Typology and distribution of small farms in Europe: Towards a better picture

The contribution of small farms to local food supply, food security and food sovereignty is widely acknowledged at a global level. In the particular case of Europe, they often are seen as an alternative to large and specialised farms. Assessing the real role of small farms has been limited by a lack of information, as small farms are frequently omitted from agricultural censuses and national statistics. It is also well acknowledged that small farms differ widely, and are distributed according to different spatial patterns across Europe, fulfilling different roles according to the agriculture and territorial characteristics of each region. This paper presents the result of a novel classification of small farms at NUTS-3 level in Europe, according to the relevance of small farms in the agricultural and territorial context of each region, and based on a typology of small farms considering different dimensions of farm size. The maps presented result from an extensive data collection and variables selected according to European wide expert judgement, analysed with advanced cluster procedures. The results provide a fine grained picture of the role of small farms at the regional level in Europe today, and are expected to support further data analysis and targeted policy intervention

The role of anthropogenic and biogenic emissions on tropospheric ozone formation over Greece

In the frame of this work, the sensitivity of a grid-based photochemical model on the emission inventory is examined. More precisely, the role of various emission categories on simulated oxidant formation is investigated and especially the biogenic ones. Special emphasis is given on the investigation of the role of the biogenic emissions on tropospheric ozone formation over areas with significant anthropogenic sources. The area of interest is the SE part of the Greek Peninsula where there are various types of anthropogenic pollutant sources and important biogenic sources from forest areas. Ozone air quality simulations were performed using the combined system of the atmospheric model RAMS and the photochemical model UAM. The simulations revealed that there is a significant increase of the calculated ozone concentrations over areas with significant precursor sources when biogenic emissions are taken into account. This increase is more pronounced during the days with a significant regional scale transport