheese and puts a brake on any development towards large-scale processing units.Many cheese dairies have market relations with just one or two cheese maturing firms and these commitments do not change much over time. Although many improvements may take place in this market relationship to the benefit of the cheese dairies, the stability of sales to a few purchasers guarantees a high reliability and this in turn reduces transaction costs.A third important pillar of the Parmigiano-Reggiano system is the family farm structure that characterises the majority of Parmigiano-Reggiano dairy farms. These types of farm have lower monetary costs than farms that rely primarily on hired labour. Moreover, many dairy farms follow a style of farming that foresees a low integration into input markets, a factor that contributes significantly to reducing monetary costs. The low proportion of monetary costs within total production costs enables many farms to survive periods of price crises. Even though the temptation to produce industrial milk is high during difficult times, farmers will continue to produce milk for Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. This is because deterioration's in the input/output price ratio does not penetrate their farm management decisions to the same extent it penetrates the decisions of farms that are more dependent on market price fluctuations. Dairy farmers who belong to the Parmigiano-Reggiano system are conscious of these strong price variations. During periods of high prices, which may exceed industrial milk prices by 30-40 percent, investments are made in new cowsheds, machinery and equipment.On average the diflated average price for Parmigiano-Reggiano milk over an eight-year period is similar to the deflated average industrial milk price, but the Parmigiano-Reggiano price remunerates a much higher labour input than the industrial milk price. In their management decisions Parmigiano-Reggiano dairy farmers take into account the long-term economic efficiency of their farms and are prepared to balance out periods of high prices with periods of low prices.The fourth factor that contributes to the uniqueness of the Parmigiano-Reggiano system is institutional involvement. Local research centres, representative bodies and the public administration direct the specific technological development of the system. Certain developments are deliberately blocked while others are favoured. Although production and processing costs have to be kept down, the main focus of technological innovation is to maintain the quality difference with Parmigiano-Reggiano main market competitors. Its objective is to prevent a rush versus the indiscriminate introduction of those technologies which may be able to reduce processing costs significantly, but may alter the product in such a way that Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese would loose its present market position. In a single industrial firm similar strategies are undertaken by the R&D department. In the Parmigiano-Reggiano system, however, this task is performed collectively by a group of actors and institutions who are involved in production and who try to define the specific technological development path best suited to the product. The success of maintaining artisan production techniques has to be attributed to the capacity of the actors to arrive at a convergence of their individual objectives and strategies.These four factors explain the uniqueness of the Parmigiano-Reggiano production system. It is a dairy system that uses artisan milk processing techniques, represents 15 percent of the Italian milk market, and is able to guarantee more than double employment in milk production and processing. Further, it is able to sustain economic development in less favoured areas and has a significantly better environmental impact than industrial dairy farms.If these are the most important characteristics of the Parmigiano-Reggiano system as it is now, the question is how is it likely to evolve in the future. Will the system maintain its distinctive characteristics and is it able to resist external pressures? Might there be some reason for the actors to abandon the current production techniques and turn towards industrialisation?The fact is that its market position puts the Parmigiano -Reggiano system under constant pressure to standardise its production and processing technology and this may compromise its link with the specific conditions of the production area. Moreover, the product faces competition from lower-priced alternatives, such as the Grana Padano cheese produced in Lombardy at lower cost and using specific but more industrial-type techniques.The fierce debate about technological innovations reflects the importance of the choices that have to be made. Among the different farm styles identified, the large-scale, intensive farms with high-yielding cows seem to be more open to innovations that can lead to reductions in milk production costs. These vanguard farms, with a high proportion of hired labour and considerable bank exposure are more sensitive to reductions in production costs. They are more integrated into the markets but, at the same time, they are also more vulnerable to price fluctuations. This type of farm is more inclined to leave the Parmigiano-Reggiano system in times of price crises.In this period of rapid increasing globalisation two tendencies may emerge: the abandonment of local culture under pressure of the increasing amount of exposure to elements from a global culture, or the enforcement of local culture in defence of local identity. The long history of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese has contributed to the enforcement of this culture up to now, but if in future short-term profit considerations come to dominate the management decisions made by Parmigiano-Reggiano dairy farmers, this may weaken their commitment to the production system.Finally, we may question whether this example of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese system could be repeated elsewhere as a way of creating more employment in the countryside. Insights can be drawn from this emblematic case of a regional specific product that may be useful to rural development. Particularly interesting is the social organisation of the system and the way it has developed over time. A precondition for the success of any regional specific product is a strong link between the actors and the local culture and history of the area where the product originates. Although very strict product regulations can be designed for any regional specific product to help create a new segment for the product on the market, compliance with these rules and regulations can best be secured if the actors have a strong cultural attachment to the product. There is no quality certification body able to control the compliance of actors with product regulations if the actors themselves do not identify with the product. New initiatives for the development of regional specific products on the market should be based on products supported by a minimum number of producers strongly convinced of its specificity and typicality.If these factors are essential conditions on the supply side, on the demand side a significant number of consumers should have an interest in and be willing to pay for regional specific products. This manifest or hidden demand should be reached or discovered by the producers of a regional specific product either directly by direct sales, when product volumes are small or through multiple retail outlets when product volumes become larger. Large retailer groups may come more into line with the interest of producer groups involved in the processing of regional specific products, if the selling of these products contributes to their differentiation strategy as far as their competitors on the market are concerned.The Parmigiano-Reggiano system is in many respects unique and cannot be reproduced elsewhere. Nevertheless, the interesting elements involved in the Parmigiano-Reggiano process suggests how it may be possible to produce an agricultural product with significantly higher labour input and a lower environmental impact. Rural employment and eco-compatibility will be key elements in future European agriculture and the Parmigiano-Reggiano system can be considered an emblematic case of how these two policy objectives can be combined

Study on the impact of regulation (EC) No 1/2005 on the protec-tion of animals during transport

The objective of the findings of an evaluation of Regulation (EC) 1/2005 was to provide a detailed assessment of the implementation of the Regulation (EC) and its impact on the animals being transported and on operators, with special reference to trade flows, navigation systems and the socio‐economic and regional implications

Analysis of Coplanar On-Chip Interconnects on Lossy Semiconducting Substrates

In this paper, a method for analysis and modeling of coplanar transmission interconnect lines that are placed on top of silicon-silicon oxide substrates is presented. The potential function is expressed by series expansions in terms of solutions of the Laplace equation for each homogeneous region of layered structure. The expansion coefficients of different series are related to each other and to potentials applied to the conductors via boundary conditions. In the plane of conductors, boundary conditions are satisfied at Nd discrete points with Nd being equal to the number of terms in the series expansions. The resulting system of inhomogeneous linear equations is solved by matrix inversion. No iterations are required. A discussion of the calculated line admittance parameters as functions of width of conductors, thickness of the layers, and frequency is given. The interconnect capacitance and conductance per unit length results are given and compared with those obtained using full wave solutions, and good agreement have been obtained in all the cases treated

Dilaton Domain Walls and Dynamical Systems

Domain wall solutions of $d$-dimensional gravity coupled to a dilaton field $\sigma$ with an exponential potential $\Lambda e^{-\lambda\sigma}$ are shown to be governed by an autonomous dynamical system, with a transcritical bifurcation as a function of the parameter $\lambda$ when $\Lambda<0$. All phase-plane trajectories are found exactly for $\lambda=0$, including separatrices corresponding to walls that interpolate between $adS_d$ and adS_{d-1} \times\bR, and the exact solution is found for $d=3$. Janus-type solutions are interpreted as marginal bound states of these ``separatrix walls''. All flat domain wall solutions, which are given exactly for any $\lambda$, are shown to be supersymmetric for some superpotential $W$, determined by the solution.Comment: 30 pp, 11 figs, significant revision of original. Minor additional corrections in version to appear in journa

Cross-Comparison of Climate Change adaptation Strategies Across Large River Basins in Europe, Africa and Asia

A cross-comparison of climate change adaptation strategies across regions was performed, considering six large river basins as case study areas. Three of the basins, namely the Elbe, Guadiana, and Rhine, are located in Europe, the Nile Equatorial Lakes region and the Orange basin are in Africa, and the Amudarya basin is in Central Asia. The evaluation was based mainly on the opinions of policy makers and water management experts in the river basins. The adaptation strategies were evaluated considering the following issues: expected climate change, expected climate change impacts, drivers for development of adaptation strategy, barriers for adaptation, state of the implementation of a range of water management measures, and status of adaptation strategy implementation. The analysis of responses and cross-comparison were performed with rating the responses where possible. According to the expert opinions, there is an understanding in all six regions that climate change is happening. Different climate change impacts are expected in the basins, whereas decreasing annual water availability, and increasing frequency and intensity of droughts (and to a lesser extent floods) are expected in all of them. According to the responses, the two most important drivers for development of adaptation strategy are: climate-related disasters, and national and international policies. The following most important barriers for adaptation to climate change were identified by responders: spatial and temporal uncertainties in climate projections, lack of adequate financial resources, and lack of horizontal cooperation. The evaluated water resources management measures are on a relatively high level in the Elbe and Rhine basins, followed by the Orange and Guadiana. It is lower in the Amudarya basin, and the lowest in the NEL region, where many measures are only at the planning stage. Regarding the level of adaptation strategy implementation, it can be concluded that the adaptation to climate change has started in all basins, but progresses rather slowl

Zoonotic Diseases Report 2013

De Staat van zoönosen 2013 geeft een overzicht van de mate waarin zoönosen in Nederland voorkomen en ontwikkelingen daarin op de lange termijn. Zoönosen zijn infectieziekten die van dier op mens overgaan. Net als in voorgaande jaren waren er in 2013 geen uitgesproken veranderingen te zien in de mate waarin zoönosen in Nederland voorkomen. Zoals ieder jaar deden zich ook in 2013 enkele opmerkelijke voorvallen voor, zoals een geval van hazenpest. In deze jaarlijkse uitgave van het RIVM en de NVWA is het thema 'huis-, tuin- en keukenzoönosen': zoönosen die mensen kunnen oplopen in en om het huis. Opmerkelijke voorvallen Bij een haas afkomstig uit Noord-Limburg werd in mei 2013 hazenpest (tularemie) vastgesteld. Vervolgens werd ook bij een jongeman tularemie vastgesteld, die de infectie waarschijnlijk via een dazenbeet in een natuurgebied in Limburg had opgelopen. In 2011 is er mogelijk ook een in Nederland opgelopen geval van tularemie geweest, terwijl in de jaren daarvoor alleen sporadisch gevallen gemeld werden die in het buitenland waren opgelopen. Een andere opmerkelijke gebeurtenis betrof een uitbraak van Campylobacter onder bezoekers van een pluimveeslachthuis die waarschijnlijk via de lucht aan de ziekteverwekker waren blootgesteld. Negen mensen werden ziek. Ook blijkt uit een onderzoek naar de vossenlintworm (Echinococcus multilocularis) onder vossen en honden, dat deze lintworm bij vossen in Zuid-Limburg veel vaker voorkomt dan in voorgaande jaren. Thema: huis-, tuin- en keukenzoönosen Juist in en om het huis kunnen mensen worden blootgesteld aan allerlei zoönoseverwekkers. Duizenden mensen krijgen jaarlijks via hun huisdieren ringworm, een schimmelinfectie. Ook kunnen zoönosen afkomstig zijn van huisdieren of dieren die hun behoefte doen in de tuin. Verder komen voedselgerelateerde zoönosen aan de orde, waarbij aandacht is voor het feit dat zoönosen ook via groenten kunnen worden opgelopen.The Zoonotic Diseases Report is an annual publication of the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) and the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA). The report provides an overview of the incidence of zoonotic diseases in the Netherlands, as well as the associated long-term trends. Zoonotic diseases or zoonoses are infectious diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans. As in previous years, no marked changes were observed in 2013 in the incidence of zoonotic diseases in the Netherlands. Every year a number of notable incidents occurres. In 2013 this included a case of rabbit fever (tularemia). This year's edition of the Zoonotic Diseases Report focuses in particular on 'zoonoses close to home', i.e. the risk of contracting a zoonotic disease in or around the house. Notable incidents In May 2013, rabbit fever (tularemia) was discovered in a hare originating from the north of the province of Limburg. Tularemia was later also diagnosed in a young man, who had probably contracted the infection after having been bitten by a horse fly in a nature reserve in Limburg. Another person possibly contracted tularemia in the Netherlands in 2011. In previous years only incidental cases were reported, with the disease being contracted abroad. Another notable incident concerned an outbreak of Campylobacter infection among visitors to a poultry slaughterhouse who had probably been exposed to airborne pathogens. Nine people fell ill as a result of this outbreak. An investigation into the incidence of Echinococcus multilocularis in foxes and dogs showed that this tapeworm was much more common in foxes in the south of Limburg province than in previous years. 'Zoonoses close to home' Humans can be exposed to various zoonotic disease pathogens in or around the house. Every year, thousands of people contract dermatophytosis (a fungal infection commonly known in the Netherlands as 'ringworm') from their pets. Zoonotic diseases can also be contracted from pets or from animals defecating in the garden. The report also devotes attention to food-related zoonotic diseases, with a particular focus on the risk of contracting zoonoses through the consumption or handling of vegetables.NVW