The EU’s ecological focus areas – How experts explain farmers’ choices in Germany

Zinngrebe, Yves; Pe’er, Guy; Schueler, Stefan; Schmitt, Jonas; Schmidt, Jenny; Lakner, Sebastian

doi:10.1016/j.landusepol.2017.03.027

Cited by 69 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Within the CAP regulations, most conventional farmers have to dedicate a share of 5% of their arable land for the provision of the EFA [40] How many different measures they perform is their decision. It has been argued that German farmers predominantly choose measures that they already perform or that fit well within their established production patterns, like catch crops [45,46]. Hence, performing a higher number of different measures for the EFA can be interpreted as a measurable indicator for farmers whose arable production already includes more ecologically beneficial traits.…”

Section: Regression Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Will Farmers Accept Lower Gross Margins for the Sustainable Cultivation Method of Mixed Cropping? First Insights from Germany

2021

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A decline in the legume cultivation has contributed to the biodiversity loss within the agricultural production across Europe. One possibility to include legumes into the production and promote sustainability is mixed cropping with legumes and non-legumes. However, the adoption of mixed cropping is challenging for farmers and information about the profitability is scarce. If mixed cropping should become a widely established production method, it is essential to gain an understanding of famers’ evaluation of the profitability mixed cropping needs to reach. Therefore, this article provides first empirical insights into farmers stated willingness to accept gross margin changes compared to current production possibilities. Based on a survey with results from 134 German non-adopters conducted in 2018 we can distinguish conventional farmers with a positive, neutral and negative willingness to accept reductions in gross margins as the trade-off for ecological benefits. Using an ordered logistic model we find that risk attitude, risk perception, the number of measures performed for ecological focus areas, the farmer’s age and being located in the south of Germany influence their willingness to accept gross margin changes compared to currently produced cereals.

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Section: Regression Results and Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Will Farmers Accept Lower Gross Margins for the Sustainable Cultivation Method of Mixed Cropping? First Insights from Germany

2021

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“…This may be the result of economic and bureaucratic obstacles. According to experts, they can have a negative impact on the decisions taken by farmers despite their good attitude [37].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A New Approach to Farm Biodiversity Assessment

2019

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A reduction in biodiversity due to farming operations has been broadly reported. As a solution, policy makers in the European Union have introduced several programs in recent years to enhance biodiversity on farms but these have met with only limited success. One of the main reasons for this lack of success is that the experience, knowledge and attitudes of farmers are not taken into account when biodiversity conservation programs are formulated. Farmers’ opinions must be taken into consideration in the creation of future programs, which should also include an assessment by the farmers of the value of the nature of their farms. In this study, farmers were asked to express their opinion on the attractiveness of their farm in relation to pollinators, game, birds, amphibians, reptiles, rodents and non-crop (wild) plants. Data were then analysed using a novel method in which each farm was assigned to one of four categories. High nature-value farms contained more natural features in the landscape, such as individual trees or ponds. Socio-economic factors, such as gender, also influenced the farm assessments; female farmers were more critical compared to their male counterparts. The establishment of field margins or watercourse by the farmers significantly increased the possibility that the farm would be classified as attractive.

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“…These two choices both can be considered as more productive options, which could largely explain their popularity. When explaining the preference towards catch crops of German farmers, the easy implementation, possibility to integrate in crop-rotation, continuing cultivation of the land, established management practices, erosion protection, maintenance of soil fertility, land cover as a shelter for wild animals were identified, with disincentives being reducing water availability and challenge to determine possible crop combination (Zinngrebe et al, 2017). In Denmark, the fact of established management practices arising from the mandatory catch crop growing requirement and the possibility to declare mandatory catch crops also for the EFA could be the main explaining factor for its high share.…”

Section: The Main Benefits Of the Growing Of Catch Cropsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of the support for catch crops in the Baltic Sea region countries

Krieviņa¹,

Leimane²

2019

Research for Rural Development

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Catch crops contribute to soil and environmental quality, which has determined a growing interest in their use as a nature-based solution. Though, the introduction of catch crops increases the complexity of farm management and is related with additional costs. In Latvia, the area under catch crops accounts for less than 5% of the arable land, while 30% is bare over the winter. In order to identify the possibilities for promoting of catch crops in Latvia, the objective of the study is to explore the support practices for growing of catch crops in the Baltic Sea region countries. The paper seeks to explore the main benefits associated with the growing of catch crops, followed by the study and synthesis of the main support measures. For the study, numerous information sources have been explored and appropriate research methods applied. Catch crops reduce nutrient leaching from the soil, transfer nutrients to the next crop, improve soil quality, reduce soil erosion, and mitigate climate change; these benefits can translate also at farm level, mainly as reduced N inputs. Growing of catch crops is being increasingly supported in the Baltic Sea countriesas a greening measure and by different agri-environment and climate measures of the RDPs 2014-2020. Growing of economic focus area catch crops (supported in quite a similar approach in these countries) and introduction of agri-environment scheme for catch crops (supported in directly and/or indirectly targeted way) can contribute to the solving of environmental problems and decrease the share of bare land left over the winter in Latvia.

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The EU’s ecological focus areas – How experts explain farmers’ choices in Germany

Cited by 69 publications

References 11 publications

Will Farmers Accept Lower Gross Margins for the Sustainable Cultivation Method of Mixed Cropping? First Insights from Germany

Will Farmers Accept Lower Gross Margins for the Sustainable Cultivation Method of Mixed Cropping? First Insights from Germany

A New Approach to Farm Biodiversity Assessment

Comparison of the support for catch crops in the Baltic Sea region countries

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