Selected Results of the IFCN Beef Network

The global players in beef production are North America, Brazil, Argentina, Australia and the EU-25. In value-terms, the main exporters are North America, Australia, Brazil and Argentina. Main importers are again North America, Japan and the Far East. Within the framework of the International Farm Comparison Network (IFCN), and using harmonised methods for analysis, a total of 29 typical beef finishing farms in 15 important beef producing countries were analysed. The farms show significant differences in production systems and productivity levels. The highest cost of beef production is found in the EU-countries (US$350500 per 100 kg carcass weight), the lowest in Argentina, Uruguay and Pakistan (US$ 100130). In the case of trade liberalisation, farms with low costs of production have an incentive to export to markets with higher price levels. A benchmarking example is given for Brazilian, German and Argentinian farms revealing the specific strengths and weaknesses of the typical farms. Further, the time series analysis of identical farms illustrates the necessity of regular cost and price comparisons. The future potential of beef production depends on availability of land, possibilities for intensifying production and the competition with other land uses. Whether an increase in production leads to a net trade surplus depends mainly on the development of the demand for beef.Beef production, international competitiveness, International Farm Comparison Network, Livestock Production/Industries,

International competitiveness of organic beef production in Germany

The main objective of the project presented in this article was to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of German organic beef production as compared with France, Austria, the Czech Republic and Argentina. Additionally, a number of marketing initiatives in France, Austria, Great Britain and Switzerland were analysed to examine their applicability to German conditions. Within the framework of the International Farm Comparison Network, eleven case studies of organic beef farms in the countries considered were analysed. The strength of the German farms lies on the return side, which is dominated by direct payments. Germany and Austria produce at the highest cost, and profitability in Germany is relatively low. Competitive pressure from France and Austria can not be expected as long as product price levels are higher than in Germany. On the other hand, export opportunities for Germany are limited due to the preference for beef of national / regional origin. There appears to be an incentive for conversion to organic farming on marginal grassland locations in the Czech Republic. On the other hand, future cost increases can be expected. Price differences between domestic and potential export markets will determine the extent of expansion of organic beef production. Argentina, the lowest cost producer, shows major similarities between organic and conventional beef production. However, its potential for further expansion appears to be limited by the local competition with crop production, the use of GMO-seed, and limited potential for expanding production to locations outside the Humid Pampa. The analysis of marketing initiatives shows, however, that the most pressing need for action lies on the marketing side and among the actors themselves. Improved product quality, price premiums, differentiation of marketing channels, and improved communication (towards consumers and in the supply chain) are key words. As the elbow room for price increases appears to be rather limited in the foreseeable future, cost reductions remain a strategy for the producers, for example through specialisation, growth, productivity improvements and reduction of labour costs

A Global Project for Comparative Farm Analysis: The International Farm Comparison Network IFCN

Before IFCN was founded, existing farm-level data sets for international comparisons - if there were any - were not comparable. Differences from country to country regarding methodology applied, extent of data sets (physical and financial figures), and availability of up-to-date figures caused the incomparability. The IFCN is a world-wide association of agricultural scientists, advisors and farmers. Within the framework of this co-operation, farms and agricultural production systems are defined that are typical for their regions. Their economic situation is analysed, and the farms can be projected into the future. At present, the network, which is coordinated by the IFCN-centre in Braunschweig, Germany, operates for three branches: dairy (> 30 countries), beef and cow-calf (15 countries) and cash crop (13 countries). Funding of the network is organised via consortium fees from the partners as well as national and international supporters from agribusiness. The IFCN works on an annual schedule, organises annual conferences and annual reports for each product branch. With the existing data and information base, additional specific studies are carried out. Results comprise total cost, returns and profitability of dairy, beef and cash crop production, cost component analysis, benchmarking of single farms and farm groups, baseline projections, policy impact and farm strategy analysis as well as global sector and product information. The next steps foreseen are to extend the networks to more countries and more farms, to improve the supply reaction analysis on changing framework conditions, to intensify time series analysis of typical farms and prices, to strengthen sector and supply chain analysis, and to enter strategic partnerships with market and sector modelling projects.Farm comparisons, typical farms, international competitiveness, International Farm Comparison Network, Farm Management, Institutional and Behavioral Economics,

Produktionskosten von ökologischem Rindfleisch in ausgewählten Ländern der erweiterten Europäischen Union

The comparison of production costs in selected West and East European countries will give a first idea of possible international trade relationships in the organic beef sector. Via selection of typical farms in five countries, it can be shown that there are lower production costs in the Czech Republic. Nevertheless they are not as pronounced as it could have been expected. Differences in labour productivity are supposed to be the main reason for that. On the other hand the prices for organic beef are much higher in the West European countries, so that for East European farmers and processors a production and export incentive does exist. But for the time being, the organic processing sector is almost completely missing. The establishment of a processing sector in these countries will need time, so that reactions on West European markets at the moment are not very likely

Ein Vergleich der weltweit wichtigsten Anbauregionen für Ölsaaten

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Internationale Wettbewerbsfähigkeit der ökologischen Rindfleischproduktion in Deutschland

Hauptziel der Arbeit ist die Analyse der Stärken und Schwächen der ökologischen Rindfleischproduktion in Deutschland im Vergleich zu Frankreich, Österreich, der Tschechischen Republik und Argentinien. Darüber hinaus wurden Vermarktungsinitiativen in Frankreich und Österreich, Großbritannien und der Schweiz hinsichtlich ihrer Übertragbarkeit auf deutsche Verhältnisse untersucht. Unter Nutzung des International Farm Comparison Network wurden Fallbeispiele von elf ökologisch wirtschaftenden Betrieben in den Untersuchungsländern untersucht. Die Stärken der deutschen Betriebe liegen auf der Erlösseite, sind aber im wesentlichen durch hohe Direktzahlungen begründet, was zu einer vergleichsweise hohen Politikabhängigkeit führt. Deutschland und Österreich weisen die höchsten Produktionskosten auf. Aus Frankreich und Österreich ist kein Wettbewerbsdruck zu erwarten, solange die Produktpreisniveaus dort höher sind als in Deutschland. In Tschechien mit wesentlich niedrigeren Produktionskosten als Deutschland dürften Betriebe auf marginalen Grünlandstandorten einen Anreiz zur Umstellung haben. Argentinien hat die niedrigsten Kosten und große Ähnlichkeiten zwischen der ökologischen und der konventionellen Rindfleischproduktion, die Möglichkeiten zur Ausweitung der Produktion erscheinen jedoch begrenzt. Die Politikanalyse zur Umsetzung der Agrarreform zeigt, dass auch ökologische Betriebe mit Einkommensrückgängen rechnen müssen. Die Analyse der Vermarktungsinitiativen zeigt jedoch, dass der Handlungsbedarf hauptsächlich auf der Absatzseite und den Akteuren selber liegt. Verbesserte Produktqualität, Realisierung von Preisaufschlägen, Differenzierung der Absatzkanäle, vertikale Integration und verbesserte Kommunikation sind Stichworte. Die Politik kann hier unterstützend über ausgewogene Gestaltung der Rahmenbedingungen, Informationen, Förderung von Personalkosten, Fortbildungen, Beratung und nationalen Benchmarkingsystemen sowie als Vermittler zwischen Marktpartnern agieren. Da der Spielraum für Preiserhöhungen auf absehbare Zeit begrenzt sein dürfte, verbleiben den Erzeugern im wesentlichen Kostensenkungsstrategien, beispielsweise durch Spezialisierung, Produktivitätssteigerungen und Senkung von Personalkosten

The Montado/Dehesa cow-calf production systems in Portugal and Spain: an economic and resources’ use approach

The Montado in Portugal and Dehesa in Spain is a unique agro-silvo-pastoral system designed to overcome food needs in a scarce resource’s environment. The system competitiveness is not clear and it is now under severe threats, caused by extensification or abandonment of less fertile areas and by intensification in more fertile ones. The aim of the undertaken research is to compare the cow-calf production within these systems in Portugal and Spain, identifying their strengths and weaknesses and the main drivers of their evolution, and to compare these systems with other European countries’ systems, ranking their competitiveness and e ciency among other systems in the EU. The research indicates that Montado/Dehesa farms systems are dependent on the type of farming system, its context and management, i.e., on the decision and its context; so, in a context of Mediterranean land system changes, the future of the Montado/Dehesa ecosystem depends on the ability of the cow-calf production systems to face the future and to perceive the modifications needed to overcome new challenges and take advantage of new opportunities.Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia: UID/05183/2020; UID/04007/2020.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Competitiveness of Portuguese Montado Ewe Production Systems among the European Ewe Production Systems

The number of ewes in Portugal registers a decrease since 1998. This decrease is felt particularly in the south of the country, which concentrates almost half of the existing ewes, mainly for meat production. One of the most important ewe production systems is the Montado, a High Nature Value ecosystem, occupying ca. 1.2 million ha in Portugal. The competitiveness of this system among the European ewe production systems is an important issue for the future of the Montado ecosystem. So, the objective of this paper is to analyze the ewe production systems in the Montado, using the agri benchmark database, and compare these systems with other European countries’ systems, ranking their competitiveness and efficiency among other systems in the European Union. We concluded that this methodology facilitated an in-depth understanding not only of the competitiveness and efficiency of ewe production systems in Portugal but also of their positioning regarding other systems in the European Union. The pattern of returns assures that these farms are competitive in the sense that they depend on the market on their decisions, and thus it is important that market values sheep products. Nevertheless, the diversification to other income sources would be a good option for the future sustainability of these farms and the opportunities and risks that these systems will deal with in a new green economy, with probable new functions and new opportunities for land, will be a challenge for the future

Current situation and future prospects for beef production in Europe — A review

Publication history: Accepted - 26 April 2018; Published online - 24 May 2018.The European Union (EU) is the world’s third largest producer of beef. This contributes to the economy, rural development, social life, culture and gastronomy of Europe. The diversity of breeds, animal types (cows, bulls, steers, heifers) and farming systems (intensive, extensive on permanent or temporary pastures, mixed, breeders, feeders, etc) is a strength, and a weakness as the industry is often fragmented and poorly connected. There are also societal concerns regarding animal welfare and environmental issues, despite some positive environmental impacts of farming systems. The EU is amongst the most efficient for beef production as demonstrated by a relative low production of greenhouse gases. Due to regional differences in terms of climate, pasture availability, livestock practices and farms characteristics, productivity and incomes of beef producers vary widely across regions, being among the lowest of the agricultural systems. The beef industry is facing unprecedented challenges related to animal welfare, environmental impact, origin, authenticity, nutritional benefits and eating quality of beef. These may affect the whole industry, especially its farmers. It is therefore essential to bring the beef industry together to spread best practice and better exploit research to maintain and develop an economically viable and sustainable beef industry. Meeting consumers’ expectations may be achieved by a better prediction of beef palatability using a modelling approach, such as in Australia. There is a need for accurate information and dissemination on the benefits and issues of beef for human health and for environmental impact. A better objective description of goods and services derived from livestock farming is also required. Putting into practice “agroecology” and organic farming principles are other potential avenues for the future. Different future scenarios can be written depending on the major driving forces, notably meat consumption, climate change, environmental policies and future organization of the supply chain

Selected Results of the IFCN Beef Network

The global players in beef production are North America, Brazil, Argentina, Australia and the EU-25. In value-terms, the main exporters are North America, Australia, Brazil and Argentina. Main importers are again North America, Japan and the Far East. Within the framework of the International Farm Comparison Network (IFCN), and using harmonised methods for analysis, a total of 29 typical beef finishing farms in 15 important beef producing countries were analysed. The farms show significant differences in production systems and productivity levels. The highest cost of beef production is found in the EU-countries (US$350-500 per 100 kg carcass weight), the lowest in Argentina, Uruguay and Pakistan (US$ 100-130). In the case of trade liberalisation, farms with low costs of production have an incentive to export to markets with higher price levels. A benchmarking example is given for Brazilian, German and Argentinian farms revealing the specific strengths and weaknesses of the typical farms. Further, the time series analysis of identical farms illustrates the necessity of regular cost and price comparisons. The future potential of beef production depends on availability of land, possibilities for intensifying production and the competition with other land uses. Whether an increase in production leads to a net trade surplus depends mainly on the development of the demand for beef