Use and efficiency of EU public policy measures for organic farming

The paper summarises the result of a study carried out on behalf of the EU Commission that had two main aims of firstly, providing a comprehensive overview of public support measures for organic farming in all 27 Member States and, secondly, exploring the relationship between policy measures, policy strategies and the development of the organic farming sector (both in terms of production and market development) in six case study countries (Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. The results show a wide variation in support rates and policies between EU member states that these have the potential to influence significantly the competitive position of producers within the European organic market. The development of the organic sector is influenced by external factors and by the effective combination of various support policies

Entwicklung und Anwendung von Betriebsmodellen für den ökologischen Landbau am Beispiel des Landes Brandenburg

The paper discusses the elaboration and an application of the ‘agri benchmark’ approach for organic farms. Since many years, the approach is used at the Thünen Institute of Farm Economics for the international comparative analysis of conventional production systems. In cooperation with the Thünen Institute, the University of Sustainable Development Eberswalde applied the methodology on typical production systems of organic farms. The challenge of this approach is to cover the large variety of organic production systems. The applicability will be further tested by analysing the impact of post 2013 CAP reform on organic farming in the State of Brandenburg

Towards an improved legislative framework for organic farming – Overall conclusions and recommendations

Towards an improved legislative framework for organic farming – Overall conclusions and recommendations

Beyond ‘mainstream’ and ‘alternative’ in organic food supply chains: empirical examples of added value distribution from eight European countries

Purpose – This research investigates the supply chains for organic milk, apples and pasta in eight European countries and how added value is distributed among market players. Design/methodology/approach – Using secondary data and expert interviews, a market overview for the three products is provided as the basis of a more detailed analysis of the added value in twelve organic supply chain examples. For this, interviews with market players and an ‘added value calculator’ tool are employed. Findings – The farm gate and retail price of organic products is higher than conventional. Super-markets are the main outlet for organic milk and apples in the countries studied, whereas the situation for organic pasta is varied, suggesting that the use of different sale channels is influ-enced by the food product. The farmers’ share of added value ranges between 3% and 65% of the added value created in the organic supply chains analysed. Organic offers opportunities to increase the farmers’ share of added value both in supermarkets and alternative sale channels, by developing collaboration, physical infrastructures for organic and integrating operations upstream of the chain. Research limitations/implications – While more research is needed into a larger number of chains, this paper indicates that there are dynamics and features at supply chain level, such as the distribution of added value and the target markets used, that cannot be interpreted according to the binary division between ‘mainstream’ and ‘alternative’ organic suggested by the con-ventionalisation hypothesis. Originality/value – The distribution of added value for existing supply chains in eight European countries is calculated by using an effective added value calculator tool

Genomic analysis of natural intra-specific hybrids among Ethiopian isolates of Leishmania donovani.

Parasites of the genus Leishmania (Kinetoplastida: Trypanosomatidae) cause widespread and devastating human diseases. Visceral leishmaniasis due to Leishmania donovani is endemic in Ethiopia where it has also been responsible for major epidemics. The presence of hybrid genotypes has been widely reported in surveys of natural populations, genetic variation reported in a number of Leishmania species, and the extant capacity for genetic exchange demonstrated in laboratory experiments. However, patterns of recombination and the evolutionary history of admixture that produced these hybrid populations remain unclear. Here, we use whole-genome sequence data to investigate Ethiopian L. donovani isolates previously characterized as hybrids by microsatellite and multi-locus sequencing. To date there is only one previous study on a natural population of Leishmania hybrids based on whole-genome sequences. We propose that these hybrids originate from recombination between two different lineages of Ethiopian L. donovani occurring in the same region. Patterns of inheritance are more complex than previously reported with multiple, apparently independent, origins from similar parents that include backcrossing with parental types. Analysis indicates that hybrids are representative of at least three different histories. Furthermore, isolates were highly polysomic at the level of chromosomes with differences between parasites recovered from a recrudescent infection from a previously treated individual. The results demonstrate that recombination is a significant feature of natural populations and contributes to the growing body of data that shows how recombination, and gene flow, shape natural populations of Leishmania

The nitrogen stock of the ice-rich yedoma domain

Recent studies on permafrost organic matter (OM) suggest that a portion of previously frozen carbon will enter the active carbon cycle as high latitudes warm. Less is known about the fate of other OM components, including nutrients such as nitrogen (N). The abundance and availability of N following permafrost thaw will regulate the ability of plants to offset carbon losses. Additionally, lateral N losses could alter aquatic food webs. There is growing evidence that some N is lost vertically as N2O, a greenhouse gas 300 times stronger than CO2 over 100 years. Despite broad recognition of its role regulating both carbon and non-carbon aspects of the permafrost climate feedback, estimates of permafrost N remain uncertain. To address this knowledge gap, we quantified N content for different stratigraphic units, including yedoma, Holocene cover deposits, refrozen thermokarst deposits, taberal sediments, and active layer soils. The resulting N estimates from this one permafrost region were similar in magnitude to previous estimates for the entire permafrost zone. We conclude that the permafrost N pool is much larger than currently appreciated and a substantial pool of permafrost N could be mobilized after thaw, with continental-scale consequences for biogeochemical budgets and global-scale consequences

Distribution of the added value of the organic food chain

Over the last decade the organic market in the EU has grown faster than the organic agricultural area, which raises the question to what extent organic supply chains function effectively. Therefore, this study investigated the creation and distribution of added value in a number of organic supply chains in different EU countries. The results of the case studies suggest that higher added value is created in organic compared to conventional supply chains. However, no evidence was found that the relative share of organic farmers in the total added value differs substantially from that of conventional farmers. Also in organic food supply chains farmers capture a relative small proportion of added value. This can partly be explained by similarities of organic with conventional supply chains. It appears that the distribution of added value strongly depends on the structure and characteristics of the specific supply chain, such as level of chain integration and power relations between market players. No common patterns were identified regarding the impact of different types of retails and markets on the creation and distribution of added value. Investments in quality aspects, increased consumer interest in organic food, differentiation of products as well as efficiency in supply chain management are all relevant factors that contribute to higher added value

Enhanced Bordetella pertussisacquisition rate in adolescents during the 2012 epidemic in the Netherlands and evidence for prolonged antibody persistence after infection.

IntroductionIn 2012 a large epidemic of pertussis occurred in the Netherlands. We assessed pertussis toxin (PT) antibody levels in longitudinal serum samples from Dutch 10-18 year-olds, encompassing the epidemic, to investigate pertussis infection incidence.Methods: Blood was sampled in October 2011 (n = 239 adolescents), then 1 year (2012; n = 228) and 3 years (2014; n = 167) later. PT-IgG concentrations were measured by immunoassay and concentrations ≥50 IU/mL (seropositive) assumed indicative of an infection within the preceding year.Results: During the 2012 epidemic, 10% of participants became seropositive, while this was just 3% after the epidemic. The pertussis acquisition rate proved to be sixfold higher during the epidemic (97 per 1,000 person-years) compared with 2012-2014 (16 per 1,000 person-years). In 2012, pertussis notifications among adolescents nationwide were 228/100,000 (0.23%), which is at least 40 times lower than the seropositivity percentage. Remarkably, 17 of the 22 seropositive participants in 2011, were still seropositive in 2012 and nine remained seropositive for at least 3 years.Discussion: Longitudinal studies allow a better estimation of pertussis infections in the population. A PT-IgG concentration ≥50 IU/mL as indication of recent infection may overestimate these numbers in cross-sectional serosurveillance and should be used carefully

A globally relevant stock of soil nitrogen in the Yedoma permafrost domain

Nitrogen regulates multiple aspects of the permafrost climate feedback, including plant growth, organic matter decomposition, and the production of the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide. Despite its importance, current estimates of permafrost nitrogen are highly uncertain. Here, we compiled a dataset of >2000 samples to quantify nitrogen stocks in the Yedoma domain, a region with organic-rich permafrost that contains ~25% of all permafrost carbon. We estimate that the Yedoma domain contains 41.2 gigatons of nitrogen down to ~20 metre for the deepest unit, which increases the previous estimate for the entire permafrost zone by ~46%. Approximately 90% of this nitrogen (37 gigatons) is stored in permafrost and therefore currently immobile and frozen. Here, we show that of this amount, ¾ is stored >3 metre depth, but if partially mobilised by thaw, this large nitrogen pool could have continental-scale consequences for soil and aquatic biogeochemistry and global-scale consequences for the permafrost feedback