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Modelling in Support of Better Agricultural and Food Policies: the JRC's Integrated Agro‐economic Modelling platform (iMAP) EuroChoices Pub Date : 2024-03-04 Jesus Barreiro‐Hurle, Thomas Fellmann, Robert M'barek
SummaryResearch in the area of agro‐economic modelling has been one of the key contributions of the Joint Research Centre (JRC) to the development of better agri‐food policies in the EU. This article provides an overview of the development of the JRC's integrated agro‐economic modelling platform since its establishment in 2005. We highlight the main contributions to policy analysis and describe in
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Approach Choices for Antimicrobial Use Reduction in European Food Animal Production EuroChoices Pub Date : 2024-03-01 Ziping Wu
SummaryReducing antimicrobial use (AMU) stands as a pivotal global strategy in combating antimicrobial resistance (AMR) within the realm of food animal production. We conducted an extensive review of the distinct approaches employed in managing AMU reduction within the United Kingdom, Denmark and the Netherlands. Our analysis delved into the reform processes, emphasising the roles played by government
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Hotspots in the EU-27 and Economic Consequences of the 2022 Spring-Summer DroughtPoints chauds dans l'Union européenne à 27 et conséquences économiques de la sécheresse du printemps-été 2022Die wirtschaftlichen Folgen der Dürre im Frühjahr und Sommer 2022 und ihre Hotspots in der EU-27 EuroChoices Pub Date : 2024-02-16 Zsolt Pinke, Tamás Ács, Péter Kalicz, Zoltán Kern, Attila Jambor
The year 2022 will be remembered as a year of severe drought in Europe. Production losses on account of the drought from the six crops representing the most extensive harvested area may even have run to an estimated 13 billion euros in the EU-27. Considering the ratio of the six crops in all croplands, the total revenue loss to cropland farming may have reached twice as much (25–30 billion euros).
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Compensating for the Indirect Effects of the Russian Invasion of Ukraine – Varied approaches from Bulgaria, Poland and RomaniaCompenser les effets indirects de l'invasion de l'Ukraine par la Russie – Approches variées en Bulgarie, en Pologne et en RoumanieEntschädigungen für die indirekten Auswirkungen des russischen Einmarschs in die Ukraine: abwechslungsreiche Ansätze aus Bulgarien, Polen und Rumänien EuroChoices Pub Date : 2024-02-13 Rositsa Beluhova-Uzunova, Stefan Mann, Maria Prisacariu, Adrian Sadłowski
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the European Union (EU) lifted import tariffs for Ukrainian commodities to maintain Ukrainian exports to the world market. This led to a considerable decrease of prices for cereals and oilseeds in affected Member States. The European Commission has allocated 56 million euros to farmers in Bulgaria, Poland and Romania to compensate them for losses caused by
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Farmers' Perceptions of Obstacles to Business DevelopmentPerceptions des agriculteurs quant aux obstacles au développement des entreprisesHindernisse in der Unternehmensentwicklung und ihre Wahrnehmung in der Landwirtschaft EuroChoices Pub Date : 2024-02-06 Lotte Yanore, Jaap Sok, Alfons Oude Lansink
This article examines perceived obstacles to business development of Dutch dairy farmers and compares them to Dutch broiler farmers and Swedish farmers. Understanding farmers' perceived obstacles is crucial for developing effective policies to support sustainable and resilient farms. Data were collected using a survey and analysed using factor and regression analysis. The study finds that rules and
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The Rapid Development of Bioeconomy Policies in the EU and other Regions of the WorldLe développement rapide des politiques de la bioéconomie dans l'Union européenne et d'autres régions du mondeDie rasante Entwicklung der Bioökonomie Richtlinien in der EU und anderen Regionen der Welt EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-12-22 Robert M'barek, Justus Wesseler
In the European Union, the bioeconomy is very broadly defined, encompassing all sectors and associated services and investments that produce, use, process, distribute or consume biological resources, including ecosystem services. It is seen as a natural enabler and result of the transformation proposed by Europe's sustainable growth strategy, the Green Deal. EU Member States and regions also have strategies
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Who (really) benefits from the complementary redistributive income support? EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-12-07 Catherine Laroche-Dupraz, Stéphane Lemarié, Laurent Piet
The 2013 reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) introduced the redistributive payment as an optional scheme to redistribute direct support between farmers by granting them an additional payment for the first hectares up to a threshold. In 2021, only 15 per cent of the direct payments went to more than 75 per cent of European farms (European Commission, 2021). The 2023 CAP reform made this scheme
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EU Outlook for Biomass Flows and Bio-based ProductsPerspectives de l'Union européenne pour les flux de biomasse et les produits d'origine biologiqueBiomasseströme und biobasierte Produkte – Perspektiven in der EU EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-12-01 Myrna van Leeuwen, Ana Gonzalez-Martinez, Viktoriya Sturm
The Bioeconomy Strategy Action Plan calls for sustainable extraction, processing, and use of biological resources in Europe as a pathway to achieve environmental, social and economic goals. However, the transition towards sustainable food systems within and across countries is diverse due to the existing heterogeneous land patterns and agricultural production structures, the variety of potential industries
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Why is Russia Restricting its Fertiliser and Crop Exports? EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-11-30 William Liefert
Both Russia and Ukraine are major agricultural exporters, especially of grain and sunflowerseed products, and Russia is the world's leading supplier of fertiliser. Russia's invasion of Ukraine has disrupted world markets for these commodities, driving up prices and threatening world food security. Russia argues that a major cause of this trade disturbance is the economic sanctions that Western countries
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Regional Employment Impacts of Biorefineries in the EUImpacts régionaux des bioraffineries sur l'emploi dans l'Union européenneRegionale Beschäftigungseffekte von Bioraffinerien in der EU EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-11-29 Benz Xinqi Zhu, Maria Vrachioli, Johannes Sauer
The European Commission aims to achieve a climate-neutral economy by 2050 and positively affect the employment growth rate while reducing fossil-based production activities. For that reason, according to the European Green Deal, decarbonisation and modernisation of fossil-based industries is essential. Thus, replacing fossil fuel-based inputs in these industries with bio-based inputs through the establishment
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Bioeconomy Transition Pathways – Potential Impacts for the EU Bio-based Chemicals SectorVoies de transition bioéconomique – Impacts potentiels pour le secteur européen des produits chimiques d'origine biologiqueWege in die Bioökonomie – Mögliche Auswirkungen auf den EU-Sektor für biobasierte Chemikalien EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-11-27 George Philippidis, Robert M'barek, Willem-Jan van Zeist
The European Commission's Green Deal sets out a bold vision to meet the challenges of biodiversity protection and net-zero emissions, whilst forging a pathway for a circular model of competitive growth and job creation. To achieve these multiple challenges, the bioeconomy has a key role to play, particularly in the deployment of biomass in higher value-added industrial applications. To support evidence-based
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Measurement of the EU Bioeconomy and the Inclusion of Downstream and Upstream LinkagesMesure de la bioéconomie dans l’Union européenne et prise en compte des liens en aval et en amontBewertung der EU-Bioökonomie und die Einbeziehung von vor- und nachgelagerten Sektoren EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-11-27 Kutay Cingiz, Hugo Gonzalez-Hermosa, Wim Heijman, Justus H. H. Wesseler
The development of the bioeconomy, according to the European Commission, is a key strategy for achieving climate neutrality by 2050. The bioeconomy will feature high on the EU green policy agenda for many years to come, as evidenced by the release of the European Green Deal and the updated bioeconomy strategy 2018 (EC, 2018) and efforts to monitor the sector (EU, 2021). Therefore, we developed a technique
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Dynamics in the Bioeconomy: Markets for Amino Acids and Insect BiomassDynamiques de la bioéconomie : marchés des acides aminés et de la biomasse d'insectesDynamik in der Bioökonomie: Märkte für Aminosäuren und Insektenbiomasse EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-11-27 Viktoriya Sturm
While the bioeconomy permeates all sectors, respective markets are subject to different dynamics. Markets for bio-based amino acids and insect biomass illustrate this. The global and EU markets for bio-based amino acids are well-established and growing. However, the increase in production in the EU of some ‘new’ amino acids is much smaller than the decrease in production of well-established lysine
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Building the Bioeconomy through Innovation, Monitoring and Science-based PoliciesConstruire la bioéconomie grâce à l’innovation, au suivi et à des politiques fondées sur la scienceDer Aufbau der Bioökonomie durch Innovation, Monitoring und wissenschaftsbasierte Politik EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-11-23 David Zilberman, Justus Wesseler
Concerns about climate change, food security and biodiversity loss are challenging society and the scientific community to modify our modes of operation. This involves the transition from relying on non-renewable resources to renewable resources, reducing the emissions of greenhouse gases, sequestering and storing carbon, and at the same time, improving the well-being of much of humanity who live in
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A Thriving Bioeconomy Needs Better Tools for Measuring and MonitoringUne bioéconomie prospère a besoin de meilleurs outils de mesure et de suiviEine florierende Bioökonomie braucht bessere Instrumente zur Messung und Überwachung EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-11-20 Dirk Carrez, Marco Rupp
Last year, the United States issued an Executive Order announcing the National Biotechnology and Biomanufacturing Initiative, a 2 billion dollar initiative supporting biotechnology and biomanufacturing innovations in health, climate change, energy, food security, agriculture and supply chain resilience. Together with their 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, investment for the commercial deployment of the
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Exports of Fruit and Vegetables from Morocco and other Mediterranean Countries to the EU: Some Policy Recommendations from the Covid Pandemic EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-11-06 Fabio G. Santeramo, Emilia Lamonaca
The inward flows of fruits and vegetables in the European Union are regulated by the import regime, consisting of a system of quotas and Entry Prices. The effectiveness of this trade policy has been under investigation since the early 2000s and is (still) debated. The pandemic has offered new insights. Growth in trade of fruit and vegetables (F&V) in the Mediterranean region, especially in Morocco
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Improving Agricultural Policy Decisions through Replications EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-11-04 Robert Finger, Carola Grebitus, Arne Henningsen
Currently, policy decisions are often made based on untested scientific results. Replication studies repeat previously published research and, thus, are an effective way to test the validity and reliability of research studies, as well as to test the potential for generalisations of such studies. Replications can contribute to improved policy decisions and thus more efficient use of resources. To date
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A Food System Transformation Framework EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-09-03 Julian Worley, Doris Läpple, Fabio Bartolini, Silvia Gaiani, Greta Winkler
Food systems are responsible for about one third of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions (Crippa et al., 2021), and the need to reduce these emissions is urgent. We developed a transformation framework outlining how climate change mitigation can be facilitated in the food system. Figure 1 centres around climate change mitigation in the food system as a common goal, which requires all actors to undertake
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Exploring Food Consumption Trends on Twitter with Social Media Analytics: The Example of #Veganuary EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-08-12 Larissa S. Drescher, Carola Grebitus, Jutta Roosen
Using the example of the hashtag #veganuary, a neologism of vegan and January, on Twitter with over 52,000 tweets from 2022, this article shows how Social Media Analytics can provide valuable insights into timing, volume and sentiment within any emerging (consumer) trend. Social Media Analytics is increasingly being used for the analysis of Social Media data. Whether consumers, politicians or entrepreneurs
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Down (my) Memory Lane: Has Economic Analysis Impacted CAP Reforms? EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-08-07 Tassos Haniotis
This article elaborates the role of economic analysis in influencing the reform path of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) between 1992 and 2022 on the basis of publicly available information from a personal career experience in the European Commission. Analyses about the trade distorting impact of the pre-1992 CAP were dominant in influencing the internal Commission debate before the Uruguay Agreement
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Time to Include Blue Carbon from Seaweed in Voluntary Carbon Removal Certification EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-08-06 Sander van den Burg, Sophie Koch, Justine Raoult, Bobby Tsvetkov, Trond Selnes
The EU has proposed a voluntary framework for certification of carbon removals which remains vague on blue carbon and in particular, carbon removal through use of seaweeds. Seaweed is considered an emerging blue carbon option. Various studies have confirmed the potential of seaweed to contribute to long-term carbon removal, storing it away from the atmosphere for 100 years and more. Certification of
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Do European Agricultural Policies Still Aim to Support the Living Standards of the Agricultural Community? EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-08-06 Berkeley Hill
There is a continuing mismatch in the EU between a key official stated objective of the latest form of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which still refers to ensuring a ‘fair standard of living for the agricultural community’ (clearly a social aim), and the way that farmer incomes are officially monitored and interventions designed. Poor targeting at low-income cases where standards of living
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Barriers and Enablers of Long-term Land Leasing: a Case Study of Northern Ireland EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-08-06 Adewale Henry Adenuga, Claire Jack, Ronan McCarry, Paul Caskie
Long-term land leasing offers a viable alternative to land ownership in relation to increasing efficiency of agricultural production, economies of scale, and delivering environmental improvements in terms of land management. However, with no significant tenanted sector in Northern Ireland, access to land via long-term land leasing is limited. This study analysed the barriers and enablers of long-term
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Less Livestock in North-western Europe? Discourses and Drivers Behind Livestock Buyout Policies EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-07-26 Daan Boezeman, David de Pue, Morten Graversgaard, Stefan Möckel
Direct intervention in the size of livestock numbers is not considered a main option in European agri-environmental policies nor in policy studies. Nevertheless, the governments of the Netherlands and Flanders (Belgium) have announced livestock buyout schemes. This article contributes to the scarce literature on this policy instrument by sketching the characteristics of different types of buyout schemes
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Visualised AKIS Diagnosis – an Instrumental Approach to Support AKIS Appraisal EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-07-11 Andrea Knierim, Fanos M. Birke
The AKIS (Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation System) concept is now widely applied in the EU partly due to latest CAP regulation. Visualisation-based AKIS diagnosis relies on the iterative elaboration of an AKIS diagram that provides a static picture of what elements of the system are linked through what kind of relations in which socio-economic contexts and environments. In this article we discuss
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Improving the Quality of CAP Strategic Planning through Enhancing the Role of Agricultural Economics EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-06-15 Emil Erjavec, Ilona Rac
Extending strategic planning to the full range of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) interventions could improve the impacts of this controversial public policy. Science, particularly agricultural economics, can play a role in improving the quality of planning and implementation of a reformed CAP. The preparation of Member States' Strategic Plans (SP) is rather formalistic, while the plans are not very
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Methods for Farm Valuation EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-06-15 Laure Latruffe, Yann Desjeux, Geoffroy Enjolras, Philippe Jeanneaux
Valuation of a farm at current market value is a crucial part of the process of farm transfer, be it between family members through inheritance or on the open market between buyers and sellers. This article explains the methods available to and used by professionals in France to value farms, and presents results of an application of the methods on bookkeeping data for French representative commercial
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The War in Ukraine, Food Security and the Role for Europe EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-04-25 Maksym Chepeliev, Maryla Maliszewska, Maria Filipa Seara e Pereira
Food-security implications of the war in Ukraine are exacerbated by adverse weather events, spillover effects from the distortion of energy and fertiliser markets, and domestic policies that countries around the world have implemented in pursuit of food security. Estimates suggest that the cumulative effect of these channels in terms of restricting agricultural and food trade is in the order of over
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Implementing the EU eco-scheme in the Netherlands: A results-based points system approach EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-04-25 Roel Jongeneel, Ana Gonzalez-Martinez
The latest reform of the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) aimed at making it more results-oriented in order to ensure the sustainability of the sector. From 1 January 2023, in the new policy framework, the European Commission introduced a new tool – eco-schemes. This tool presents several advantages compared to the former ‘greening’ since it includes more ambitious targets than the previous policy
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Does Agricultural Support Help with Climate Change Mitigation Efforts? EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-04-25 Jibran Punthakey, Hugo Valin, Martin von Lampe
Total support to the agricultural sector arising from public policies reached a record USD 817 billion per year in 2019–2021 for the 54 countries1 covered in the OECD Agricultural Policy Monitoring and Evaluation 2022 report (Figure 1). However, only a small share of this support was directed at longer-term efforts to combat climate change and other food system challenges. Figure 1 Open in figure viewerPowerPoint
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Greening the CAP from Farm to Fork: Roots of Italy's Resistance to the Process of Reform EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-04-25 Maria Antonietta Maneschi
Many Member States and diverse stakeholders continue to present conservative positions in the CAP reform process to enhance environmental sustainability. During the last process of reform, the Italian Ministry of Agriculture favoured the maintenance of the status quo of the payments, minimising environmental ambitions. Behind this positioning there is a powerful farmers’ organisation – Coldiretti –
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Information about Climate Change Mitigation: What Do Farmers Think? EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-03-22 Doris Läpple
The adoption of new practices by farmers is one of the key strategies to lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from food production. In this context, effective knowledge transfer systems are essential to inform farmers about climate change, and to convince them of the benefits of new technologies. In this article, farmers’ opinions about climate change, their own efforts to mitigate climate change,
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Towards a Framework Law on Sustainable Food Systems EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-03-08 Krijn Poppe
The European Commission has proposed a Framework Law on Sustainable Food Systems. To stimulate debate, this Point de Vue summarises the key messages of a policy brief by the European Environment and Sustainable Development Advisory Councils Network (EEAC). The European food system does not deliver sustainable diets with low environmental impacts which contribute to food and nutrition security and to
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What's in a Name? Defining New Entrants to Farming EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-03-01 Rachel Creaney, Hannah Hasler, Lee-Ann Sutherland
New entrants to farming are eligible for CAP targeted supports. The intention of these supports is to promote innovativeness and sustainability in the agricultural sector through generational renewal. However, new entrants (successors or those completely new into the industry), still face multiple barriers above other longstanding farmers, including lack of access to necessary capital, land and housing
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The Struggle to Sustain Agriculture in EU Southern Neighbourhood Partners: Improving Data and Policies EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-02-28 Samir Mili, Kyösti Arovuori
The agricultural sector in the EU Southern Neighbourhood Partners (SNP) is struggling to respond to sustainability challenges. It needs stronger policies to deliver balanced sustainability outcomes in economic, social and environmental terms. Based on recent information and a structured assessment of the impacts of prevailing public policies on the sustainability of agriculture in Tunisia, Morocco
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Impacts of the Ukraine–Russia Conflict on the Global Food Supply Chain and Building Future Resilience EuroChoices Pub Date : 2023-02-17 Ellen Dyson, Rachel Helbig, Tessa Avermaete, Kate Halliwell, Philip C. Calder, Lynn R. Brown, John Ingram, Bert Popping, Hans Verhagen, Alan R. Boobis, Isabelle Guelinckx, Louise Dye, Neil Boyle
The reverberations of the Ukraine–Russia conflict have been keenly felt in 2022 as the impacts of Russia's invasion of Ukraine quickly cascaded across the globe, significantly exacerbating existing pressures on global systems. The vulnerabilities of the global food system have been particularly laid bare with significant disruptions to food and fertiliser supply chains instigating profound shocks on
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Insights on Transitions to Agroecological Farming from across Europe EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-12-24 Laure Latruffe, Gerald Schwarz
Laure Latruffe, INRAE - National Institute for Research on Agriculture Food and the Environment, France Dr Gerald Schwarz, Thünen-Institute of Farm Economics, Germany Farming systems in transitions towards agroecology, i.e. the application of ecological principles to agricultural systems and practices, have gained prominence in the scientific, agricultural and political discourse in recent years. In
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Impacts of Scaling up Agroecology on the Sustainability of European Agriculture in 2050 EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-12-24 Andreas Mayer, Gerald Kalt, Lisa Kaufmann, Elin Röös, Adrian Muller, Rainer Weisshaidinger, Anita Frehner, Nicolas Roux, Pete Smith, Michaela C. Theurl, Sarah Matej, Karlheinz Erb
The European Commission recently embraced the concept of agroecology as a pathway to reduce negative impacts from agri-food systems on the environment. So far, it remains unclear whether agroecology can deliver on these high hopes if implemented on a large scale. We here assess socio-economic and environmental implications of multiple agroecological futures in the European Union in 2050, based on a
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Exploring Sustainability Implications of Transitions to Agroecology: a Transdisciplinary Perspective EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-12-24 Gerald Schwarz, Francesco Vanni, David Miller, Janne Helin, Jaroslav Pražan, Fabrizio Albanito, Mihaela Fratila, Francesco Galioto, Oriana Gava, Katherine Irvine, Jan Landert, Alba Linares Quero, Andreas Mayer, Daniel Monteleone, Adrian Muller, Elin Röös, Alexandra Smyrniotopoulou, Audrey Vincent, George Vlahos, Andis Zīlāns
Successful transitions to agroecology require shared understanding of the sustainability implications of transitions for food systems. To gain such understanding, a transdisciplinary approach is increasingly called for by funders, end users of research and scientists. Transdisciplinary processes were used in the UNISECO project to develop strategic pathways that enable transitions to agroecology in
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Advancing the Contributions of European Stakeholders in Farming Systems to Transitions to Agroecology EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-12-24 Katarzyna Zawalińska, Alexandra Smyrniotopoulou, Katalin Balazs, Michael Böhm, Mihai Chitea, Violeta Florian, Mihaela Fratila, Piotr Gradziuk, Stuart Henderson, Katherine Irvine, Vasilia Konstantidelli, Vitaliy Krupin, Laure Latruffe, Elvyra Mikšytė, David Miller, Daniel Monteleone, Marcus Polaschegg, Gerald Schwarz, Joseph Tzanopoulos, Irene Tzouramani, George Vlahos, Adrianna Wojciechowska
The concept of a ‘just transition’ is gaining traction in international policy discourses. It has particular significance in relation to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions and the need for ensuring rights and responsibilities of all actors in transitions to agroecological farming systems. Research plays an important role in accompanying this transformation. It explores pathways for more sustainable
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Creating Conditions for Harnessing the Potential of Transitions to Agroecology in Europe and Requirements for Policy EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-12-24 David Miller, Sophie Legras, Andrew Barnes, Mara Cazacu, Oriana Gava, Janne Helin, Katherine Irvine, Jochen Kantelhardt, Jan Landert, Laure Latruffe, Andreas Mayer, Andreas Niedermayr, Andrea Povellato, Lena Schaller, Gerald Schwarz, Pete Smith, Francesco Vanni, Lionel Védrine, Davide Viaggi, Audrey Vincent, George Vlahos
Food systems require reorientation to take greater account of interactions with the environment, economy, health and society. Transitions to agroecological farming practices and systems can connect policy areas and realise environmental, economic and social aims. These transitions provide a lens for reviewing policy, practice and behaviours of actors in farming systems and value chains, identification
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Policy Instruments to Support Agroecological Transitions in Europe EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-12-09 Oriana Gava, Andrea Povellato, Francesco Galioto, Jaroslav Pražan, Gerald Schwarz, Alba Linares Quero, Uxue Yoldi Iragui, Carlos Astrain Massa, Andis Zīlāns, Johannes Carolus
Agroecological transitions have the potential to deliver multiple environmental and social benefits. However socio-economic barriers have prevented those transitions in many European contexts. This article aims to inform policymakers about policy instruments that can foster agroecological transitions in Europe, especially by removing key socio-economic barriers. A multi-step methodology was carried
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Prospects for Agroecology in Europe EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-12-08 Alan Matthews
Agroecology is not a new concept. Its rising prominence, however, is linked to greater societal awareness of environmental pressures associated with agricultural practices, a decline in the number of farmers, the growing market power of major corporate businesses, and links between ill-health and patterns of food consumption. In this context, agroecology is proposed as an alternative and sustainable
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Uptake of Ecological Farming Practices by EU Farms: A Pan-European Typology EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-12-08 Carlo Rega, Bethan Thompson, Andreas Niedermayr, Yann Desjeux, Jochen Kantelhardt, Riccardo D’Alberto, Penelope Gouta, Vasilia Konstantidelli, Lena Schaller, Laure Latruffe, Maria Luisa Paracchini
Understanding and measuring the sustainability of farms is key to evaluating progress towards policy goals for a more sustainable agriculture. In the LIFT project, a farm typology was developed to classify farms according to their ecological performance, based on farm-level variables from the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). Selected variables are used to assess three key ecological dimensions
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European Farmer Perspectives and their Adoption of Ecological Practices EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-12-05 Andrew Barnes, Helena Hansson, Larissa Billaudet, Gaëlle Leduc, Gordana Manevska Tasevska, Mary Ryan, Bethan Thompson, Luiza Toma, Sabine Duvaleix-Tréguer, Irene Tzouramani
Delivering an agricultural policy which meets ecosystem and climatic pressures and addresses weaknesses in our current food system presents complex challenges for food producers. Adoption of ecological practices will reduce the dependence on imports into the farm and is one way to meet some of these policy ambitions. Understanding why farmers do or don’t adopt these practices is key to enabling this
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What Does Ecological Farming Mean for Farm Labour? EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-12-02 Sophia Davidova, Nathalie Hostiou, Maria Alebaki, Alastair Bailey, Zoltan Bakucs, Julie Duval, Penelope Gouta, Stuart Henderson, Anne-Lise Jacquot, Philippe Jeanneaux, Błażej Jendrzejewski, Kevin Kilcline, Vasilia Konstantidelli, Philip Kostov, Laure Latruffe, Lena Schaller, Kato Van Ruymbeke, Lionel Védrine, Jacques Veslot, Liesbet Vranken, Peter Walder
Ecological farming, such as organic and low-input farming, is gaining popularity in the public discourse. One question is how this type of farming may impact farm labour from a socio-economic point of view. The article first discusses how low-input farming practices (i.e. with lower reliance on inputs derived from fossil fuels) may affect the economic returns to labour, measured as the farm’s revenue
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Assessing farming systems in transition to agroecology EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-10-28 Andreas Niedermayr, Jan Landert, Fabrizio Albanito, Johannes Carolus, Yann Desjeux, Julia Heinrichs, Andrea Hrabalova, Philippe Jeanneaux, Jochen Kantelhardt, Laure Latruffe, Jürn Sanders, Lena Schaller, Gerald Schwarz
In light of the high environmental ambitions of the European Union (EU), it is imperative to monitor and better understand the agroecological transition of EU agriculture and its effects on all sustainability dimensions in order to tap its full potential. Two H2020 research projects, LIFT and UNISECO, analysed the agroecological transition of farming systems in the EU. Both projects use ecological
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Using Collective Farming to Improve Farm Structures and Drive Generational Renewal in SpainLe recours à l'agriculture collective pour améliorer les structures agricoles et stimuler le renouvellement générationnel en EspagneKollektive Landwirtschaft zur Verbesserung der landwirtschaftlichen Strukturen und zur Förderung des Generationswechsels in Spanien EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-10-19 Jose-Maria Garcia-Alvarez-Coque, Veronica Piñeiro
Land abandonment and the lack of generational renewal in farming are serious issues in European agriculture with social, environmental and economic implications. This article reports on the recent experiences of joint cropland management (JCM) in Spain. These initiatives are based on the grouping of plots to achieve different objectives through social and organisational innovation. JCM involves three
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Erratum EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-10-19
In EuroChoices Anniversary Issue 20(3), for Vecchio et al. [1], the Open Access Funding statement had been omitted. This has now been added in the Summary section in the online version.
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Reconciling Socio-economic and Environmental Sustainability in Agri-food Development: A Critical Appraisal of Irish Strategies EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-09-12 Lorraine Balaine, Doris Läpple, Cathal Buckley, Emma Dillon
In the face of growing environmental issues associated with food production, arbitrating between multiple and sometimes conflicting aspirations for European agriculture is a complex undertaking. This article critically assesses potential national strategies for sustainable agri-food development by using Ireland as an example. Facilitated by national and European policies, the Irish agri-food sector
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Geographical Indications and Public Good Relationships: Evidence and Policy Implications EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-08-26 Maria Cecilia Mancini, Marianna Guareschi, Valentin Bellassen, Filippo Arfini
In the European context, geographical indications (GIs) are tools that contribute to the achievement of rural development policy objectives. In this article, we propose that GI value chains produce positive environmental, social and economic benefits, defined as Public Goods (PGs), resulting from the rules defined in the Code of Specifications (CoS). This article reports the main results of the Strength2food
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Ecological Impacts of Agribusiness Transformation in a Spanish Mediterranean Enclave: Impacts on the Mar Menor Coastal Lagoon EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-08-26 Luis Rodríguez-Calles
In recent decades, most Spanish Mediterranean agricultural regions have been transformed to meet global food demands and have joined global agricultural production networks: a convergence process that has granted them steady economic growth. In certain cases, however, this transformation has led to a process of ecological degradation. This article focuses on the Torre-Pacheco case, in the Campo de
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Using Experiments to Design and Evaluate the CAP: Insights from an Expert Panel EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-08-17 Daniele Curzi, Sylvain Chabé-Ferret, Salvatore Di Falco, Laure Kuhfuss, Marianne Lefebvre, Alan Matthews
Over the last twenty years the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has considerably evolved, by introducing new objectives and instruments to address the increasing number of challenges ahead. These changes call for the use of innovative tools to analyse agricultural policy design and evaluation. During the last European Association of Agricultural Economics conference, a panel of experts presented their
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Impacts of Covid-19 Confinement on Transport Companies and Perishable Food Manufacturers in Spain EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-07-21 Silvia Andrés González-Moralejo, Juan Francisco López Miquel
In 2020, the world suffered a sudden economic recession resulting from an unprecedented health crisis due to Covid-19 that confined millions of people to their homes and shut down all non-essential activities. Countries have rapidly realised how vulnerable they are without food producers, manufacturers and distributors. Based on a case study from Spain, this article compiles ‘first-hand’ information
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Implementation of Eco-schemes in Fifteen European Union Member States EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-07-08 Tania Runge, Uwe Latacz-Lohmann, Lena Schaller, Kristina Todorova, Carsten Daugbjerg, Mette Termansen, Jaan Liira, Fanny Le Gloux, Pierre Dupraz, Jussi Leppanen, József Fogarasi, Enikő Zita Vigh, Tracy Bradfield, Thia Hennessy, Stefano Targetti, Davide Viaggi, Inga Berzina, Catharina Schulp, Edward Majewski, Laura Bouriaud, Gabriela Baciu, Mireia Pecurul, Irina Prokofieva, Francisco Jose Blanco Velazquez
Eco-schemes are set to play an important role in the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post-2022 for the delivery of environmental and climate benefits and enhanced animal welfare. This article surveys current plans for the design of eco-schemes in fifteen European Union Member States. The number of eco-scheme measures to be offered per country varies between 3 and 21, and the complexity
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Rethinking the Dimensions of Farm Advice EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-06-24 Pierre Labarthe, Lee-Ann Sutherland, Christina Noble, Heloise LeLoup
Agriculture and rural areas are central to the policy objectives of the European Green Deal. The new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) encourages farmers and other actors to step up their efforts to enable and accelerate the necessary transition to a fair, healthy and environmentally-friendly food system by 2030. The new CAP contains a number of policy reforms to support this transition including a
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CAP and Advisory Services: From Farm Advisory Systems to Innovation Support EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-06-24 Pierre Labarthe, Monika Beck
Farm advisory services have become an important topic in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union (EU). The aim of this article is to draw lessons from the implementation of the regulation and measures of the current 2014–2022 CAP in knowledge transfer and advisory services to contribute to debates about the future of farm advisory policies. Findings are based on two studies commissioned
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Should ‘Impartial’ Advice be a Priority of European Agricultural and Rural Policies? EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-06-24 Lee-Ann Sutherland, Pierre Labarthe
Recent EU legislation will require Member States to ensure that farm advice which is supported by EU funding is impartial. In this article we present the findings of an online workshop which asked whether this should be a priority for European advisory supports within the Common Agricultural Policy. The answer was ‘no’. At the workshop, results of AgriLink were presented for discussion with international
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Living Labs as an Approach to Strengthen Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-06-24 Jorieke Potters, Kevin Collins, Herman Schoorlemmer, Egil Petter Stræte, Emils Kilis, Andy Lane, Heloise Leloup
Climate and ecosystem changes, economic and policy imperatives, food system pressures, and multiple societal expectations pose complex challenges for sustainable farming. A key problem is determining an effective and efficient approach to enable innovation in complex, multi-stakeholder settings. One approach currently receiving much policy attention and investment in the EU is ‘Living Labs’ which bring
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The Privatisation Paradox of Contemporary Agricultural Advice in Europe EuroChoices Pub Date : 2022-06-24 Lívia Madureira, Lee-Ann Sutherland, Pierre Labarthe, Monika Beck, Pierre Triboulet
The AgriLink project assessed the role of advisory services in on-farm innovation adoption across Europe. We interviewed 1,080 European farmers and 170 advisory service suppliers. The samples targeted a range of experiences and were not therefore ‘representative’, but are helpful for identifying European-level trends. The research identified a number of paradoxes. First, there is a clear shift towards