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Stricter cross-compliance standards in Switzerland: Economic and environmental impacts at farm- and sector-level.
- Source :
-
Agricultural Systems . Nov2019, Vol. 176, pN.PAG-N.PAG. 1p. - Publication Year :
- 2019
-
Abstract
- A Swiss popular initiative reflecting large public concerns about the negative environmental impacts of agricultural production launched a proposal to rigorously tighten environmental cross-compliance standards. The so-called drinking water initiative (DWI) proposes restricting direct payments to farms that (1) preserve biodiversity, (2) do not use any pesticides, (3) adapt their livestock to their on-farm feed capacity and (4) do not use antibiotics regularly or prophylactically. Based on the recursive-dynamic, agent-based agricultural sector model SWISSland, we assessed, ex-ante, the impacts of the initiative on environmental and economic indicators at the farm- and sector-level. Stakeholders from both groups, supporters and opponents of the initiative, were involved in the assessment. We found that the incorporation of far more stringent environmental standards into the cross-compliance system caused a larger number of farms to opt-out: For 33–63% of the pork and poultry farms and 51–93% of the vegetable/orchards/winery farms, it was more profitable to forego direct payments. However, the majority of the ruminant farms (87%) were expected to comply with the standards. Although the non-complying farm types were associated with the most severe environmental impacts, we found that the initiative nonetheless had positive effects on water quality at the sectoral level in Switzerland: e.g., the share of pesticide-free arable land increased to 70–92%, those of the permanent cropland to 11–52%, and the nitrogen surplus decreased. However, the total agricultural production measured in calories decreased (12–21%), and therefore agricultural imports would increase. If the current direct payment budget goes completely to the complying farms, and if these farms receive a price premium, then we predict an average farm income increase of 2–34% for the complying farms; otherwise, a decrease of 6–22% will be found depending on the scenario. A sensitivity analysis showed that price uncertainties had the highest impact on farm income. • Impacts of stricter cross-compliance standards in Switzerland are analysed using an agent-based model. • Cross-compliance standards become stricter by incorporating a ban on pesticides and on-farm feed balances • Leading to positive effects on water quality, though consequently increasing the number of farms that opt-out. • Causing a decrease of the total agricultural production in Switzerland and therefore an increase in agricultural imports. • Non-complying farms would produce more intensively, at the same time complying farms would produce more extensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0308521X
- Volume :
- 176
- Database :
- Academic Search Index
- Journal :
- Agricultural Systems
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 139238505
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2019.102664