Sustainability and Production Costs in the Global Farming Sector: Comparative Analysis and Methodologies

This report constitutes a comprehensive compilation and synthesis of the principle issues and outcomes of the joint Institute for prospective Technological Studies / Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development workshop on "Sustainability and Production Costs in the Global Farming Sector: Comparative Analysis and Methodologies" held in Brussels between 21-22 June 2011. Gathering a range of international experts and specialists in the field of production costs analysis and development, covering a range of strategic agricultural sectors of global importance, the workshop aimed to review methodologies and approaches to calculating production costs used in various sectors nationally and globally, with emphasis on exploring the applicability for effective international comparisons. A special attention was given to the methodologies and approaches for data collection and processing, factor market structure and policy inter-linkages, sectoral coverage, horizontal technical issues, and the implications for global agricultural markets. Based on the participant deliberations and discussions, a number of practically based policy recommendations towards achieving such comparisons were highlighted. The production of this report, following completion of the workshop, has been the responsibility of the IPTS. This task has been facilitated through collaboration with four internationally recognised experts (Folkhard Isermeyer, von Thünen-Institute, Germany (Chapter 2), Dan L. Cunningham, University of Georgia, USA (Chapter 3), Jean-François Garnier, ARVALIS, France (Chapter 4), Ashok K. Mishra, Louisiana State University, USA (Chapter 5)) acting as rapporteurs for each of the workshop's four technical sessions, whose efforts in capturing the principle issues and outcomes of their respective session has been instrumental towards realisation of this report. Stephen Langrell, Pavel Ciaian and Sergio Gomez y Paloma acted as Editors and compiled Chapters 1 and 6. This report constitutes a particular and comprehensive technical overview of the state of production costs calculations for the sectors under consideration at global level, and a consideration of the prospects for effective international comparison. It reviews methodologies applied for production costs calculation at national and global level followed by the discussion on methodologies used for animal and arable crop sectors. Finally, the report discusses horizontal issues related to production costs calculations. The report closes with policy-relevant conclusions as a basis for policy recommendations. It is envisaged that this report will provide a valuable source of technical and conceptual information for on-going policy considerations, both at EU and third country/international level.JRC.J.4-Agriculture and Life Sciences in the Econom

The role of the Eurasian wheat belt to regional and global food security

Food security remains to be a major societal concern. In the light of the current expectations of population growth, world food production has to be massively increased to sustain the associated food demand rise. While agricultural productivity was rising during recent decades in the US, Europe and also in some developing countries, the corresponding growth rates lately appeared to be slowing down. In fact, the only world region with a significant amount of arable land, which currently is not under cultivation and which at the same time is, moreover, experiencing rising productivity figures, is the so called 'Eurasian wheat belt', comprising of Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and the Central Asian countries, namely Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kirgizstan. In this light, the Joint Research Centre and the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development organized a thematic workshop, held during 20 – 22 May 2014 in Istanbul/Turkey, set up to bring experts on the matter together and to discuss to what extent these countries could play a role for regional and international food security. Following the workshop analysis and discussion, this report provides a comprehensive technical overview of the wheat production, and the main factors to achieve full production potential across the Eurasian wheat belt with regards to national, regional and global issues of cereal supply and food security in evolving global markets. It reviews key horizontal issues, such as land policy, credit and finance, privatization, farm structures, social consequences of transition, environmental challenges, against the backdrop of agrarian reforms implemented during the transition period. In addition the report explores production potential and corresponding institutional and policy restrictions in a series of Eurasian countries. Finally, the report closes with expert opined policy-relevant conclusions as a basis for policy suggestions and recommendations.JRC.J.4-Agriculture and Life Sciences in the Econom

Molecular phylogeny, detection and epidemiology of Nectria canker (Nectria Galligena Bres.).

Imperial Users onl

Data from: Nested polymerase chain reaction–based detection of Dothistroma septosporum, red band needle blight of pine, a tool in support of phytosanitary regimes

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Touchdown nested multiplex PCR detection of Phytophthora cinnamomi and P. cambivora from French and English chestnut grove soils

Soil borne Phytophthora cinnamomi and Phytophthora cambivora are considered the most pathogenic species associated with chestnut (Castanea sativa) decline in Europe. Mapping their incidence and distribution from nursery and plantation soils may offer valuable information for limiting spread. As conventional biological baiting and taxonomic confirmation is generally time consuming, labour, logistically and space intensive, we have focused on the development of a specific touchdown nested multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) approach for the simultaneous detection of both species direct from soil. Pre-existing and novel primers, based on Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequences, have been evaluated for their specificity and use in a multiplex capacity in various combinations. Coupled to this we have modified a mechanical lysis procedure for DNA extraction from up to 10 g of chestnut under storey soils (ranging from 0.5 to 25 μg DNA g−1 fresh soil). Using serial dilutions and/or polyvinylpolypyrrolidone chromatography purification, both species have been successfully detected, in artificially and naturally infected soils. Levels of assay detection are comparable to other Phytophthora species where PCR based diagnostic systems have been reported. A qualitative evaluation of this approach against conventional baiting is presented

Incentives and policies for integrated pest management in Europe: a review

Integrated pest management and organic farming are alternatives for sustainable agriculture and less pesticide use in the European Union. All professional users of pesticides in the European Union should follow the general principles of integrated pest management from 2014. States should report to the European Commission on their national action plan for the effective application of those those general principles through crop-specific guidelines. The major remaining issues are: (1) when guidelines are not already applied, what incentives would encourage European farmers to adopt those guidelines? (2) How and to what extent should public money be used to promote the adoption of guidelines? Here, we review the adoption of integrated pest management in Europe. We deliver a framework to understand the drivers of changes in farmers’ pest management practices. This framework also helps to understand farmer reaction to different policy incentives.JRC.J.4-Agriculture and Life Sciences in the Econom

Sampling and Modelling for Quantification of Adventitious GM Presence in Maize

The coexistence of GM and non-GM crops is an important economic and political issue in the European Union. We examined the GM content in non-GM maize crops in Spain in 2005. Both the standing crop and the harvest were tested and %GM DNA was quantified by real-time PCR. We compared the level of GM as a function of distance from known GM source fields in a 1.2 Km2 landscape. The distribution of GM was compared to predictions from previous studies and good agreement was found. Control and monitoring of adventitious GM presence in non-GM crops can only be achieved by fit-for-purpose sampling and testing schemes. We used a GM dispersal function to simulate non-GM crops in the studied zone and tested the accuracy of five different sampling schemes. Random sampling was found to be the most accurate and least susceptible to bias by GM spatial structure or gradients. Simulations showed that in order to achieve greater than 95% confidence in a GM labelling decision of a harvest (when treated as a single marketed lot), 34 samples would be needed when the harvest was outside 50% of the GM threshold value. The number of samples required increased rapidly as the harvest approached the GM threshold, implying that accurate labelling when the harvest is within +/-17% of the threshold may not be possible with high confidence.JRC.J.5-Agriculture and Life Sciences in the Econom

Sampling and modeling for the quantification of adventitious genetically modified presence in maize

The coexistence of genetically modified (GM) and non-GM crops is an important economic and political issue in the European Union. We examined the GM content in non-GM maize crops in Spain in 2005. Both the standing crop and the harvest were tested, and the %GM DNA was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction. We compared the level of GM as a function of distance from known GM source fields in a 1.2 km2 landscape. The distribution of GM was compared to predictions from previous studies, and good agreement was found. Control and monitoring of adventitious GM presence in non-GM crops can only be achieved by fit-for-purpose sampling and testing schemes. We used a GM dispersal function to simulate non-GM crops in the studied zone and tested the accuracy of five different sampling schemes. Random sampling was found to be the most accurate and least susceptible to bias by GM spatial structure or gradients. Simulations showed that to achieve greater than 95% confidence in a GM labeling decision of a harvest (when treated as a single marketed lot), 34 samples would be needed when the harvest was outside 50% of the GM threshold value. The number of samples required increased rapidly as the harvest approached the GM threshold, implying that accurate labeling when the harvest is within +/-17% of the threshold may not be possible with high confidence

Incentives and policies for integrated pest management in Europe: a review

International audienceIntegrated pest management and organic farming are alternatives for sustainable agriculture and less pesticide use in the European Union. All professional users of pesticides in the European Union should follow the general principles of integrated pest management from 2014. States should report to the European Commission on their national action plan for the effective application of those general principles through crop-specific guidelines. The major remaining issues are: (1) when guidelines are not already applied, what incentives would encourage European farmers to adopt those guidelines? (2) How and to what extent should public money be used to promote the adoption of guidelines? Here, we review the adoption of integrated pest management in Europe. We deliver a framework to understand the drivers of changes in farmers’ pest management practices. This framework also helps to understand farmer reaction to different policy incentives