1. Assessing the impact of the Nitrate Directive on farming systems using a bio-economic modelling chain
- Author
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Kamel Louhichi, Hatem Belhouchette, Olivier Therond, G. Flichman, Ioanna Mouratiadou, Jacques Wery, M.K. van Ittersum, Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier (CIHEAM-IAMM), Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes (CIHEAM), Economie Publique (ECO-PUB), AgroParisTech-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), AGroécologie, Innovations, teRritoires (AGIR), Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), University of Edinburgh, Fonctionnement et conduite des systèmes de culture tropicaux et méditerranéens (UMR SYSTEM), Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier (CIHEAM-IAMM), Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes (CIHEAM)-Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes (CIHEAM)-Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques (Montpellier SupAgro)-Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro), Wageningen University and Research Centre [Wageningen] (WUR), SEAMLESS integrated project, EU 6th Framework Programme for Research Technological Development and Demonstration, Priority 1.1.6.3. Global Change and Ecosystems (European commission, DG Research, contract no. 010036-2), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-AgroParisTech, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Institut National Polytechnique (Toulouse) (Toulouse INP), Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées-Université Fédérale Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Centre international d'études supérieures en sciences agronomiques (Montpellier SupAgro)-Centre International de Hautes Etudes Agronomiques Méditerranéennes - Institut Agronomique Méditerranéen de Montpellier (CIHEAM-IAMM), Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes (CIHEAM)-Centre International de Hautes Études Agronomiques Méditerranéennes (CIHEAM)-Institut national d’études supérieures agronomiques de Montpellier (Montpellier SupAgro), Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro)-Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement (Institut Agro), and Wageningen University and Research [Wageningen] (WUR)
- Subjects
MIDI PYRENEES ,POLITIQUE AGRIENVIRONNEMENTALE ,Farm income ,Agricultural engineering ,010501 environmental sciences ,01 natural sciences ,NITRATES ,Environmental impact assessment ,DEGRADATION DU SOL ,Economic impact analysis ,MODELE BIOECONOMIQUE ,2. Zero hunger ,Agroforestry ,04 agricultural and veterinary sciences ,AIDE AGRIENVIRONNEMENTALE ,Soil type ,PE&RC ,simulation ,Plant Production Systems ,AGRIENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ,AGRIENVIRONMENTAL AID ,Arable land ,agricultural systems ,management ,policy ,POLLUTION BY AGRICULTURE ,NITRATE ,future ,SOIL DEGRADATION ,SCENARIO ,CROPPING SYSTEMS ,FRANCE ,farmers ,scale ,BIOECONOMIC MODEL ,framework ,Soil retrogression and degradation ,POLLUTION PAR L'AGRICULTURE ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,maximum-entropy ,business.industry ,SYSTEME DE CULTURE ,[SDV.SA.AEP]Life Sciences [q-bio]/Agricultural sciences/Agriculture, economy and politics ,15. Life on land ,13. Climate action ,Agriculture ,Plantaardige Productiesystemen ,cropsyst ,040103 agronomy & agriculture ,0401 agriculture, forestry, and fisheries ,Environmental science ,Animal Science and Zoology ,business ,Agronomy and Crop Science ,Cropping - Abstract
International audience; Bio-economic models can be used to assess the impact of policy and environmental measures through economic and environmental indicators. Focusing on agricultural systems, farmers’ decisions in terms of cropping systems and the associated crop management at field scale are essential in such studies. The objective of this paper is to present a study using a bio-economic model to assess the impact of the Nitrate Directive in the Midi-Pyrenees region (France) by analyzing, at the farm scale, farm income and three environmental indicators: nitrate leaching, erosion and water consumption. Two scenarios, the 2003 CAP reform (baseline scenario) and the Nitrate Directive (policy scenario), with a 2013 time horizon, were developed and compared for three representative arable farm types in the Midi-Pyrenees region. Different types of data characterizing the biophysical context in the region (soil, climate), the current cropping systems (rotation, crop management) and farm resources (irrigated land, labor) were collected to calibrate and run the models. Results showed that the implementation of the Nitrate Directive may not affect farm income. However, significant modifications to cropping systems and crop allocation to soil types were simulated. Contrary to expectations, nitrogen leaching at the farm scale did not change. Overall water consumption increased and soil erosion decreased due mainly to a modification in cropping patterns and management by soil type. This study provides an example of unanticipated effects of policy and trade-offs between environmental issues.
- Published
- 2011
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