Programming rural development funds – An interactive linear programming approach applied to the EAFRD program in Saxony-Anhalt

Policies for rural areas have become an important but complex policy field in the European Union`s Common Agricultural Policy. The purpose of this paper is to report on a methodological approach pursued to model the allocation of EAFRD (European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development) funds in Saxony-Anhalt. We show how an interactive programming approach can be developed and used to support our partner Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment. So far, various key elements of the modeling approach have been specified: the definition of all relevant policy measures and funding options, the assessment of impacts on the regional objectives pursued, the definition of relevant lower and upper bounds, and the formulation of co-financing requirements and possibilities. Some first results reveal potentials for policy adjustment. After some more refinements and specifications, the model is to be used interactively with Ministry representatives for scenario calculations to support policy-making and strategy development for rural development in Saxony-Anhalt.rural development, interactive programming, EAFRD, multi-level co-financing, Saxony-Anhalt, Agricultural and Food Policy, Agricultural Finance, Community/Rural/Urban Development, Environmental Economics and Policy, Institutional and Behavioral Economics, Public Economics,

Social dimensions of multifunctional agriculture in Europe - towards an interdisciplinary framework

Agriculture is embedded in and interacts with both its ecological and social environments. Under the concept of ‘Multifunctional Agriculture’, these interactions receive attention from scientific and political communities in terms of societal functions that can be fulfilled by farms. The discourse has focused on ecological functions, while agriculture’s social contributions are frequently mentioned but not systematically addressed. Accordingly, respective empirical results remain fragmented and applied conceptual approaches barely integrated. To address this research gap, we conducted a systematic literature review on the social functions of European agriculture. Our analysis (a) disentangles different definitions and categorizations of social functions found in the literature; (b) proposes an interdisciplinary framework and categorization that eases the linkage of relevant insights from different conceptual viewpoints; and (c) paves the way for the differentiated recognition and governance of the diverse social functions potentially delivered by farms and their activities in the European context.Peer Reviewe

TRY plant trait database – enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits - the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants - determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits - almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

AGRARSTRUKTUR UND GEMEINSAME AGRARPOLITIK – EINE ANALYSE DER DEUTSCHEN DEBATTE ANHAND

Der Umgang mit dem Agrarstrukturwandel wird in Deutschland kontrovers diskutiert. Die Argumentationen politischer Akteure scheinen dabei diffus. Ein gesellschaftlicher Diskurs über agrarstrukturelle Fragen und ein wissensbasierter Aushandlungsprozess über Ziele und Instrumente werden damit erschwert. In diesem Beitrag werden mittels einer Inhaltsanalyse von Stellungnahmen zur Gemeinsamen Agrarpolitik (GAP) Kernpositionen herausgearbeitet und zugänglicher gemacht. Im Ergebnis kann zwischen zwei Akteursgruppen unterschieden werden: Befürwortern und Gegnern einer Politik zugunsten kleinerer Betriebe. Argumentiert wird insbesondere über die Themenschwerpunkte Verteilungsgerechtigkeit und Multifunktionalität. Trotz ähnlicher Positionierungen ziehen einige Akteure unterschiedliche Schlussfolgerungen. Dies zeigt unter anderem die Notwendigkeit einer vermehrten Erforschung des Zusammenhangs zwischen Größenstrukturen und Gemeinwohlleistungen

Interactive programming of rural development funds – lessons from the field

Within this paper, we present an interactive modelling approach to support budgeting decisions at the program level and discuss its potential and limitations to contribute to more objective-oriented policy-making. The central feature of the approach is a linear optimisation model which is interactively defined and used together with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. We show how the current EAFRD framework can be translated into a model, and how this provides positive learning effects and increases in-house communication and transparency. From a conceptual point of view, the case study underlines the necessity to provide a simple and applicable methodology causing certain compromises with regard to theoretical soundness

Modelling the impact of EAFRD policies on rural development and structural change

Policies for rural areas have become an important but complex policy field in the European Union`s Common Agricultural Policy. In this paper we present a programming approach to analyse the EAFRD budget allocation in Saxony-Anhalt. The approach has been interactively developed with representatives from our partner Ministry. The model is used to analyse and discuss optimisation potentials and the effects of reduced budget availabilities facing Saxony- Anhalt. The results obtained reveal a rather high optimisation potential and reflect the importance of the co-financing modalities within the EAFRD and the GAK context. Budget cuts would severely affect the allocation of funds and the financing mode

Programming rural development funds – An interactive linear programming approach applied to the EAFRD program in Saxony-Anhalt

Policies for rural areas have become an important but complex policy field in the European Union`s Common Agricultural Policy. The purpose of this paper is to report on a methodological approach pursued to model the allocation of EAFRD (European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development) funds in Saxony-Anhalt. We show how an interactive programming approach can be developed and used to support our partner Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment. So far, various key elements of the modeling approach have been specified: the definition of all relevant policy measures and funding options, the assessment of impacts on the regional objectives pursued, the definition of relevant lower and upper bounds, and the formulation of co-financing requirements and possibilities. Some first results reveal potentials for policy adjustment. After some more refinements and specifications, the model is to be used interactively with Ministry representatives for scenario calculations to support policy-making and strategy development for rural development in Saxony-Anhalt

Modelling the impact of EAFRD policies on rural development and structural change

Policies for rural areas have become an important but complex policy field in the European Union`s Common Agricultural Policy. In this paper we present a programming approach to analyse the EAFRD budget allocation in Saxony-Anhalt. The approach has been interactively developed with representatives from our partner Ministry. The model is used to analyse and discuss optimisation potentials and the effects of reduced budget availabilities facing Saxony- Anhalt. The results obtained reveal a rather high optimisation potential and reflect the importance of the co-financing modalities within the EAFRD and the GAK context. Budget cuts would severely affect the allocation of funds and the financing mode.rural development, interactive programming, EAFRD, multi-level cofinancing, Saxony-Anhalt, Agricultural and Food Policy, Farm Management, Land Economics/Use,

Left ventricular mechanics and cardiovascular outcomes in non-compaction phenotype

AIMS: This study aims at understanding left ventricular (LV) mechanics of non-compaction (LVNC) phenotype using echocardiographic strain analysis and at assessing the association of functional parameters with cardiovascular (CV) outcomes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Longitudinal (GLS) and circumferential strain (GCS) as well as rotation of the LV were analyzed in 55 LVNC patients and 55 matched controls. Cardiovascular outcomes were documented for a median follow-up duration of 6 years. GLS and GCS were impaired in LVNC. Similary, regional longitudinal and circumferential strain as well as twist were reduced. CV events occurred in 28 LVNC patients. Apical peak circumferential strain (APCS), peak systolic rotation of apical segments (APSR), and twist were strongly associated with events. This was independent of and incremental to LVEF and non-compacted to compacted myocardial thickness ratio (NC:C ratio). The association of twist with events was also independent of and slightly superior to GLS. CONCLUSIONS: GLS, GCS, regional strain, and twist were impaired in LVNC. APCS, APSR, and twist exhibited strong association with CV events independent of and incremental to LVEF and NC:C ratio, and in case of twist even GLS. Thus, STE-derived parameters may complement the echocardiographic assessment of LVNC patients in clinical routine