Agriculture
Sustainable development in the European Union. 2009 monitoring report of the EU sustainable development strategy
What is the state of sustainable development in the European Union? The 2009 Eurostat monitoring report reviews the progress and implementation of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy.
The 2009 monitoring report was published on the Eurostat website. As partner in a consortium with the Vienna University of Economic and Business (RIMAS), INFRAS, and the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), the Ecologic Institute played a substantial role in drafting the monitoring report on behalf of Eurostat. Read more ...
DeutschClimate change mitigation in German agriculture
German agriculture is responsible for approximately 11% of national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and thus there is considerable potential for increased mitigation efforts in this sector. The Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU) commissioned the Ecologic Institute to analyze the mitigation potential of German agriculture and the necessary policy measures to support emission reductions. The analysis points to a number of measures which can, along with obligatory reduction targets for both agriculture and land-use change, deliver significant GHG-emission reductions. The study is available for download. Read more ...
Economic assessment of genetically modified crops
The debates on the benefits and threats of genetically modified crops are highly controversial and often misleading due to insufficient information and varying interpretations of existing data. In addition, it has not clearly been shown whether farmers benefit economically over time from growing genetically modified crops in relation to growing conventional crops. The project aims at analysing the direct monetary and income effects for farmers growing genetically modified crops, as well as the decisive factors behind them. Read more ...
Die Biomassestrom-Nachhaltigkeitsverordnung (BioSt-NachV): Eine kurze Einführung für AnlagenbetreiberInnen
Sustainability of biofuel policies is a largely debated issue, particularly with regards to environmental impacts. To address these issues, European and national legislative initiatives have been designed that aim to ensure the sustainability of biofuels. Germany has been among the top runners in trying to implement sustainability criteria for biofuels. In August 2009 the German government set up the Biomass-electricity-sustainability ordinance (“Biomassestrom-Nachhaltigkeitsverordnung”, abbreviated “BioSt-NachV”). The background paper written by the Ecologic Institute in October 2009 provides an overview for plant operators who will need to proof their compliance with the new ordinance. Read more ...
Assessment of agriculture measures included in the draft River Basin Management Plans
The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) was adopted in December 2000 and marked the beginning of a new era in European water and environmental policy. To overcome the voluminous and fragmented EU legislation on water resources prior to its adoption, the WFD promotes the streamlining of water legislation and the adoption of water policy measures in a coherent manner. To achieve "good status" of surface water and groundwater by 2015, coordinated management plans and programmes of measures must be formulated and implemented in all river basin districts (RBDs) of the EU, including international RBDs. Draft plans and programmes were published by the majority of Member States in December 2008 and must be finalized by the end of 2009. Since the successful implementation of the WFD depends strongly on agricultural land use, the aim of this project is to carry out an in-depth assessment of how the draft plans and programmes address agricultural pressures. Read more ...
The role of agriculture in future climate policies: Approaches in Germany and the United States
The role of agriculture in future climate policies and different bioenergy applications were discussed at an Ecologic Transatlantic Riverside Chat that took place on the Potomac River in Washington DC on 10 July 2009. The event was part of the second transatlantic farmer-to-farmer exchange that brought together farmers from Germany and the US, as well as scientists and journalists with an agricultural background. Read more ...
Semi-subsistence producers and biosecurity in the Slovenian Alps
In this article Ana Frelih Larsen examines the encounter between biosecurity and semi-subsistence producers in the Slovenian Alps. The article shows that biosecurity, as part of a broader shift in agri-food governance stemming from Slovenia’s entry to the European Union, has dramatically reshaped the playing field for semi-subsistence producers, driving agricultural restructuring and diminishing farmers’ strategies of subsistence slaughter and informal marketing. Read more ...
Catalogue of measures to address diffuse pollution from agriculture
In order to support the implementation of the Water Framework Directive and address key pressures and impacts from agriculture activities, this project developed a catalogue of measures for tackling agricultural pollution. The catalogue serves as a EU-wide information base and is designed to support Member States in developing programmes of measures in their river basin management plans. This catalogue of measures is a living document that is updated on a regularly basis, which is particularly important to make use of the experiences gained under the first cycle of the WFD in future planning cycles. Read more ...
German Perspectives on the Current Reform of the Common Agricultural Policy
This project analyses the positions and relative influence of the main German shareholders on the GAP reform which became visible through responses to the Health Check agreement on the Common Agricultural Policy and the upcoming Mid-Term Budget Review. Furthermore, the project also explores the main issues and directions of the CAP debate in Germany and the likely overall German position towards the future CAP reform in Brussels. Read more ...
Regional Adaptation Strategies for the German Baltic Sea Coast (RADOST)
The Ecologic Institute coordinates the five-year project RADOST (Regional Adaptation Strategies for the German Baltic Sea Coast). The Baltic coastline of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Schleswig-Holstein is one of seven model regions in Germany that are supported by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) through the funding activity KLIMZUG ("Managing climate change in the regions for the future"). The aim of the RADOST project is to develop regional adaptation strategies in a dialogue between research institutions, business, public administration and civil society. Read more ...
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