Policy recommendations for pursuing a sustainable agriculture in a small rural community in Romania

Der Verfasser formuliert auf der Grundlage früherer Forschungsphasen des CEESA-Projekts Empfehlungen für eine nachhaltige Agrarpolitik. Zunächst werden Ergebnisse einer Fallstudie zu Rumänien vorgelegt, die sich mit dem Umweltbewusstsein von Landwirten beschäftigt. Dann werden im Rahmen der EU eingesetzte umweltpolitische Instrumente diskutiert, die die von der Landwirtschaft ausgehende Umweltbelastung minimieren sollen und von den Beitrittsstaaten aller Voraussicht nach eingesetzt werden können. Der Verfasser gibt einen kurzen Überblick über die rechtlichen und institutionellen Rahmenbedingungen der Umweltpolitik in Rumänien, wobei der Bereich des Gewässerschutzes im Mittelpunkt steht. Abschließend werden Elemente einer nachhaltigen Agrarpolitik skizziert, die der Fallstudie zu Folge in Rumänien Anwendung finden können. (ICEÜbers)"The paper gives a range of sustainable agricultural policy recommendations, based on the results of the previous CEESA research phases. We begin by a brief presentation of the Romanian case study dealing with the environmental awareness of farmers, measured by means of agri-environmental indicators and discrete choice modelling. Then, we present the policy instruments dealing with non-point source pollution from agriculture, focusing on those applied in the European Union, that are most likely to be used in accession countries. Here we briefly introduce the Romanian environmental institutional and legislative framework, emphasising the existent water policy instruments. We end up by proposing sustainable agricultural policies that, based on the insights of our case study, we consider to be most appropriate for the case of Romania." (author's abstract

A PARTIAL EQUILIBRIUM MODEL OF THE LINKAGES BETWEEN ANIMAL WELFARE, TRADE AND THE ENVIRONMENT IN SCOTLAND

This research analyses the impacts of a scientific advance that improves animal welfare, upon the environment and trade in Scotland using partial equilibrium (PE) modelling. The science improves pig neonatal survival through improved (high fibre) sow diets used before mating. Our model simulates the effects of animal welfare changes on the pig production systems (pig meat) and further on trade flows (trade in pig meat) and environment (water and air pollution). We consider two animal welfare simulation scenarios, namely the status quo – no animal welfare change as regards pig neonatal mortality (baseline scenario) and the case of improving pig neonatal survival (alternative scenario) and compare the impacts on trade and environment between the two scenarios during the simulation horizon 2008-2015. The results show that the increase in animal welfare has a lower impact on the environment in the alternative scenario compared to the baseline scenario (by about 6% at the end of the simulation horizon) and a positive impact on net trade in the alternative scenario compared to the baseline scenario (by about 13% at the end of the simulation horizon).Pig Welfare, Trade, Environment, Scotland, Partial Equilibrium Model., Agricultural and Food Policy, Environmental Economics and Policy, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, Q18, Q50,

A Structural Equation Model of the Factors Influencing British Consumers’ Behaviour towards Animal Welfare

Results of national and pan-European consumer surveys and the growth in the demand for so-called “animal friendly” food products suggest that consumers within the European Union show a high level of concern for the welfare of farm animals. This paper analyses the determinants of British consumers’ behaviour towards animal welfare using structural equation models (SEM) with observed and latent variables. SEM is a statistical technique for testing and estimating relationships amongst variables, using a combination of statistical data and qualitative causal assumptions. We used a data set collected in 2005 through face-to-face interviews of 654 consumers in England. We analysed the range of statements in existing literature on consumers’ behaviour towards animal welfare and then used SEM to test and estimate these a priori determinants of behaviour. The models include observed and latent variables representing behaviour (stated purchases of free-range and organic chicken meat) and its underlying determinants (attitudes towards animal welfare and socio-economic factors). The models have an adequate overall fit to the data. The significance tests for the structural equation model on free-range chicken meat purchasing behaviour show socioeconomic group, education, attitudes towards animal welfare, reasons for buying chicken meat, access to information on animal welfare issues, number of children and price as significant determinants. All of these (with the exception of reasons for buying chicken meat) were found significant also in the model on organic chicken meat purchasing behaviour.animal welfare, consumers’ behaviour, structural equation models., Agricultural and Food Policy,

An Analysis of the Potential Impact of the Elimination of EU Export Refunds for Developing Countries

International Development,

Measuring the economic benefits and costs of Bluetongue virus outbreak and control strategies in Scotland

This paper provides an ex-ante economic analysis, comparing six alternative control strategies for the eradication of Bluetongue virus 8 against five incursion scenarios in cattle and sheep populations. The economic analysis assumes a common baseline unavoidable cost of public and private measures that together contribute to prevention of incursion of BTV8 into Scotland. These costs continue over the five year horizon of this analysis regardless of whether a BTV8 epidemic ensues in Scotland and their total present value was found to be approximately £141m over the 5year period. The benefit of this investment is the costs of a BTV8 outbreak avoided; which depends on the time, location and nature of the incursion, on the control strategies adopted to counter each incursion, on the persistence of the incursion and on the opportunities to mitigate the damage. Specific variations in all these aspects were explored. The benefit-cost ratios were ranked within each incursion scenario to evaluate the efficiency of control outlays. Although the economic model found that benefit-cost ratios were greater than 1 for all interventions strategies examined, the control strategy option with 100% vaccination and protection zone set at Scottish Borders were economically preferable. This implies that if avoided this control option would deliver the greatest benefit from investment in baseline prevention costs. However, in terms of outbreak losses, this vaccination strategy was always most costly. On the other hand, the control strategy with 50% vaccination and all Scotland as a protection zone often provides the lowest benefits in all control options examinedbluetongue virus, epidemiology, direct and indirect costs, benefit analysis, Risk and Uncertainty,

Impact of consumers' understanding of date labelling on food waste behaviour

This research analyses the impact that the level of understanding of date marking (among other influences) has on the food waste behaviour of consumers in the European Union focusing on a comparison between European Union countries. The data were extracted from the Dataset Flash Eurobarometer 425: Food waste and date marking (European Commission in Flash eurobarometer 425: food waste and date marking, European Commission, Brussels, 2015) and structural equation models to estimate the strength of these influences on behaviour. The results show that socio-demographics (age; education; occupation); behavioural control (perceptions regarding the need for better and clearer information about 'best before' and 'use by' date labelling on food products; frequency of checking date labels when shopping and preparing meals); and understanding of 'best before' and 'use by' labels have significant effects on behaviours related to lower food waste (use of senses instead of labels to decide whether to eat or throw away food e.g., non-perishable foods from own kitchen cupboard with no 'best before' date indicated on the label which were not bought recently; or food products which must be used within a certain number of days after opening and are past that; and the need for 'best before' dates on non-perishable foods, such as rice, pasta, coffee or tea). The stated understanding of date labelling is a key influence in all models and explains a consistent fifth (ceteris paribus) of the variance in behaviour

How differentiated is the Scottish Beef? An Analysis of Supermarket Data Panel

The Scottish red meat industry is a major part of the Scottish agricultural economy and is known for producing high quality beef and lamb. Beef and lamb which are produced and processed in Scotland and according to a quality assured production specification, carry the EU ‘Protected Geographical Indications’ (PGI) name of ‘Scotch’. In addition, red meat in Scotland has to compete with high quality imported products (e.g., from Brazil or Argentina) or with meat from elsewhere in the United Kingdom. This paper focuses on the situation of Scotch beef and how differentiated it is in the eyes of consumers. For this purpose we use two years’ retailing data for Scotland (and by socio-economic group) from a major supermarket to estimate the conditional demand for beef products from different origins. Results indicate that Scotch beef competes with the premium category and also with the supermarket own label product. The paper concludes by considering the marketing implications of these findings.Beef supply chain, Scottish agriculture, product differentiation, demand models., Agricultural and Food Policy,

Bread Prices, Consumption and Nutrition Implications for Scotland: A Regional Analysis Using Supermarket Scanner Data

The recent rise in food prices has increased the concern about the choice of a healthy food basket, especially in the context of the discussion around the formulation of a National Food Policy for Scotland. This concern has brought back the interest in the price and expenditure demand systems as they provide information about consumers’ food decisions. The paper focuses on the consumption of brown and white bread, as they are the most typical ways of cereals use in the UK and nutritionists recommend the consumption of wholemeal or brown bread in contraposition to white bread as part of an appropriate diet due to its health benefits. This paper aims to answer whether changes in bread prices affect the quantity and composition of the Scottish demand for bread, and whether the latter has been the same for different regions and socioeconomic groups. We used supermarket scanner data to estimate three demand systems and compute their elasticities. All the models showed statistically significant own price and expenditure elasticities and the Hicksian elasticities show that different types of bread are net substitutes. After simulating an increase in all the bread prices we found that brown bread consumption decreases more than white bread just the opposite to what is recommended by the nutritionists.Bread consumption models, Scotland, Food prices, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Wheat Prices, Bread Consumption and Health in Scotland

The relative recent rise in food prices has increased concern about the choice of a healthy food basket, especially in the context of the formulation of a National Food Policy for Scotland. This concern has revived interest in food price and expenditure demand systems as they provide information about consumers’ food decisions. The paper focuses on the consumption of brown and white bread, as they are the most typical forms of cereals use in the UK. Moreover, nutritionists recommend the consumption of wholemeal or brown bread in contraposition to white bread as part of an appropriate diet due to its health benefits. The overall purpose of the paper is to measure the impact that the increase in the price of cereals during the period 2005 to 2008 would have had on the purchase of brown and white bread. This is undertaken in two stages: the first measures the effect of changes in milling wheat prices on brown and white bread prices, and the second measures the elasticities of the purchases of brown and white bread with respect to changes in their prices through the estimation of two conditional demand systems for bread.Bread consumption models, Scotland, Food prices, Consumer/Household Economics, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,