CAP-reform and the provision of non-commodity outputs in Brandenburg

This paper presents an attempt to model the response of selected farms to decoupled direct payments and the associated impact on the provision of a defined set of non-commodity outputs (NCO’s) using a combined modelling approach consisting of the AgriPoliS and MODAM models. AgriPoliS focuses on the socio-economic dimension of multifunctionality at the individual farm and regional levels and explicitly models heterogeneous farms (in size, location and efficiency) within a competitive and dynamic environment. The linear-programming model MODAM allows a detailed representation of production processes and their impact on the environmental dimension of multifunctionality at the farm level. We simulate the impact of a uniform area payment and a fully decoupled single farm payment. Our case study region is the district Ostprignitz-Ruppin in Brandenburg. Results show that the decoupling schemes create a trade-off between the NCO’s and that adjustment reactions differ between farms depending on their legal form, size, and production.decoupling, multifunctionality, non-commodity outputs, modelling, simulation, policy analysis, ecological indicators, Agricultural and Food Policy, Land Economics/Use,

Protection effect of overwintering water bird habitat and defining the conservation priority area in Poyang Lake wetland, China

Biodiversity conservation is one of the most important objectives of protected areas. Most biodiversity assessment-related studies use the change in species abundance data to measure the level of biodiversity conservation. Yet for many areas, long-term species data are not available and thus it is necessary to use biodiversity indices to monitor the effect of land use (LU) changes or the impact of protected area establishment. Poyang Lake wetland is one of the most important wintering sites for migratory water birds on the East Asian–Australasian flyway. To protect this habitat, 14 nature reserves were created in the region between 1997 and 2003. This paper aims to assess the effect of nature reserve creation on the status of habitat for overwintering water birds in Poyang Lake wetland by analysing LU and land cover data from 1995, 2005 and 2015. We developed a composite biodiversity index to search for current biodiversity hotspots (conservation priority) in the study area. An integrated approach consisting of the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade-offs model, GIS, fragment analysis and hotspot analysis was used to realize our objective. Our results showed that the creation of the nature reserve had positive effects on overwintering water bird habitat. However, tremendous changes (such as change of habitat area, quality and fragmentation) within and outside the nature reserve showed that the role of protected area still needs to be further discussed. Moreover, regional synthesis LU management plans such as ecological restoration should be carried out. The results of the habitat assessment also indicate that a comprehensive biodiversity index framework based on net primary productivity, habitat connectivity and habitat quality could be more efficient in assessing biodiversity and defining a reasonable protected area, from data obtain in large scale perspective.Program for BINGWEI Excellent Young Talents of Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of SciencesNatural Sciences Foundation of ChinaPeer Reviewe

Patterns of livestock loss associated with a recolonizing wolf population in Germany

Predation on livestock presents a daunting challenge for human–carnivore coexistence in agricultural landscapes. In Germany, the recolonization of wolves is ongoing and its consequences are insufficiently understood. Knowledge about which livestock species are susceptible to wolf predation, which farm types are predisposed to attacks by wolves, and when predation on livestock occurs is valuable for mitigating stakeholder conflicts. To this end, we analyzed 14 years of monitoring data and assessed the livestock prey spectrum, identified correlates between predation on livestock, farm type and livestock category, and described temporal patterns of livestock loss caused by a recolonizing wolf population in the state of Brandenburg (Germany). Among a total of 1387 recorded cases, 42% were unequivocally attributed to wolves (SCALP criteria C1 and C2) and 12% of cases were not caused by wolves. The number of head of livestock killed during a single wolf attack was mediated by farm type and livestock species; losses per event were greater in full-time farms vs. other farm types and greater in sheep, farmed deer and other livestock species, compared to cattle. While sheep were the most commonly killed livestock species, the increase in wolf territories over the investigation period was associated with a widening of the domestic prey species spectrum. Count regression models provided evidence for the increasing frequency of predation events over the 14-year period, along with an exponential increase in wolf territories. Predation on livestock occurred throughout the year, yet seasonality of events was evident and differed across livestock categories. Predation on sheep peaked in the fall, coinciding with the post-weaning period of wolf offspring. Predation on cattle peaked in the spring, coinciding with the cattle calving period. These results call for renewed investment in the implementation of prevention methods for all susceptible domestic species, particularly during times of elevated predation risk.Peer Reviewe

How European Agricultural Policy affects the development of farms

Die Unterschiede zwischen Regionen in Europa müssen bei der Umsetzung von Politikansätzen berücksichtigt werden. Das gilt insbesondere für die verschiedenen Faktoren, die die Landwirtschaft beeinflussen. Durch eine integrierte Modellierung kann die Anpassung politischer Entscheidungen unterstützt werden

How improving the technical efficiency of Moroccan saffron farms can contribute to sustainable agriculture in the Anti-Atlas region

The saffron sector as a sustainable farming system plays a primordial agro-ecological and socio-economic role in the Anti- Atlas region in Morocco. Under the Green Morocco Policy, the saffron area has more than tripled; however, productivity is still very low. To evaluate the efficiency of Moroccan saffron farming and its determinants, we estimated a stochastic frontier model using survey data collected in the production area. The results show that saffron farms suffer from technical inefficien- cies. More time dedicated to saffron field operations, a higher number of saffron plots and a greater distance to the urban centre increase farm efficiency, while the age of the farmer and the presence of off-farm activities decrease it. Building on our results, we argue that the new policy “Generation Green” should be focused on younger farmers as they are more likely to improve their skills and crop management techniques. To upscale the adoption of saffron as a sustainable farming system, an improvement in farmers’ market access is necessary which would facilitate farm specialisation, convert saffron to a major source of income and reduce dependence on off-farm activities. Strengthening the role of saffron cooperatives could represent an important step in this direction, but this requires improved knowledge dissemination and technology access

Sustainability indicators for improved assessment of the effects of agricultural policy across the EU: Is FADN the answer?

peer-reviewedPolicy reform of the CAP and society’s expectations of agriculture have resulted in a growing need for improved information on the effectiveness of policy in achieving high-level objectives for more sustainable practice in agriculture. This is a high priority given its importance for consumers, public policy and private industry. Data collection programmes will need to adapt their scope if their information is to adequately address new information needs about high-level objectives. Assessment of sustainability at the farm level is hindered by the lack of data with which to derive appropriate, meaningful, and relevant indicators. This is particularly problematic for assessment of agricultural sustainability across the European Union (EU). Various databases exist at the EU scale regarding agricultural data sources and we identify one of these, the EU Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN), as having considerable potential to assess farm-level sustainability at EU level. We critique several examples of published work that has attempted to assess agricultural sustainability using: FADN data alone; FADN data in combination with data from supplementary surveys, and; FADN data in combination with data from other EU databases. We conclude that the FADN would need to broaden its scope of data collection if it is to address the new information needs of policy, and we discuss the challenges in expanding FADN with a view towards wider farm-level assessment of sustainability. These include careful selection of indicators based on various criteria, the representativeness of the FADN, and the need to include new themes to address environmental, social, and animal welfare effects of policy.This work was partly funded by the FLINT project under the EU Seventh Framework Programme grant number 613800

Farm-Level Input Intensity, Efficiency and Sustainability: A Case Study Based on FADN Farms

There is a growing demand in the last years for farm-level sustainability data reflected in various initiatives from farmers, science and food or related industries. The broad aim to develop viable food production systems, through supporting the sustainable management of natural resources and climate action and to strive for more balanced territorial development are core values within the EU and are reflected in the changing Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The CAP is one of the key drives of agricultural practice across the EU, it has become more oriented towards the concepts of sustainability reflecting these higher order objectives. The EU operates a farm-level monitoring system, the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN), which acts as a check to establish if such successful change is being achieved, currently the primary focus is on the economic dimension of sustainability. This article uses an FADN farm sample for which both FADN and additional sustainability data were available form a data collection carried out by the EU-project FLINT. In particular, we compare the relationship between input intensity, efficiency and sustainability. Sustainability performance of the farms is compared by applying sustainability thresholds as identified in a literature survey. The farms were grouped according to their degree of efficiency and sustainability and possible relationships with farm characteristics are analysed. Based on farm benchmarking, around one half of the farms was observed to be neither efficient nor sustainable, while 15% met our criteria for being classified as efficient and sustainable. The results of our study are not representative but illustrative and can be a starting point for further analyses in this field

Slurry Tales: Newspaper Coverage of Livestock Slurry Reproduces Public Discourse on Agriculture in Germany

The rapid transition of livestock husbandry in the 20th century involved a broad adoption of slurry-based livestock housing systems that resulted in farm economic benefits, but also in societal debate related to the environment and animal welfare. In this article, we apply the method of topic modeling to four major German newspapers to identify thematic emphases and changes in coverage around “slurry”. We considered more than 2300 articles published between 1971 and 2020. Our results show that reporting encompasses economic, environmental, and social topics in which slurry is represented mostly critically (“poisonous substance”), occasionally neutrally (“scent of countryside”), or rarely positively (“input for the bioeconomy”). Three meta-themes overarch the majority of issues and reflect public discourse on agriculture: (i) the dichotomy of agricultural industrialization and family farming; (ii) contrasting actualities of factory farming and animal welfare; and (iii) the responsibility of policy for the emergence, existence and solution of livestock and slurry-related problems. A more balanced recognition of mutual values and constraints by the media could contribute to a discursive reconciliation of public and private interests

Does EU rural expenditure correspond to regional development needs?

The EU offers a complex system of rural development interventions as part of its Common Agricultural Policy. A Common Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (CMEF) has been developed for the programming period 2007–2013 in response to challenges faced with the evaluation of rural development measures in earlier programming periods. Statistical and multivariate analysis of CMEF baseline (regional characteristics) and input (expenditure) indicator data at the NUTS2 subdivision level is used to compare four typical expenditure allocation patterns (Competitiveness, Environment, Rural Viability, Equal Spending) in terms of associated regional characteristics and development trends. The results suggest expenditure priorities are generally in line with regional needs and that there are some positive development trends, for example higher increase of agricultural labour productivity in the Competitiveness Group, while for environmental topics the level of data required remains unsatisfactory for trend assessment. 17% of the regions have a budget allocation pattern deviating from other regions with similar characteristics, which could indicate ineffective priority setting. Consistent CMEF data over multiple programming periods would be desirable to support the relationships found and to facilitate time series analysis, but this seems questionable given that the European Commission has discontinued the CMEF in 2014 with further adaptations for the 2014–2020 programming period underway.publisher: Elsevier articletitle: Does EU rural expenditure correspond to regional development needs? journaltitle: Land Use Policy articlelink: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2016.10.016 content_type: article copyright: © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved