Improving the living and working conditions of migrant seasonal workers - Assessing consumer preferences for hypothetical, domestic, fair trade apples

This article assesses consumer preferences for improved living and working conditions for migrant seasonal workers in Germany. The analysis is based on a discrete choice experiment (DCE) with 227 consumers. Consumers were presented with the choice of buying standard apples or apples produced under improved conditions. A mixed logit model was used for the analysis of the data. The predicted probability of choosing an apple produced under improved conditions is 85 %. For most of the attributes, significantly positive estimates were found. Consumers value higher minimum wages, the obligation to participate in the German social security system, and bonus payments on Sundays and public holidays. Higher prices and longer working hours per week decrease the probability of opting for an apple. The attributes with the least importance relate to accommodation. The significant attributes indicate the aspects for which society perceives the greatest need for action. These could be addressed to improve the living and working conditions of migrant seasonal workers

Abating Ammonia Emissions: Farmers’ Willingness to Use Slurry Acidification Techniques during Spreading

This article seeks to determine farmers’ willingness to apply slurry acidification during spreading. Slurry acidification is a novel technique to reduce ammonia emissions, which has been pioneered in Denmark. In an online discrete choice survey of German livestock farmers, the respondents were asked to choose between different policy schemes to promote the use of acidification techniques and the status quo. The support schemes were characterised by the following attributes: cost share, expected emission reduction as well as reliefs from, and tightenings of, the German Fertilizer Ordinance. In addition, the character-istics of farmers and farms were elicited. The data were estimated using a mixed logit model. The esti-mated probability of farmers to choose a support scheme is 89 %. All policy variables are significant for acceptance and show the expected signs. Emission reduction is important to farmers and increases the chances of participation in a support scheme significantly. Furthermore, the cost share offered and the exemption from the requirement to incorporate slurry immediately after spreading have a significantly positive impact on farmers’ willingness to participate. By contrast, the higher the nitrogen load factor by which the extra nitrogen in the slurry must be counted in a farmer’s fertilizer planning (a provision of the German Fertilizer Ordinance), the lower the probability of participation. Concerning farm and farmer characteristics, farmers with grazing livestock show lower acceptance as do sow holders. Older farmers and better educated farmers are more likely to participate

The Impact of Size on Exiting from Livestock Production - an Empirical Analysis of Dairy and Sow Farms in Germany

We study the exit from livestock production of 35,000 German farms. By means of regression analysis we identify the factors affecting farmers' decisions either to quit farming altogether or to abandon certain livestock enterprises (sows and dairy cows). For our data, results from binomial probit estimations are either valid for quitting farming altogether or exiting from livestock production only. The determinants for these two decisions are different. Consequently, for analyzing the decision to exit from livestock production a multinomial probit model is preferred over a binomial model since a livestock farmer has three options to choose from: continuing livestock production, exiting from farming, or exiting from livestock production while keeping arable farming. For both dairy farms and sow farms we find that larger herd sizes make the abandonment of the respective livestock enterprises less likely. By contrast, the decision to quit farming altogether is not affected by herd size. We thus find no evidence in support of the much cited conjecture that the size of a farm's livestock enterprise increases the probability of its survival

Einfluss der Größe auf die Aufgabe der Tierproduktion – empirische Analyse Milchvieh und Sauen haltender Betriebe in Deutschland

Die vorliegende Studie untersucht den Ausstieg aus der Tierhaltung sowohl auf gesamtbetrieblicher Ebene als auch auf der Ebene einzelner Betriebszweige (Sauen oder Milchkühe) von ca. 35.000 deutschen Landwirtschaftsbetrieben. Regressionsanalytisch werden Determinanten gesucht, warum ein Betrieb zwischen zwei definierten Wirtschaftsjahren aus der Landwirtschaft insgesamt oder aus einem der beiden betrachteten Betriebszweige ausgestiegen ist oder ihn beibehalten hat. Der Methodenvergleich zwischen binomialer und multinomialer Probit-Schätzung zeigt in unserem Fall, dass Ergebnisse, die das binomiale Modell für das Ausstiegs-Regime liefert, tatsächlich entweder nur für den Gesamtausstieg oder nur für den Betriebszweigausstieg gelten. Die Verwendung eines multinomialen Modells mit den drei Regimen Beibehaltung, Betriebszweigausstieg und Gesamtausstieg erscheint somit statistisch geboten, wenn der Ausstieg aus Betriebszweigen untersucht werden soll. Sowohl für Milchvieh als auch für Sauen haltende Betriebe zeigt das Modell, dass mit einem größeren Umfang des Betriebszweiges die Wahrscheinlichkeit für einen Ausstieg aus dem betrachteten Betriebszweig sinkt, der Umfang des Betriebszweiges auf den Gesamtausstieg aus der Landwirtschaft aber keinen signifikanten Einfluss hat. Die häufig vertretene Auffassung, dass große Betriebe bessere Überlebenschancen haben, kann auf Ebene der Betriebszweiggröße daher für die untersuchten Betriebe nicht untermauert werden. We study the exit from livestock production of 35,000 German farms. By means of regression analysis we identify the factors affecting farmers’ decisions either to quit farming altogether or to abandon certain livestock enterprises (sows and dairy cows). For our data, results from binomial probit estimations are either valid for quitting farming altogether or exiting from livestock production only. The determinants for these two decisions are different. Consequently, for analyzing the decision to exit from livestock production a multinomial probit model is preferred over a binomial model since a livestock farmer has three options to choose from: continuing livestock production, exiting from farming, or exiting from livestock production while keeping arable farming. For both dairy farms and sow farms we find that larger herd sizes make the abandonment of the respective livestock enterprises less likely. By contrast, the decision to quit farming altogether is not affected by herd size. We thus find no evidence in support of the much cited conjecture that the size of a farm’s livestock enterprise increases the probability of its survival

Abating Ammonia Emissions through Slurry Acidification during Spreading: Farmers' Willingness to Participate in a Support Scheme

This article sought to determine farmers' willingness to join a hypothetical support scheme for slurry acidification during spreading. Slurry acidification is a novel technique to reduce ammonia emissions, which has been pioneered in Denmark. In an online discrete choice survey of German livestock farmers, the respondents were asked to choose between different policy schemes to promote the use of acidification techniques and an opt-out option. The support schemes were characterized by the following attributes: cost share, expected emission reduction as well as a relief from, and a tightening of, the German Fertilizer Ordinance. The relief was a waiver of the legal requirement to incorporate slurry immediately after spreading. The tightening related to the provision to account for the additional nitrogen in a farmer's fertilizer planning. The data was estimated using a mixed logit model and latent class analysis. The estimated probability of choosing a support scheme was 90% in the mixed logit estimation. All attributes were crucial for the decision to use acidification techniques during slurry spreading. Higher emission reduction increased the chances of participation in a support scheme significantly. Furthermore, the cost share offered and the exemption from the requirement to incorporate slurry immediately after spreading had a significantly positive impact on farmers' willingness to participate. By contrast, the more of the extra nitrogen contained in acidified slurry had to be accounted for in a farmer's fertilizer planning, the lower the probability of participation

Are German farmers ready for ‘warm restructuring’ of the pig sector?

Recent statutory changes have increased the pressure on the German livestock sector to adapt. This paper aimed to ascertain whether German pig farmers would be willing to join a pig farming exit scheme similar to the Dutch ‘warm restructuring’ programme. The analysis was based on a discrete choice experiment with 346 pig farmers. The results indicated great interest of the respondents in a government-run decommissioning scheme. Differences in the perception of scheme attributes (compensation offered, demolition requirements, restrictions on future barn construction and slurry intake) and uncertainty among participants were highlighted by the results of a scale-adjusted latent-class estimation

Verringerung von Ammoniakemissionen durch Gülleansäuerung auf dem Feld: Teilnahmebereitschaft von Landwirten an Förderprogrammen

This article sought to determine farmers’ willingness to join a hypothetical support scheme for slurry acidifica-tion during spreading. Slurry acidification is a novel technique to reduce ammonia emissions, which has been pioneered in Denmark. In an online discrete choice survey of German livestock farmers, the re-spondents were asked to choose between different pol-icy schemes to promote the use of acidification tech-niques and an opt-out option. The support schemes were characterized by the following attributes: cost share, expected emission reduction as well as a relief from, and a tightening of, the German Fertilizer Ordi-nance. The relief was a waiver of the legal requirement to incorporate slurry immediately after spreading. The tightening related to the provision to account for the additional nitrogen in a farmer’s fertilizer planning. The data was estimated using a mixed logit model and latent class analysis. The estimated probability of choosing a support scheme was 90 % in the mixed logit estimation. All attributes were crucial for the decision to use acidification techniques during slurry spreading. Higher emission reduction increased the chances of participation in a support scheme significantly. Fur-thermore, the cost share offered and the exemption from the requirement to incorporate slurry immediately after spreading had a significantly positive impact on farmers’ willingness to participate. By contrast, the more of the extra nitrogen contained in acidified slurry had to be accounted for in a farmer’s fertilizer plan-ning, the lower the probability of participation

Verringerung von Ammoniakemissionen durch Gülleansäuerung auf dem Feld: Teilnahmebereitschaft von Landwirten an Förderprogrammen

This article sought to determine farmers’ willingness to join a hypothetical support scheme for slurry acidifica-tion during spreading. Slurry acidification is a novel technique to reduce ammonia emissions, which has been pioneered in Denmark. In an online discrete choice survey of German livestock farmers, the re-spondents were asked to choose between different pol-icy schemes to promote the use of acidification tech-niques and an opt-out option. The support schemes were characterized by the following attributes: cost share, expected emission reduction as well as a relief from, and a tightening of, the German Fertilizer Ordi-nance. The relief was a waiver of the legal requirement to incorporate slurry immediately after spreading. The tightening related to the provision to account for the additional nitrogen in a farmer’s fertilizer planning. The data was estimated using a mixed logit model and latent class analysis. The estimated probability of choosing a support scheme was 90 % in the mixed logit estimation. All attributes were crucial for the decision to use acidification techniques during slurry spreading. Higher emission reduction increased the chances of participation in a support scheme significantly. Fur-thermore, the cost share offered and the exemption from the requirement to incorporate slurry immediately after spreading had a significantly positive impact on farmers’ willingness to participate. By contrast, the more of the extra nitrogen contained in acidified slurry had to be accounted for in a farmer’s fertilizer plan-ning, the lower the probability of participation

agroBRIDGES Multi-Actor Framework Engagement Data Analysis

The multi-actor framework employed in agroBRIDGES foresees the creation of a regional Multi-Actor Platform (MAP) in the 12 focal European regions and countries of the project (Beacon Regions) as well as a Stakeholder Reference Group (SRG) at European level with a view to engaging stakeholders in the project’s activities. In this way, this dataset contains the engagement analysis of the MAP and the SRG members that have been selected as active participants in the activities carried out in the frame of the agroBRIDGES H2020 project, focused on building bridges between producers and consumers, thanks to the agroBRIDGES Toolbox developed and other supporting activities organized throughout the project. To achieve project objectives, results from MAPs and SRG management have been tracked during the first half of the project, and will continue to be monitored until the end of the project, in collaboration with all Beacon Region Leaders and the SRG Manager. In this first round of monitoring, with respect to the SRG, 20 stakeholders have been engaged, of which approximately 50% have had a high engagement, 30% a medium engagement, and 20% a low-to-none engagement. As part of the planned engagement analysis and based on the data provided by each of the Beacon Region Leaders, the initial and long-term number of MAP members, as well as the evolution in their level of engagement, have been monitored., getting a total of 179 MAP members currently engaged in the project. In a first evaluation, high engagement was generally achieved in approximately 80% of cases, with less engagement from some educational bodies and consumers. The dataset contains: agroBRIDGES_StakeholderEngagement_2022.12.27_v1: Spreadsheet in .xlsx format, containing a table with all MAP members, classified by type of organization, country, and including the level of engagement of each of them. agroBRIDGES_MAP-Engagement_2022.12.27_v1: Spreadsheet in .xlsx format, where all MAP Engagement data are collected, classified by country. This file also includes a tab with indicators of how the level of engagement has been assigned. The countries involved are: Denmark Finland France Greece Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Netherlands Poland Spain Turkey agroBRIDGES_SRG-Engagement_2022.12.27_v1: Spreadsheet in .xlsx format, where all data concerning SRG Engagement is collected. This file also includes a tab with indicators of how the level of engagement has been assigned

agroBRIDGES EIP-AGRI Practice Abstracts

The present dataset is a collection of the practice abstracts developed in the framework of the agroBRIDGES project, using the EIP-AGRI common format. The aim is to share project outputs so other actors of the agri-food sector can leverage on them and to see the main added value and benefits met by the end-users if the generated knowledge is implemented. The Practice Abstracts are also published on the EIP-AGRI website and available at this link. The current (first) version of the dataset contains the set of the first 12 Practice Abstracts generated to share the project's knowledge and insights gained from co-creation, data collection, communication and other activities aimed at promoting the development of Short Food Supply Chains, while motivating the local network of agri-food actors in the process (multi-actor approach). At least one Practice Abstract has been generated per Beacon Region (i.e. focal region of the agroBRIDGES project). This version of the dataset contains one Practice Abstract per country using the standard EIP-AGRI format in .xlsx. The final (second) version will be enhanced with Practice Abstracts describing the development and improvement of the (12) agroBRIDGES tools and the business model taxonomy developed for Short Food Supply Chains