Potential impact of the EU 2003 CAP reform on land idling decisions of French landowners: Results from a survey of intentions

What would farmers' strategies be in a no-CAP situation? An illustration from two regions in France

“…Firstly, for most respondents there would be no change in their intentions if the CAP were removed. This finding is not surprising since several studies have highlighted the reluctance of French and other European farmers to change under CAP reform (Harvey, 2000;Breen et al, 2005;Chatellier and Delattre, 2005;Douarin et al, 2007;Tranter et al, 2007;Bougherara and Latruffe, 2010;Lobley and Butler, 2010). Such 'tenacity' (Lobley and Butler, 2010) may be explained by several reasons.…”

“…In general, studies reported that in the EU Old Member States the ten-or five-year plans of the surveyed farmers were not substantially affected by the reform. This finding holds for farm exits (Breen et al, 2005;Douarin et al, 2007;Lobley and Butler, 2010), farm investment (Gallerani et al, 2008), farm area (Douarin et al, 2007), livestock numbers (Breen et al, 2005), farm input use (Lobley and Butler, 2010), farm diversification and off-farm work (Lobley and Butler, 2010), and leaving land idle (Douarin et al, 2007;Tranter et al, 2007;Bougherara and Latruffe, 2010). However, Douarin et al (2007) found that the response to the 2003 CAP reform would be more marked for farmers in the EU New Member States (with only a few surveyed farmers intending to exit farming, and, compared to farmers in the Old Member States, more intending to increase their production scale as a result of the reform).…”

“…In the EU, Rickard (2004), Breen et al (2005), Douarin et al (2007), Tranter et al (2007), Gallerani et al (2008), Genius et al (2008), Maye et al (2009), Lobley and Butler (2010) and Bougherara and Latruffe (2010) shed light on the potential effects on European farmers' behaviour of the 2003 CAP reform and of the introduction of hypothetically fully decoupled support. In general, studies reported that in the EU Old Member States the ten-or five-year plans of the surveyed farmers were not substantially affected by the reform.…”

Influence of the Common Agricultural Policy on the farmer’s intended decision on water use

“…Tranter et al, 2007;Gorton et al, 2008;Bougherara and Latruffe, 2010;Lobley and Butler, 2010) including investments and adoption of innovations (Gallerani et al, 2008; are available. As a whole, farmers' reactions to policy reforms emerge to be rather modest or at least more modest than expected.…”

Towards sustainability in agro-forest systems? Grazing intensity, soil degradation and the socioeconomic profile of rural communities in Italy

“…At the same time, working with 2000-2001 statistical data allows a direct match with soil data mainly collected along the 1990s and forming the primary informative base for the assessment of soil degradation processes in Italy . As regards the reliability of grazing data with the abovementioned time delay, it is worthwhile noting that, according to literature, existing trends in agricultural practices did not seem to have significantly been altered in consequence of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform of 2003 (Bougherara and Latruffe, 2010;Lobley and Butler, 2010), nor it is expected that CAP abolishment would stimulate strong agricultural changes in resource use, at least in the short term (Giannoccaro and Berbel, 2013). Fig.…”