Swiss Agricultural Research – Archive of the Online Journal

Beef can be produced in various ways. Intensive fattening is more productive and extensive organic pasture fattening achieves higher prices – but which is more profitable? Agroscope compared the two production systems to learn the answer.

Agroscope

Agricultural economics 12.03.24

Ammann J., Mack G., Irek J., Finger R., El Benni N.

Agroscope researchers conducted an online survey to investigate the attitudes of Swiss consumers to agricultural policy goals in all three language regions. The results should help better shape agricultural policy.

Agroscope, ETH Zurich

Agricultural economics 26.02.24

Widmer J., Christ B., Grenz J., Norgrove L.

Agrivoltaics combines energy generation and agricultural production on the same land. Although this system is eliciting increasing interest, its success depends on numerous factors and the most compatible crops have yet to be identified.

Agroscope, BFH-HAFL

Agricultural economics 01.02.24

Saleh R., Ehlers M.

How do farmers experience social sustainability on their farms? As an Agroscope study shows, this depends on farmers’ identities and farm types.

Agroscope

Agricultural economics 04.01.24

Tonini A., Decreux Y.

Cheese stands out as one of the main Swiss agricultural trade offensive interests. Outside the EU, the USA are an important export destination. The CAPRI model allows to assess the impact of a free trade agreement for cheese between the USA and CH.

FOAG

Agricultural economics 24.11.23

Tarruella M., Huber R., Mack G., El Benni N., Finger R.

Policies for reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions are both more effective and more efficient when set at regional rather than individual-farm level. This approach can help us achieve climate targets in a more cost-efficient manner.

Agroscope, ETH Zurich

Agricultural economics 03.10.23

Ritzel C., von Ow A.

Global food availability is expected to remain stable in the medium term. Food security challenges in Switzerland include the decline in agricultural land area per capita, higher incidence of extreme weather events and increased pressure from pests.

Agroscope

Agricultural economics 27.09.23

Wang Y., Schaub S., Wuepper D., Finger R

Different cultural backgrounds lead to different uptake of biodiversity agri-environmental schemes at the inner-Swiss French-German language border. Economic policy incentives could mitigate culture-driven behavioral differences.

Agroscope, ETH Zurich

Agricultural economics 12.09.23

Fiankor D.-D. D., Lartey A., Ritzel C.

The agricultural sector as an aggregate proved resilient to the COVID-19 shock. But how did it impact agribusiness firms within the sector? Using the Swiss case, we provide the first set of evidence on how agri-food importing firms survived the pandemic economically.

Agroscope, University College London, UK

Agricultural economics 10.08.23

El Benni N, Grovermann Ch., Finger R.

Agricultural economics research uses a multitude of methods and approaches to assess existing and new policy measures. This is the basis for agricultural policy that demonstrably makes a difference, i.e. is evidence-based.

Agroscope, FiBL, ETH Zurich

Agricultural economics 30.06.23

Achermann G., Helfenstein J., Speranza C.I., Herzog F.

Agroscope studied the changes in the agricultural sector over the past twenty years in three Swiss regions and compared them with the visions of three associations: Avenir Suisse, the Schweizer Bauernverband and Landwirtschaft mit Zukunft.

Agroscope, Wageningen University, University of Bern

Agricultural economics 09.05.23

El Benni N., Schmid D.

According to the international literature, direct payments influence the decision of farm managers to pursue off-farm employment. An Agroscope study looked into what this meant in the Swiss context.

Agroscope

Food 20.04.23

Mann S., Loginova D.

Agroscope researchers analysed the dietary trends of the different generations in Switzerland. The findings help with the preparation of more-accurate dietary forecasts.

Agroscope

Agricultural economics 02.03.23

Pedolin D., Jan P., Roesch A., Six J., Nemecek T.

Do farmers who produce in environmentally friendly ways earn less income? As an Agroscope study shows, this needs not be the case, and farmers can actually generate more revenue by protecting the environment.

Agroscope, ETH Zurich

Plant production 13.02.23

Clémence S., Zorn A.

Oats, triticale, hull-less barley, lupin, faba beans and buckwheat are rarely cultivated. The EU project CROPDIVA intends to change that. Agroscope analyses the value chains of four of these crops in order to promote their cultivation and processing.

Agroscope

Agricultural economics 07.02.23

Heitkämper K., Reissig L., Glück S., Mann S.

A hoeing and spot-spraying device enables huge savings in the use of plant protection products. Although costs are higher than for conventional plant protection devices, motivated farm managers give this innovative technology genuine prospects for the future.

Agroscope

Agricultural economics 02.02.23

Ritzel C., Hoop D., Portmann M., Wallner A. und Mack G.

Thanks to their unique landscapes, the 15 regional nature parks, the majority of which are located in the (pre-)Alps and in the Jura Arc, feature as tourist attractions. But do the parks also provide economic value-added for local agriculture?

Agroscope

Agricultural economics 16.01.23

Anke Möhring

To balance their nutrient cycles, Swiss farms export surplus farmyard manure to farms with free uptake capacities or to composting and anaerobic digestion facilities. Between 2015 and 2020 the volumes of organic manure and recycled fertilisers transported rose significantly, with a consequent increase in transport costs.

Agroscope

Agricultural economics 18.11.22

Zimmert F., Zorn A.

Employment in the agricultural sector is declining in many European countries, especially in livestock farming. Direct payments can counter this trend and lead to the employment of more – especially female – family members on the farm.

Agroscope

Agricultural economics 19.09.22

Ritzel C., Arbenz A., von Ow A.

Despite the current challenges of e.g. the war in Ukraine and climate change, the Swiss food sector is relatively resilient. This is the conclusion reached by Agroscope’s report on behalf of the Swiss Federal Office for National Economic Supply.

Agroscope

Agricultural economics 28.06.22

Ammann J., Ritzel C., El Benni N.

The pandemic has influenced not only our everyday life but also our behaviour. Agroscope looked at which population groups and behaviours experienced or underwent particularly significant changes, and what this means for our health.

Agroscope

Agricultural economics 02.06.22

Zorn A., Zimmert F.

Swiss dairy farms are more strongly affected by structural change than other farm types. An analysis of the farms exiting the sector or switching focus highlights influencing factors.

Agroscope

Agricultural economics 18.05.22

Umstätter C., Mann S. und Werner J.

Previous criteria used to measure social sustainability have their limits in the case of family farms. We propose focusing on workload. Initial results show that this is an easy-to-use and meaningful indicator.

Agroscope, Thünen-Institut, University of Hohenheim

Agricultural economics 12.05.22

El Benni N., Ritzel C., Heitkämper K. und Mack G.

Why do Swiss farmers complain about the administrative burden associated with the direct payments system? Studies conducted by Agroscope show that the issue is not the time required: other factors are more important.

Agroscope

Agricultural economics 10.03.22

Reissig L., Stoinescu A., Mack G.

Farmers are increasingly required to communicate electronically with the authorities. This is obligatory regarding the management of direct payments and the livestock census. Agroscope interviewed farmers on their perception of the administrative workload.

Agroscope

Agricultural economics 03.03.22

Ammann J., El Benni N.

Digitalisation is playing an increasingly important role in agriculture. What knowledge is imparted in the Farm Manager course? An online survey shows where there is a need for expansion.

Agroscope

Agricultural economics 22.02.22

Finger R. and El Benni N.

Farms, their risks and various underlying conditions are becoming increasingly complex. Because of this, agricultural income should be considered holistically.

Agroscope, ETH Zurich

Agricultural economics 02.02.22

Ehlers M.-H., Finger R., Huber R.

How is digitalisation changing agriculture and agricultural policy? A European team with the participation of Agroscope, the FOAG and the ETH developed four scenarios from which strategies were derived for the future achievement of agricultural policy goals.

Agroscope, ETH Zurich

Agricultural economics 11.11.21

Hoop D.

Grass-fed milk production meets a customer need, and is linked to specific feed and animal-welfare requirements. An Agroscope study sought to determine the circumstances in which grass-fed milk production is worthwhile.

Agroscope

Agricultural economics 05.08.21

Albert von Ow

Agroscope conducts an annual analysis of the risks to food supply on behalf of the Swiss Federal Office for Economic Supply FONES. In 2021, a power shortage, seed imports and climate change were addressed as particular risks.

Agroscope

Archive

How Cost-Efficient is Organic Pasture Fattening?

Consumers See Animal Welfare as a Key Agricultural Policy Goal

What Are the Most Promising Crops for an Agrivoltaic System?

Farmers’ Identity and Farm Type Determine Their Perception of Social Sustainability

Swiss Cheese Export Potential and Future Opportunities

Regional rather than Individual-Farm Targets for Climate-Change Mitigation

Swiss Food Security 2023: Current Events and Trends

Culture and Policy Incentives Interact to Influence Agricultural Biodiversity Conservation

How Resilient Were Swiss Agri-Food Importing Firms to COVID-19?

The Role of Agricultural Economics Research in Policymaking

Reality Check: Has the Neo-Liberal, Conservative or Agro-Ecological Vision of Swiss Farming Prevailed?

Direct Payments Go Hand in Hand with Off-farm Employment

Do Different Generations Eat Differently?

Great potential for environmentally friendly and profitable production

From Niche Crop to Mainstream Success

Plant Protection Robots in Vegetable Farming: Labour, Costs, Social Aspects and Ecology

Swiss Parks – an Economic Success Story for Local Farms?

Swiss Farmyard-Manure Market: Transports on the Rise

Direct Payments Bolster Family Employment on the Farm

Swiss Food Security 2022: Current Events and Trends

How Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Changed our Behaviour?

Swiss Dairy Farming in Transition

How Can the Social Sustainability of Family Farms Be Measured?

Direct Payments System: How to Reduce the Administrative Burden

Why Many Farmers Feel e-Government Services Are an Additional Burden

Digital Technologies in Agricultural Training

Income in Agriculture: a Holistic Analysis is Needed

Scenarios for Agricultural Policy in the Age of Digitalisation

Better Milk Price and Low Basic Ration Costs Make Grass-Fed Milk Cost-Efficient

Increasing Food-Security Challenges Faced by Switzerland