Agriculture is a complex system in which the economic principles of production are directly intertwined with its biological and ecological characteristics. The paper investigates synergetic ...potentials of multiple-criteria and multiple-perspective evaluation of agricultural activity through a study of the dairy sector in Slovenia. Socio-economic and emergy evaluation was performed on nine farm types, formulated to represent the diversity of the country's dairy sector. The results indicate larger discrepancies in the performance of the farm types when defined by socio-economic or emergy based indicators. Standard socio-economic evaluation favours larger conventional systems that are cost efficient and financially independent. Emergy analysis however, favours less productive organic farms, which show greater ability to exploit free local resources and produce less stress on the local environment. Socio-economic and emergy indicators show that small conventional farm types are the poorest performers overall. Analysis of emergy flows reveals for all farm types a high dependency on the wider socio-economic system, suggesting that within the current economic system agriculture itself has little ability to affect its sustainability. The paper suggests a complementarity in the evaluation approaches. Their joint application can improve the quality of the decision-making process in various stages of planning in agriculture and land use.
•Socio-economic and emergy performance was assessed for nine dairy farm types.•Larger and intensive farm types perform favourably in socio-economic terms.•Smaller and organic farm types show better biophysical performance.•Integrated approach provides valuable inputs for agricultural and land use planning.•Improvement potentials are limited within the current economic system.
Analysing economic efficiency of farm production always faces a problem of insufficient information. This is particularly true when the analysis is performed on the reference farm where estimates are ...based on the average aggregated data. The paper illustrates how the combination of different mathematical programming methods could be efficiently used to analyse the farm-production plan with the lack of the on-farm accounting data. The utilised approach shows how the holistic analysis of production planning as a multi-criteria problem could be conducted. The estimation of the missing information and the disaggregation of the endogenous farm data is enabled through different models that are based on the constrained optimisation. The developed models are linked into the spreadsheet modular tool enabling systematic analyses of the farm decision making under risky conditions. Illustration of the modular tool application is given via the analyses of three hypothetic dairy farms. The obtained results indicate that the developed approach enables holistic analyses of the production planning. The methodology applied provides also important information for the measures aimed to increase efficiency as well as to benchmarking the performance of different farm types. The results point to a discrepancy between the solutions obtained through different objective functions and shows the advantage of the multi-criteria approach.
In this perspective analysis, we strive to answer the following question: how can we advance integrative biology research in the 21st century with lessons from animal science? At the University of ...Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Animal Science, we share here our three lessons learned in the two decades from 2002 to 2022 that we believe could inform integrative biology, systems science, and animal science scholarship in other countries and geographies. Cultivating multiomics knowledge through a conceptual lens of integrative biology is crucial for life sciences research that can stand the test of diverse biological, clinical, and ecological contexts. Moreover, in an era of the current COVID-19 pandemic, animal nutrition and animal science, and the study of their interactions with human health (and vice versa) through integrative biology approaches hold enormous prospects and significance for systems medicine and ecosystem health.
Assessment based on representative farms is an established approach in the modern assessment of the effects of changes in agricultural policy. In line with previous CAP reforms, we can expect income ...redistribution impacts also with the implementation of the legislative and financial framework of the CAP for the next period. This paper discusses a scenario analysis using the farm model. The model is based on linear programming, which enables to address various technological challenges at farm level. We formed the scenarios for the analysis following the example of the scenarios contained in the impact assessment that the European Commission prepared for the CAP after 2020. The analysis involves selected farm types from selected sectors. The results suggest that the expected reduction in the envelope will generally lead to lower farm-level revenues from CAP direct payments. Consequently, economic performance will deteriorate, what is likely to be amplified in some sectors by the abolition of historical payments. The range of consequences at farm level will likely be considerable, especially for sectors and production types with a high share of CAP payments in the structure of total farm income. In certain sectors, however, there is even an improvement regarding the current situation.
The aim of this paper is to present the method and tool for optimisation of beef-fattening diets. Changes in policy environment and changes in costs of feed pose challenges for farm efficiency. We ...construct a spreadsheet from two modules based on mathematical deterministic programming techniques. In order to obtain an estimate of the magnitude of costs that may be incurred, the first module utilizes a linear program for least-cost ration formulation. The resulting value is then targeted as a cost goal in the second module. This is supported by weighted goal programming with a penalty function system. The approach presented here is an example of how a combination of mathematical programming techniques might be applied to prepare a user-friendly tool for optimal ration formulations. We report results that confirm this approach as useful, since one is able to formulate a least-cost ration without risking a decrease in the rations nutritive value or affecting the balance between nutrients.;
After accession to European Union in 2004 direct payments became very important income source also for farmers in Slovenia. But agricultural policy in place at accession changed significantly in year ...2007 as result of CAP reform implementation. The objective of this study was to evaluate decision making impacts of direct payments scheme implemented with the reform: regional or more likely hybrid scheme. The change in farm production structure was simulated with model, applying gross margin maximisation, based on static linear programming approach. The model has been developed in a spreadsheet framework in MS Excel platform. A hypothetical farm has been chosen to analyse different scenarios and specializations. Focus of the analysis was on cattle sector, since it is expected that decoupling is going to have significant influence on its optimal production structure. The reason is high level of direct payments that could in pre-reform scheme rise up to 70 % of total gross margin. Model results confirm that the reform should have unfavourable impacts on cattle farms with intensive production practice. The results show that hybrid scheme has minor negative impacts in all cattle specializations, while regional scheme would be better option for sheep specialized farm. Analysis has also shown growing importance of CAP pillar II payments, among them particularly agri-environmental measures. In all three schemes budgetary payments enable farmers to improve financial results and in both reform schemes they alleviate economic impacts of the CAP reform.
Za presojo učinkov integracijskih in reformnih procesov na kmetijske trge smo razvili model dinamičnega rekurzivnega sintetičnega delnega ravnovesja. Serije posameznih enačb predstavljajo trge za ...žita in živinorejo ter tvorijo medsebojno povezan sistem, v katerem iščemo rešitev za vsak proizvod skozi bilanco zunanje trgovine. Domače cene so preko enačb prenosa cen vezane na reprezentativne cene v Evropski uniji (EU) in skupaj z aktualnimi instrumenti kmetijske politike določajo raven proizvodnje in porabe posameznih proizvodov. Parametri v enačbah so večinoma izkustveno ocenjeni zaradi nezadostnih in nezanesljivih podatkov. Model smo testirali za makedonsko (FYRM) kmetijstvo. Navkljub omenjenim pomanjkljivostim se je celoten sistem izkazal za odzivnega na zunanje spremembe ob upoštevanju bioloških in ekonomskih omejitev. Izhodiščna projekcija predvideva nadaljevanje aktualne nacionalne kmetijske politike, ki temelji na proizvodno vezanih plačilih in cenah, ki sledijo trendom v EU. Scenarijska analiza zajema tri različice možnih učinkov pristopa FYRM k EU v letu 2015. Pri scenariju postopne prilagoditve cen se proizvodnja vseh kmetijskih proizvodov poveča, njihova poraba pa zmanjša zaradi višjih cen. Izjema je le svinjina zaradi visokih izhodiščnih cen, kar se odrazi v nasprotnih učinkih. Drugi scenarij predvideva prevzem skupne kmetijske politike (SKP) s proizvodno nevezanimi ukrepi in izrazito večjim kmetijskim proračunom. Tudi v tem primeru se proizvodnja vseh kmetijskih proizvodov z izjemo svinjine poveča. To po drugi strani vodi do znatnega povečanja povpraševanja po krmi, medtem ko povpraševanje po mesu ostane skorajda nespremenjeno. Najbolj verjetno se zdi sočasno delovanje obeh omenjenih scenarijev. V tem primeru se učinki obeh ločenih scenarijev združijo, pojavi se le nekaj manjših odstopanj zaradi medsebojnih interakcij med proučevanimi proizvodi.
Paper presents developed spreadsheet tool for dairy cow ration formulation It is constructed on the basis of two linked modules in MS Excel platform, merging common linear programming and weighted ...goal programming model with penalty functions. The frst module estimates the least-cost magnitude that might be expected. Obtained result enters into the second module as goal that should be met as close as possible. The tool was tested at two different values of preferential weights for dairy cow with 20 kg daily milk yield. Obtained results confrm benefts of applied methodology since one is enabled to formulate least-cost ration and simultaneously overcome major drawbacks of LP approach. Besides fne tuning of set goals rational violence is enabled through penalty function system. As result calculated ration is more effcient both from economic and nutritive point of view.
The estimation of gross value added (GVA), applying the extended economic account for agriculture (EAA) model and the partial equilibrium APAS-PAM model, is carried out to emphasize the importance of ...complementing the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) direct payments from the national budget for farm incomes in Slovenia after its accession to the European Union (EU). Adopting the EU position of complementing direct payments up to the 40 percent level, a significant decline of farm incomes at the aggregate level could be expected as a result of depressed price levels. Complementary direct payments up to the 100 percent level would not result in significant improvement of agricultural income, but would drastically change the support hierarchy of agricultural commodities in Slovenia.
This paper describes the development of modeling tools to simulate the effects of agricultural policy changes in new member states (NMSs) of the European Union and presents results of a modeling ...exercise. Partial equilibrium models simulate policy change scenarios, such as accession to the European Union, as well as other policy developments and external conditions, such as changes in exchange or economic growth rates. Results show the effects of policy change on the main agricultural product markets for a ten-year horizon. In particular, NMSs gain from higher prices and budgetary support. Projections for most sectors show real improvements on recent production levels, but less so when compared with the production of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Accession supports orientation toward crop production, for which Central and East European countries (CEECs) become important net exporters. Livestock production would also benefit from accession, with beef and pork most likely to exhibit appreciable growth, driven by higher, postaccession prices. Production growth in the dairy sector is more limited under the accession scenario than under the baseline, due to milk quota introduction. Scenario results indicate that, in the aggregate, CEEC agriculture has less favorable growth potential if it remains outside the European Union and retains the policy instruments in place before accession.
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