SABIIA - Sistema Aberto e Integrado de Informação em Agricultura (Sabiia)

This paper presents a theoretical approach that explains farm household diversification decisions by the relative attractiveness of both food production and family businesses. The empirical analysis of diversified activities of Swiss farm households shows that a low household income leads to diversification by off-farm activities, while a high income leads to diversification by on-farm activities. It is also shown that arable farms, mountain farms and farm households with a non-agricultural education are more likely to enter off-farm activities.

Classification of agricultural systems based on pesticide use intensity and safety

Palavras-chave: Diversification; Switzerland; Household; Consumer/Household Economics; Industrial Organization; Labor and Human Capital; P42; Q12.

Ano: 2009

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/56726

Hernandez-Rivera, Jose; Mann, Stefan.

An analysis of socio-economic driving forces in crop protection is proposed to improve the implementation of sustainable strategies. The analysis includes: (1) a classification of agricultural systems based on pesticide use intensity and safety, (2) an evaluation of the profitability of farming systems and identification of socio-economic factors that influence pesticide use and (3) formulation of policy recommendations. We find that for cereals and for fruit trees alike, crop yields are much higher for agricultural systems with high doses of pesticides. The safety of applied pesticides does not affect crop protection costs significantly. For cropping systems characterised by low-intensity in pesticide use, the application of safer products has a positive...

Do retired farmers need a separate social policy?

Palavras-chave: Pesticide use; Driving forces in crop protection; Economic analysis of agricultural systems; Crop Production/Industries.

Ano: 2008

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/44246

Many European countries employ social policy instruments specifically designed for retired farmers. We present the German case and argue from a life course perspective that it may be justified, in principle, to employ specific social policy instruments for groups with their own social characteristics. The Swiss case where retirement policies for farmers do not yet exist, is used for examining the need for special social support instruments. A regression analysis of the financial situation of retired Swiss farmers and a Configural Frequency Analysis of several social parameters was carried out. It cannot be shown that Swiss retired farmers, in default of own social policy instruments, are generally in a precarious situation.

Multifunktionalität als Erklärungsansatz

Palavras-chave: Configural Frequency Analysis; Life course approach; Old age policy; Labor and Human Capital.

Ano: 2007

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/7278

Mann, Stefan; Wustemann, Henry.

Tipo: Journal Article

Palavras-chave: Agricultural and Food Policy.

Ano: 2005

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/97396

The Depopulation of Rural Areas and the Farming System

Depopulation of rural areas can entail negative externalities. This paper examines, inter alia, the influence of the farming system on depopulation processes. The population change in rural communities in Switzerland (family-based farming system) and in the German Land Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (fordistic farming system) is explained through regression analysis by the proportion of persons occupied in the three economic sectors and by other variables. In Switzerland, a high proportion of locals occupied in farming affects population dynamics positively; in Mecklenburg- Western Pomerania, the situation is exactly opposite. This can serve as an argument to support small and networked farms in rural problem regions.

Die Kosten der Okomassnahmen in der Schweizer Landwirtschaft

Palavras-chave: Community/Rural/Urban Development.

Ano: 2005

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/24415

Defining elasticities for PMP models by estimating marginal cost functions based on FADN Data - the case of Swiss dairy production

Tipo: Journal Article

Palavras-chave: Environmental Economics and Policy.

Ano: 2003

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/31995

Mack, Gabriele; Mann, Stefan.

The Swiss agricultural sectoral information and forecasting system (SILAS) is based on the PMP standard approach. The marginal cost functions are estimated by exogenous elasticities. Due to the lack of empirical data the elasticities were set for all activities to unity. Based on total milk production costs of FADN farms, regional supply functions were estimated. The results are used to adjust the marginal cost functions of organic and non-organic dairy cow activities in the model SILAS to the empirically estimated functions. The results show that the marginal cost functions in the sectoral model are in general a bit steeper than in the FADN estimations, when elasticities by the value one are applied. Major differences between organic and non-organic milk...

Die Expertenbewertung als Alternative zur Kontingenzbewertung

Palavras-chave: Marginal cost function; Milk production costs; PMP-based sectoral model; Demand and Price Analysis; Livestock Production/Industries.

Ano: 2008

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/6694

Können Produktionsentscheidungen als Investitionsentscheidungen modelliert werden?

A lot of research is carried out on the Contingent Valuation Method to assess environmental goods. However, the method is rarely applied to quantify reimbursements for agri-environmental policy. In this paper, this contradiction is explained by conceptual shortcomings of the Contingent Valuation. It is suggested to discuss the utility of agri-environmental programs among experts. For that, a three-step methodology including a possible monetary evaluation is developed. The method is applied on agri-environmental programs in Switzerland.

Tipo: Journal Article

Palavras-chave: Contingent valuation; Experts; Agri-environmental policy; Agricultural and Food Policy; Environmental Economics and Policy; Research Methods/ Statistical Methods.

Ano: 2003

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/98084

OCCUPATIONAL CHOICE AND STRUCTURAL CHANGE

Mann, Stefan; Mack, Gabriele; Ferjani, Ali.

Interviews with Swiss farmers lead to the hypotheses that production decisions, also in crop growing, are not made annually, but similarly to investment decisions in the long run. This hypothesis is backed by non-parametric time-series analysis for Switzerland and Germany. This creates a theoretical basis for combining Positive Mathematical Programming with flexibility constraints in optimization models. Results of the forecasting model SILAS show that forecasting quality is improved through this approach.

Tipo: Journal Article

Palavras-chave: Flexibility constraints; Production decisions; Optimization models; Forecasting quality; Farm Management.

Ano: 2003

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/98078

Mann, Stefan; Mante, Juliane.

The connection between average sectoral income, occupational choice and structural change has so far only been described vaguely for sectors dominated by small enterprises. Taking agriculture as an example, we first develop a theoretical model in which we explain the decision to take over a farm with the average agricultural household income in the past years and the number of farms with the patterns of occupational choice. We then estimate a regression in which we explain occupational choices by the sectoral income situation and rate of farm decline by earlier occupational choices. The results demonstrate that a good income situation increases the number of occupational choices in favour for farming, and that occupational choices for farming in turn...

Zur Effizienz der deutschen Agrarverwaltung

Palavras-chave: Occupational choices; Structural change; Agricultural income; Research paper; Labor and Human Capital.

Ano: 2004

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/30707

Trends in family labour, hired labour and contract work on French and Swiss crop farms: The role of agricultural policies

The efficiency of agricultural administration is analysed in this article by costs that arise in a region for administring one hectare farmland or one farm. Variances of these costs between regions can be explained by intra-organisational efficiency on the one hand and by inter-organisational efficiency on the other. Costs for the administration of 131 German regions are empirically estimated. Costs per hectare vary between DM 44 and DM 183. By regression, cost variances can be explained by the area a regional office administers and by the participation of a district office in the system, two important inter-organisational factors. A comparison of services between “cheap” and “expensive” regions does not reveal clear differences.

Tipo: Journal Article

Palavras-chave: Agricultural administration; Administrative costs; Interorganizational efficiency; Agricultural and Food Policy; Political Economy.

Ano: 2001

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/98893

Dupraz, Pierre; Latruffe, Laure; Mann, Stefan.

The objective of this article is to analyse the trends in on-farm labour use, including own family labour, hired labour and contract work, and to assess the factors driving their evolution in France and in Switzerland during 1990-2007. A particular attention is given to agricultural policies, namely the level and type of support. Results indicate that crop area payments discourage the different labour demands in both countries, while environment and investment payments favour contract and hired labour in France. Contract labour and family labour are substitute and hired labour and family labour are complement in France.

Modelling structural change in the agricultural sector – An Agent-based approach using FADN data from individual farms

Palavras-chave: Farm labour; Hired labour; Contract work; Policies; Agricultural and Food Policy; Farm Management; Land Economics/Use.

Ano: 2010

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/61352

Mohring, Anke; Zimmermann, Albert; Mack, Gabriele; Mann, Stefan; Ferjani, Ali; Gennaio, Maria-Pia.

The development of multi-agent models for agriculture has allowed the inclusion of farm decision-making behaviour and interactions in the simulation of smaller agricultural regions. Important methodological impact for this has come in particular from scientists from Germany. Currently under construction, the SWISSland model claims to depict as realistically as possible the 50,000 family farms comprising the whole of Swiss agriculture in all their heterogeneity as regards farm and cost structures as well as farm decision behaviours, with the aim of improving the simulation and forecasting of structural change. This paper describes methodological aspects in the formation of the agent population by combining various data sources such as accounting and spatial...

The effect of agricultural policy change on income risk in Swiss agriculture

Palavras-chave: Structural change; Swiss agriculture; Multi-agent model; Agent definition; Linear optimization; Agricultural and Food Policy; Farm Management; Land Economics/Use.

Ano: 2010

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/61094

El Benni, Nadja; Finger, Robert; Mann, Stefan.

The study examines the effect of agricultural policy reforms on income variability of Swiss farmers. The observed heterogeneity in income risks across farms and time is explained with farm and regional characteristics. FADN data are used to construct coefficients of variation of total household income and gross revenues at farm-level over the period 1992-2009. Applying linear mixed effect models the effects of off-farm income, direct payments, farm size, specialisation and liquidity on gross revenue and household income variability in three different production regions are measured. The switch from market-based support to direct payments decreased the variability of farm revenues and household income. Off-farm income has a positive and farm size a negative...

Tipo: Presentation

Palavras-chave: Income risk; Agricultural policy; Direct payments; Risk and Uncertainty; Q12; Q14; Q18.

Ano: 2012

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/122532

ZUR WIRKUNGSWEISE EINES OUTPUTORIENTIERTEN AGRARUMWELTPROGRAMMS

Im Rahmen der Ökoqualitätsverordnung (ÖQV) erhalten Schweizer Landwirte Direktzahlungen, wenn eine definierte Mindestanzahl seltener Arten auf ihrem Grünland stehen, wofür Transaktionskosten nur etwa in der Höhe wie bei konventionellen Agrarumweltprogrammen entstehen. Dieser Beitrag beschäftigt sich mit der Effektivität dieses outputorientierten Programms. Eine Konfiguralfrequenzanalyse zeigt, dass Landwirte, die an der ÖQV teilnehmen, mit nur geringer Wahrscheinlichkeit ihre Teilnahme an Agrarumweltprogrammen reduzieren. Es wird die Schlussfolgerung gezogen, dass outputorientierte Agrarumweltprogramme ein effizientes Mittel zur Erlangung ökologischer Qualität sind.

Farm Entry Policy and Its Impact on Structural Change Analysed by and Agent-based Sector Model

Palavras-chave: Output-oriented programme; Switzerland; Configural frequency analysis; Environmental Economics and Policy.

Ano: 2008

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/52659

Mack, Gabriele; Mohring, Anke; Zimmermann, Albert; Gennaio, Maria-Pia; Mann, Stefan; Ferjani, Ali.

The Swiss agent-based model (SWISSland) claims to depict as realistically as possible the 50 000 family farms comprising the whole of Swiss agriculture in all their heterogeneity as regards farm and cost structures as well as farm decision-making behaviour and interactions, with the aim of improving the simulation and forecasting of structural change in agriculture. With the linking of different methods and recorded data, there is a marked increase in the quality of the assessment of policy consequences. Simulations are shown for policy measures which affect only farm entry by cutting socially motivated direct payments for young operators.

Population development in rural Switzerland: Do sectors matter?

Palavras-chave: Agent-based model; Sector model; Farm entry; Structural change; Farm Management.

Ano: 2011

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/114374

The paper approaches the question of the role of the three different sectors in rural population development. A regression with data from 1606 rural Swiss municipalities shows that activity in the farming sector enhances population growth to a greater degree than activity in the industrial sector. Employment in the service sector was not found to sustain population growth in rural municipalities, whereas commuting possibilities had a strongly stabilising impact. Other important determinants were wealth, the number of holiday homes and demographic factors. A qualitative study of four rural municipalities largely confirmed the findings of the regression, but also showed the importance of non-economic factors influencing the relative attractiveness of a rural...

HOW CAN THE ENERGY USE IN SWISS AGRICULTURE BE ASSESSED IN ECONOMIC AND ECOLOGICAL TERMS?

Palavras-chave: Community/Rural/Urban Development; Industrial Organization.

Ano: 2006

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/30710

Mack, Gabriele; Ferjani, Ali; Kranzlein, Tim; Mann, Stefan.

Replaced with revised version of paper 12/05/07.

Multidisziplinäre Agentendefinitionen für Optimierungsmodelle

Palavras-chave: Energie-Input; Einkommensmaximierung; Mehrzieloptimierung; Effizienz; Energy use; Income maximisation; Multi-objective programming; Efficiency; Resource /Energy Economics and Policy.

Ano: 2007

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/7599

Mohring, Anke; Zimmermann, Albert; Mack, Gabriele; Mann, Stefan; Ferjani, Ali; Gennaio, Maria-Pia.

Mit der Entwicklung von Multiagentenmodellen für die Landwirtschaft konnten betriebliche Entscheidungsverhalten und Interaktionen in die Simulation von kleineren Agrarregionen einbezogen werden. Wichtige methodische Impulse dazu kamen insbesondere von Wissen-schaftlerinnen und Wissenschaftlern aus Deutschland. Das sich im Aufbau befindende Modell SWISSland erhebt den Anspruch, die 50 000 Familienbetriebe der gesamten Schweizer Landwirtschaft in ihrer Heterogenität bezüglich Betriebs- und Kostenstrukturen sowie Verhal-tensweisen möglichst realitätsnah abzubilden, mit dem Ziel, die Simulation und Prognose des Strukturwandels zu verbessern. Dieser Beitrag beschreibt methodische Aspekte bei der Bil-dung der Agentenpopulation unter Verwendung verschiedener...

OF FARMERS AND BUTCHERS - COMPARING THE DETERMINANTS OF EXIT IN SHRINKING SECTORS

Palavras-chave: Strukturwandel; Schweizer Landwirtschaft; Multi-Agentenmodell; Agentendefinition; Lineare Optimierung; Research Methods/ Statistical Methods.

Ano: 2009

URL: http://purl.umn.edu/53273

Mann, Stefan; Mante, Juliane.

Farmers and butchers in Switzerland both operate in shrinking sectors. The number of businesses and the sectoral turnover has decreased by about 40 per cent over the last twenty years for both sectors. It is, however, an interesting question whether the determinants of exit are the same for the primary sector and the secondary and tertiary sector. A regression analysis reveals that, for farmers, a larger part of exits can be traced back to economic factors if compared to butchers. For butchers, the profit of the business is the key determinant of structural change, whereas for farms, the level of prices is an important signal factor. Interest rates influence structural change for both sectors. The study points to the importance of sector-specific research.