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This study estimated the possibilities of reducing costs and improving input use in a sample of Swedish farms specialising in beef production. Input use efficiency was measured in a multi-output, multi-input distance function analysis, covering the period 2008-2011. For comparison, both the classical radial and the generalised non-parametric approach were used. The results revealed that on average, costs could be decreased by 20%. Both models constructed frontiers where: i) the rankings of farms according to efficiency were positively and highly correlated and ii) the size and the significance of the parameter estimates were similar. Input-saving technologies were found to be positively influenced by livestock density, pasture availability and the use of coupled income support. Larger farms, farms with higher specialisation in beef cattle, farms with a larger number of animals older than 2 years, farms converting to organic production, farms located in less favoured areas and farms located in regions with a shorter grazing period were found be less efficient.

The compensatory effect of environmental subsidies for agri-environmental output constraints was evaluated through a comparative analysis observing the ‘pure’ efficiency, as a benchmark for prevailing production conditions, and the ‘compensated’ efficiency, as a proxy indicator of the compensation. An unbalanced data panel covering 3578 Swedish dairy farms in the period 2002-2012 was used. The analysis showed that in the study period, environmental farm support decreased the differences in farm revenue generated by agri-environmental output constraints in Sweden. However, the environmental support distribution did not succeed in meeting regional needs, so difficulties in farmers’ ability to generate output in southern and central forest and valley areas of Sweden were visible. Furthermore, the environmental agricultural support had only a partial subsidisation effect on ‘green’ farm management practices, with full compensation being achieved for organic and capital-extensive farming, whereas low livestock density farming was not sufficiently compensated. This analysis reveals incentives with policy implications for farm economic performance and provides direct input to future policy recommendations for environmental support allocation.

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