Swiss Agricultural Research – Archive of the Online Journal

Agricultural economics 2005

Meier T., Lanz S.

In general, the intermediate conclusions concerning the reforms carried out with respect to agricultural policy so far are positive: clear improvements have been made from the point of view of ensuring sustainability, meeting the needs of the market and providing services for the benefit of the general public. At the same time, however, incomes in…

Agricultural economics 2005

Raaflaub M., Genoni M.

In Switzerland, as well as in the neighbouring EU countries Germany and France, a survey of producers` prices for fertilisers, pesticides, seed and veterinary medicines was made. The assumption often heard in public discussions that prices are higher in Switzerland was generally confirmed and documented with a wide range of data. The survey showed that…

Agricultural economics 2005

Beyeler Ch., Friedli R., Spring P., Hilty R.

The aim of the present survey was to evaluate the investments for fattening pig barns in Switzerland based on realized objects. The investments were analyzed on 24 objects built between 1997 und 2004 with an average capacity of 372 fattening pigs (FP) (200 to 800 FP). The capital cost was evaluated based on the construction…

Agricultural economics 2005

Marbé-Sans D., Heitkämper K., Schick M.

Actually the FAT database of standard times in horticulture is revised. In general standard times are measured in grape, appel, cherry and berry cultures and some single vegetable cultures.The application of the standard time methods is described by using different examples of horticultures. The focus is on the difference between standard times on the one…

Agricultural economics 2005

Huber R., Rieder P.

Since the separation of price and income policies, the economic costs on the supply side of Swiss agriculture have decreased considerably. They amount to about half a billion Swiss francs, which corresponds to 0,15 % of the Swiss net social product in 2002. Compared to the overall costs in Swiss agriculture, the loss of social…

Agricultural economics 2005

Kopainsky B., Rieder P.

Settlement can no longer be assured by agriculture alone. An integrated, regional approach is essential if decentralised settlement is to be maintained. This paper investigates the future prospects of endangered boroughs and the impact of development strategies designed to stabilise employment and population. A dynamic simulation model serves as the basis for this study. The…

Agricultural economics 2005

Buchli S., Kopainsky B., Rieder P.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the manner in which agriculture fulfils the obligations relating to its contribution to decentralised settlement and the respective measures implemented by the Federation. In the first stage, we investigate the role of agriculture in the situation threatening decentralised settlement and come to the conclusion that the sector…

Agricultural economics 2005

Flury Ch., Mack G.

Agricultural economics 2005

Mack G., Pfefferli S.

The Swiss federal milk and meat market policy is due to undergo reform over the next few years. This article investigates the consequences of various policy scenarios on the basis of model calculations. The results clearly show that reducing milk-market support without modifying the direct payment system would lead to a decrease in dairy-cow livestock,…

Agricultural economics 2005

Flury Ch., Rieder P.

On the supply side, there is a very close relationship between the milk and meat markets. This means that changes in basic conditions on the milk market have an impact on both the milk and the meat market. A change in supply interacts with consumer demand to generate new market balances and prices, whereby any…

Agricultural economics 2005

Gerwig C.

The possibility to trade milk quotas changed the operational structures of Swiss Dairy farms since 1999 more than in the twenty years before. Due to the simultaneous price erosion, farmers try to adapt the operational structures. These adjustments are analyzed for the years 1999 – 2002 on the basis of 131 defined farm types. These…

Agricultural economics 2005

Hilty R., Van Caenegem L.

Farm buildings account for a considerable part of the farm’s structural costs. Low-cost farm buildings are therefore required to ensure cost-effective production. As a space allocation plan can be realised in various manners, comparing different building options can help to find the ï¿½best solution’ with regard to functionality, investment demands and annual costs. The FAT…

Agricultural economics 2005

Mann S.

The acceptance of agri-environmental programs is a crucial condition for achieving the ecological targets of Swiss agriculture. Applying descriptive and econometric analysis, it can be shown that compatibility with respect to the farm’s production technology is the most important factor for their acceptance. The fact that the farmers’ education plays only a minor role indicates…

Agricultural economics 2005

Baltensweiler M., Erdin D.

Multivariate statistical methods were used to investigate the decisive factors responsible for the change of agricultural structures in Switzerland. For this purpose, the relative development of a) all farms, b) full-time farms, c) part-time farms and d) part-time workers in agriculture in the period from 1985 to 2000 was examined. 32 socio-economic and agricultural variables…

Agricultural economics 2005

Zgraggen K., Flury Ch., Jung M., Rieder P.

The current discussion about agricultural policy 2011 is taking place primarily among experts, politicians and those who represent agricultural interests. We aim to make the public at large aware of developments in agriculture by illustrating the relationships between the market, politics and developments in agricultural structures. To this end, we create photo-realistic illustrations of future…

Agricultural economics 2005

Jan P., Lips M., Gazzarin Ch.

Based on single farm data, we apply the cluster analysis in order to build a typology for dairy farms of the Swiss canton of Fribourg. The three resulting farm groups are then assessed with regard to their dynamics i.e. their ability to adapt. The largest group of dairy farms is highly dynamic. They have increased…

Agricultural economics 2005

Bosshard A., Schläpfer F.

The obvious need, in the context trade liberalisation, for further reforming public support for agriculture in Switzerland currently generates lively political debates among affected interest groups. However, a basic understanding of the important public-good issues involved is frequently lacking in these discussions. Currently, only a small fraction of the subsidies are tightly linked to explicit…

Agricultural economics 2004

Sanders J., Schmid O., Richter T.

This paper examines the relevance, environment, key-characteristics and success factors of organic marketing initiatives in Switzerland. Although most initiatives have a similar principal business idea (bundling, processing and/or collective marketing of organic primary products), they can be highly diverse with regard to their objectives, their business strategies and philosophy, as well as their size and…

Agricultural economics 2004

Zgraggen K., Flury Ch., Gotsch N., Rieder P.

This present article investigates the importance of the role played by ecological direct payments in ensuring ecologically compatible land use, taking anticipated developments in agriculture in the Greifensee region as a point of departure. Calculations carried out using an economic land use optimisation model for the year 2011 show that today’s ecological contributions are both…

Agricultural economics 2004

Schmitt M., Roschewitz A., Schläpfer F.

Managed land, i.e. mainly agricultural land and forest, provides several services for the general public, such as making the landscape aesthetic and providing food. In contrast to private goods, the demand for public goods cannot be monitored in the markets. Thus, surveys are one of the few ways of learning about the public’s preferences for…

Agricultural economics 2004

Zgraggen K., Flury Ch., Gotsch N., Rieder P.

An agricultural sector model was developed as an integral element of the Greifensee project. It was designed to assess medium and long-term developments in agriculture and land use and to evaluate policy measures. The model exhibits a high degree of spatial detail which aids the assessment of ecological effects. This article presents the optimisation model…

Agricultural economics 2004

Flury Ch., Gotsch N., Rieder P., Szerencsits E., Schüpbach B., Gantner U.

The interdisciplinary Greifensee research project deals with the utilisation of land and landscapes in the densely settled Swiss midlands (see http://www.ito.umnw.eth.ch/SoilPhys/greifensee/). Using the Greifensee region as an example, fundamental scientific principles for the organisation and management of sustainable agriculture and forestry are developed, together with the policy measures required for their implementation. Various aspects of…

Agricultural economics 2004

Stahli R., Merk-Lorez F., Weber A.

Active cooperation among researchers, advisers and farmers has been promoted and practised for over sixty years. In Swiss agriculture, however, participatory research and extension activities are still lacking. Therefore, the Swiss College of Agriculture has been taken up this topic as part of its Opti-Milch research project. It has studied the available literature, analyzed past…

Agricultural economics 2004

Frick C., Gutapfel N., Hebeisen Th.

Besides food, agriculture can produce renewable raw materials as well. These vegetable products such as fibres, oil, carbohydrates or special components can be used in a wide range of industrial applications. Within the EU-project IENICA, the European countries analysed their use of renewable raw material at present. The project focused on the industrial application in…

Agricultural economics 2004

Durgiai B., Müller R.

In the framework of the project Opti-Milk of the Swiss College of Agriculture an ambitious but realisable planning and implementation concept was individually established for two groups of nine farms each following the high yield (HL) or the full grazing (VW) strategy. Both strategies showed a considerable potential for the sustainable improvement of the competitiveness…

Agricultural economics 2004

Flury Ch., Gotsch N., Rieder P.

n this article, the system of direct payments linked to land use – so-called site-specific payments – is evaluated. Model calculations for the Swiss Alpine region show that a regional differentiation of these payments results in efficiency gains. Any new organisational concept for direct payments in the mountain region must distinguish between the objective of…

Agricultural economics 2004

Kaufmann R., Pfefferli S.

Agroscope FAT Tänikon’s main research priorities for the 2004-2007 period can be described as follows: Economic analyses and forecasts for the agricultural sector produce decision bases for agricultural policy. The subject matter of our investigations covers productivity development, use of public funds, the direct payment system, dairy farming, food chains and the economic situation of…

Agricultural economics 2004

Pfefferli S., Kaufmann R., Meier W.

Agroscope FAT Tänikon’s main research priorities for the 2004-2007 period can be described as follows: Economic analyses and forecasts for the agricultural sector produce decision bases for agricultural policy. The subject matter of our investigations covers productivity development, use of public funds, the direct payment system, dairy farming, food chains and the economic situation of…

Agricultural economics 2004

Flury Ch., Gotsch N., Rieder P.

Structural change has become a central theme in debates on agriculture and, at the same time, is likewise getting more and more attention at the regional policy level. Regardless of the particular position supported, discussions focus mainly on the extent of structural change that is necessary, from a long-term point of view, to ensure that…

Agricultural economics 2004

Durgiai B., Müller R.

In the framework of the project Opti-Milk two groups of nine pioneer farms each were coached on different ways towards the common goal of a sustainable and competitive dairy production. The two groups followed different strategies: the high yield strategy (HL) and the low cost strategy (VW). At the start of the project, the pioneer…

Archive

Agricultural Policy 2011 – Future Trends in Agricultural Policy

Prices for agricultural means of production in Switzerland an in EU countries

Investment costs for fattening pig houses

Measurement of standard times in horticulture

Economic costs of Swiss agriculture

Decentralised settlement: Who can replace agriculture?

Agriculture and decentralised settlement

A composite optimisation and simulation model for the Swiss Milk and Meat Market

Regional and national economic forecasts for different policy scenarios

simulation of the milk and meat markets up until 2011

Evolution of the structures in the bovine livestock farms

FAT Modular Construction Standards for Farm Building Costs used as planning tool

On the acceptance of agri-environmental programs

Causes for the change of agricultural structures

Agricultural policy 2011 – hang on, liberalise or economise?

Typology for dairy farms in mountain areas

Ways towards a target oriented Swiss agricultural policy

Organic initiatives in Switzerland

Design of land use in the Greifensee region

Valuation of landscape changes: an experimental approach

Development of agriculture in the Greifensee region

Greifensee project: interdisciplinary research for agriculture

Project Opti-Milk: Collaboration in learning groups

Renewable raw materials in Switzerland

Project Opti-Milk: economic planning

A new concept for direct payments related to land use in the mountain region

What does the FAT do? Current project portfolio

Orientation of the FAT`s work 2004-2007

Structural change in support of future-orientated mountain agriculture

Project Opti-Milk: economic results