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Agricultural economics

Erzinger S., Badertscher Fawaz R., Dux D., Zimmermann A.

Ecology and profitability in Milk production

An in-depth economic comparison was carried out with different housing systems for dairy cows. Differences between the systems in terms of animal health, work quality, environmental impacts and product quality were also taken into account. The comparison involved tie-stall systems and cubicle housing systems.The results of the economic comparison show that average milk production is…
Agricultural economics

Mann S.

Agriculture and rural areas

The Swiss constitution prescribes that agriculture has to contribute to an even population in the rural countryside. This paper examines by the means of a regression analysis to which extent enterprises in the three economic sectors contribute to population dynamics in rural communities. Although agricultural enterprises have much less employees than enterprises in the industry…
Agricultural economics

Hubschmid S., Cerutti F., Gantner U.

The Radar Project – An in-depth look at the situation concerning agricultural research

The Radar Project describes the development of conditions surrounding agricultural research. On the political side, the importance of the state with regard to funding is decreasing. The technological aspect is progressing, as can be seen from the growth in the worldwide cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), for example. From an economic point of view,…
Agricultural economics

Giuliani G., Rieder P.

Determinants of Farmland Prices

The aim of the study presented by this article is to identify existing conflicts of land use and ownership, together with the problems arising therefore, by reference to an analysis of the market for agricultural land. The method used for the empirical analysis is the method of hedonic price model. It was found that prices…
Agricultural economics

Mann S.

The Swiss Farm Structure in 2008

Forecasts are made on the future development of Swiss agricultural structures by using results of an ex-post-analysis on the determinants of structural change. As a result, the structural change in Swiss agriculture will continue with an annual rate of 2.7 per cent less farms each year. Small farms with up to ten hectares will have…
Agricultural economics

Mann S.

Determinants of structural change in agriculture

The change of Swiss agricultural structures 1985-2001 is explained by macroeconomic, sectoral and farm-specific variables. Expected explanatory patterns arise (eg. the influence of the farmer’s age), but also unexpected ones. The off-farm income, for example, plays a more important role to preserve agricultural structures than agricultural income. Acreage as a size variable has a stabilising…
Agricultural economics

Luder W.

Rural work: Definition of a general standard

Currently, rural work is increasingly subject to public discussion. The working time requirements of rural enterprises are also of significance for different agro-political measures. But how can rural work be measured or calculated? Depending on the measure, different definitions are possible. All standards have been based on the same labour economics data, however, the strict…
Agricultural economics

Spring P., Gavillet D., Joray S., Müller C., Hilty R., Van Caenegem L.

Investment costs for larger dairy barns in Switzerland

The aim of the present survey was to evaluate the investments for larger dairy barns in Switzerland based on realized objects. The investments were analyzed on 22 objects built between 1998 and 2001 with an average capacity of 84 animal units (AU) (52 – 190 AU). The capital cost was evaluated based on the construction…
Agricultural economics

Stucki B.

Women in Agriculture Today

The present study examines the position of women in agriculture in Switzerland. It is still the case that many women who work in the agricultural sector today come from a farming background. As a rule, however, their principal training was not in agriculture. Their main spheres of activity are housework, family and gardening, followed by…
Agricultural economics

Schelske O., Seidl I.

A case study on the growing and marketing of old land races

This paper deals with biodiversity conservation by economic activities in the food and nutrition sector. A case study about the growing and marketing of the wheat species Emmer (Triticum dicoccum) in the region Schaffhausen analyses necessary success factors for the development of similar regional economic activities. Such success factors are the involved regional production capabilities,…
Agricultural economics

Steingruber E., Hofer P.

Economic efficiency of no-tillage

“In the long-term field trial “”Oberacker”” at Zollikofen (Switzerland) crop yields were measured to determine the effect of no-tillage without any soil disturbance and conventional tillage with mouldboard plough. A cost and profit analysis (full cost accounting) was carried out with the data in order to analyse farm economy of the changeover from a conventional…
Agricultural economics

Girsberger M.A.

Patents, Plant Breeders' Rights and Farmers' Rights

At present, Farmers’ Rights are, in contrast to patents and plant breeders’ rights, not an operational mechanism to protect genetic resources. One of the aims of the ongoing revision of the “International Undertaking on Plant Genetic Resources” (International Undertaking) of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations is the further realisation of…
Agricultural economics

Radlinsky A., Theler C., Lehmann B.

Social sustainability in Swiss agriculture

Social aspects play a leading role in the sustainability concept. Therefore, the principal elements of social sustainability will be subjected to an analysis within the scope of a study of the social conditions prevailing in Swiss agriculture. The theoretical approach is based on the concept of quality of life. In Spring 2000, a postal survey…
Agricultural economics

Anwander Phan-Huy S.

Ecological concerns in the Swiss agricultural policy

At the beginning of the 1970s, the Swiss public was shocked by reports in news media on the subject of ecological problems resulting from agricultural activities. Since then, measures to improve integration and promote environmental awareness have been implemented, hesitantly at first due to political opposition, and then more decisively with the agricultural policy reform…

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