Download or read book Socioeconomic and Environmental Impacts on Agriculture in the New Europe written by Serban Scrieciu and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2011-03-13 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book looks at agriculture and the environment, placed within the dynamic context of post-communist societal change and entry into the European Union (EU). Scrieciu explores developments in eleven Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries and argues for agriculture’s natural place in these societies. The history of these countries is significant in how it has shaped the institutions and influenced the outcomes. In many cases, during communism, agriculture was not considered a strategically. An ecological consciousness did not figure high on the agendas of authoritarian regimes. After 1990, some post-communist farm economies progressed slower than others, and environmental pressures mostly diminished with agricultural restructuring. In parts of CEE, increases in numbers of low-input small farms have resulted in some, though largely unintended, ecological benefits. A dual environmental challenge has nevertheless surfaced. On one hand, environmentally unsustainable practices have been attributed to some low-input farming. On the other hand, risks of farm over-intensification and resource overexploitation are on the rise. Also, environmental regulatory and institutional frameworks are not always effectively in place. EU membership is not creating the anticipated benefits for farm growth. There are a number of systemic structural barriers preventing many farmers from drawing on Common Agricultural Policy incentives and support. The presence of many vulnerable poor farms is clearly problematic, particularly economically. However, small-scale farms could be made more acceptable and profitable by ensuring EU policies acknowledge their value and by building institutions to support alternative farm growth strategies, aside from the traditional European model of individual corporate farm expansion. The voluntary uptake of grassroots rural cooperation and farm associations may represent such an alternative. Future European farm policy reforms need to reach the small and vulnerable, and better tackle issues of farm equity, poverty, and agricultural sustainability in the new Europe. This is a timely contribution as this type of "transition" has just begun. This book should be of use to students and researchers looking at agricultural and environmental economics, post-communist rural societal change, European integration and the Common Agricultural Policy.

Download or read book Land Use Changes in Europe written by F.M. Brouwer and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 532 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The patterns of land use that have evolved in Europe reflect the boundaries set by the natural environment and socio-economic responses to the needs of the population. Over the centuries man has been able to overcome increasingly the constraints placed on land use by the natural environment through the development of new technologies and innovations, driven by an increasing population and rising material expectations. However, activities are still ultimately constrained by natural limitations such as climatic characteristics and associated edaphic and vegetational features. A major problem for land management, in its broadest sense, can be a reluctance to foresee the consequent ecological changes. This means that mitigating strategies will not be implemented in time to prevent environmental degradation and social hardship, although in many parts of Europe, over some centuries, demands have been met in a sustainable way, by sound, prudent and temperate expectations that have dictated management regimes. The management of land in Europe has always been a complex challenge: land is the primary, though finite resource. DeciSions regarding the use of land and manipulation of ecosystem dynamics today may affect the long-term primary productivity of the resource. Decisions to change land use may be virtually irreversible; urbanization is an illustration of the influence of population density on the land resource.

Download or read book North Sea Region Climate Change Assessment written by Markus Quante and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-08-31 with total page 555 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book offers an up-to-date review of our current understanding of climate change in the North Sea and adjacent areas, as well as its impact on ecosystems and socio-economic sectors. It provides a detailed assessment of climate change based on published scientific work compiled by independent international experts from climate-related disciplines such as oceanography, atmospheric sciences, marine and terrestrial ecology, using a regional evaluation and review process similar to that of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). It provides a comprehensive overview of all aspects of our changing climate, discussing a wide range of topics including past, current and future climate change, and climate-related changes in marine, terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. It also explores the impact of climate change on socio-economic sectors such as fisheries, agriculture, coastal zone management, coastal protection, urban climate, recreation/tourism, offshore activities/energy, and air pollution.

Download or read book Low Carbon Transition written by Dalia Streimikiene and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2024-06-04 with total page 335 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Low-carbon transition is a shift from an economy that depends heavily on fossil fuels to a sustainable, low-carbon energy economy. This book analyzes the role of renewables in driving the low-carbon transition in agriculture, explores the circular bio-based economy, and examines policies and strategies designed to facilitate low-carbon transition in agriculture, greenhouse gas mitigation, and adaptation trends in the European Union agriculture sector. It provides new knowledge and understanding about the impact of low-carbon energy transition, emphasizes the key role of renewable energy in a wide range of agricultural activities, and offers alternative sustainable solutions to current practices. Features Discusses a novel approach on low-carbon transition that is not considered by the majority of studies Emphasizes the urgent need to minimize the carbon and environmental footprint of the EU agriculture and food system through low-carbon energy transition Provides theoretical background of sustainable agriculture and explains the decarbonization path of agriculture. Investigates the role of renewables, new technologies, business models, and practices in agriculture while assessing their socioeconomic and environmental effects. Presents a case study on the applications of low-carbon transition policies in selected EU member states and analyses in details various implications. This book is suitable for senior undergraduate and graduate students, professionals in agriculture, researchers, and policy makers interested in sustainable agriculture and renewable energy usage and their economics.

Download or read book Climate Change and Agriculture Impacts Adaptation and Mitigation written by Wreford Anita and published by OECD Publishing. This book was released on 2010-06-17 with total page 139 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This report examines the economic and policy issues related to the impacts of climate change on agriculture and adaptation responses and to the mitigation of greenhouse gases from agriculture.

Download or read book Soil Quality Sustainable Agriculture and Environmental Security in Central and Eastern Europe written by Michael Wilson and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2000-06-30 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Agriculture is a crucial component of the economies of many of the countries in transition from a centrally-planned to a market economy and the sector is by no means immune to the environmental and socioeconomic problems confronting the countries as a whole. The concept of sustainable development provides a convenient framework for the formulation of government environmental policy for such countries, especially those of them that aspire to join the EU and would thus be expected to meet EU environmental standards. For agriculture, this inevitably involves appropriate strategies for balancing crop and animal production while protecting the quality of the national soil and water resources. There is thus an urgent need to compile, exchange and evaluate current information on the quality of soils in these countries, and to assess the potential impact of new management practices on the soil and on the wider environment.

Download or read book Sustainability Impact Assessment of Land Use Changes written by Katharina Helming and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2008-06-11 with total page 502 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are many reasons why strategic intelligence is required to support policy decisions. These primarily stem from the nature of today's kno- edge society with two contrasting trends. On the one hand, there is a trend of increasing human intelligence in the economic, social and political s- tems. On the other hand, there is a trend towards dissolving certainties about the problems and solutions of today's society. Clearly, more inf- mation does not necessary imply more certainties on how to act. What is more, the same facts are often interpreted in markedly different ways: the same policy relevant information can – and often does – results in confli- ing framing of a problem by different stakeholders. This is mainly due to competing assumptions, rather then because of inconsistent facts. The- fore, it is not surprising that policy-makers are calling for strategic intel- gence to support their understanding of today's challenges, including the relevant aspects of science and technology, their impact and their possible future developments. Over the last 15 years, Europe has rapidly adopted the practice of dev- oping and using Impact Assessment (IA) tools to support decision-making. Formal procedures and guidance for IA are well established within the European Commission and in most EU Member States. The adoption of IA procedures alone, however, does not guarantee that every policy domain is actually using the full potential of these assessment tools in the preparation of policies and legislation.

Download or read book Environmental agricultural and socio economic issue written by European symposium on European farming and rural systems research and extension into the next millennium and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Looking Beyond the Horizon written by William R. Sutton and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2013-04-04 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The risks and opportunities of climate change for agriculture can be effectively dealt only by aligning policies, developing institutional capabilities, and investing in infrastructure and farms, as per the experiences of Albania, FYR Macedonia, Moldova, and Uzbekistan.

Download or read book Change Detection with Remote Sensing written by Elisabeth Addink and published by . This book was released on 2001 with total page 148 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The required spatial observation units were defined such that they match both agriculture and NOAA-AVHRR. For this purpose a method was developed to determine the correspondence in geometry between two polygon sets. It was shown that polygons formed by bio-physical variables match patterns in AVHRR images better than those formed by socio-economic variables. The selected units were obtained from the soil map.

Download or read book Agriculture Trade and the Environment written by John M. Antle and published by Edward Elgar Publishing. This book was released on 1998 with total page 280 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thirteen papers selected and revised from the 1996 conference hosted by the Department of Economics, U. of Crete, present views on the sustainability and policy aspects of free trade concerning European Union agriculture. Part I (chapters 1-3) treats theoretical and methodological issues. Part II (chapters 4-6) addresses these issues specifically in the context of EU agriculture. The experience of several EU countries is presented in Part III (chapters 7-11), while Part IV (chapters 12, 13) looks ahead to future developments and to the 1999 World Trade Organization conference. Tables and figures delineate models and variables. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Download or read book The EU s Common Agriculture Policy and Sustainable Farming a Statement by Scientists written by Alexandra-Maria Klein and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: The European Union's (EU) Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) still fails to address the environmental and socioeconomic challenges of EU's agriculture. Agricultural ecosystems are further degrading, biodiversity is declining and agricultural Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions remain high. At the same time, farms are facing unresolved socio-economic challenges and rural areas struggle to remain viable. Knowledge, data, instruments and resources to address sustainability challenges are readily available. Missing is the CAP's appropriate design as well as prioritization, and the indispensable political will to improve these. While the Commission's 2018 proposal fell short of addressing the key weaknesses of the CAP, the amendment proposals of October 2020 by the Council and the Parliament significantly weaken the CAP's environmental instruments, while maintaining or even enhancing the inequitable and counterproductive distribution of payments. A weakened CAP puts both the environment and the future of farmers and farming at risk. Scientific evidence shows that it is possible and efficient to align sustainable farming, multifunctional agroforestry and long-term prosperity with the climate and biodiversity goals of the EU. Farmers' interests and environmental protection can be mutually reinforced and achieved through a CAP that is aligns with the EU's Green Deal and Biodiversity Strategy, while also conforming to the Paris Agreement. The proposed CAP post-2020 as it stands represents a business-as-usual model of agriculture against the viable alternative of a responsible and sustainable farm model that ensures the viability of rural communities. The narrative in support of this foundering approach, by stressing the importance of food production and the need to feed the world, is counteracted by a reality of more farmland taken for the production of fuel and feed for animals than for human consumption. The political positions also fail to represent the interests and needs of most farmers, who want to protect their living environment so in order to secure the long-term sustainability of their own farming - but rightly ask for public policy support. The CAP should provide better means to do so, and aim at a fair transition toward a sustainable future for farming. The trilogue negotiations are a last opportunity to rethink the CAP post-2020 design and propose legal texts that allow, rather than impede, environmental and social ambition in line with the EU's statement that the next CAP will be fairer and greener. Using the time gained by the transition period of two years, we strongly recommend to Member States, the Council and the Parliament to rethink the current proposal. We specifically urge to: 1. Maintain conditionality along the lines set by the Commission, and improve it by a) expanding permanent pasture protection beyond protected areas (Natura 2000) and b) maintaining or restoring at least 10% non-productive, semi-natural landscape features on all utilized agricultural area rather than only on arable land; 2. Ring-fence budgets for Agri-Environment-Climate Measures and allow Member States to expand their budgets beyond current levels; 3. Secure at least 30% of Pillar 1's budget for Eco-schemes and use current knowledge to ensure Eco-schemes are well designed (i.e., include only effective measures for biodiversity), monitored and re-evaluated to achieve measurable environmental impacts; 4. Place Areas of Nature Constraints in Pillar 1, or tie them strictly to environmental objectives and the protection of High Nature Value farmland regions, rather than unduly list them as an environmental instrument without substantive criteria; 5. Cancel a) ring-fencing for direct payments (especially coupled payments), b) the barrier on Member States' maximum investment in the environment, and c) the limitation for budget transfers to Pillar 2. These restrictions impede ambitious Member States from investing in rural areas and in public goods;Place a clear target for reducing, toward phasing out, of coupled payments (e.g. toward 5%) as subsidies that are harmful for both markets and the environment; 6. Place a clear target for reducing, toward phasing out, of coupled payments (e.g. toward 5%) as subsidies that are harmful for both markets and the environment; 7. If Direct Payments remain a political priority, and more equity among the recipients is the proposed means to address farmer's concerns, then the Council and Parliament should make the Capping and Redistribution mechanism mandatory for all Member States, and set strict capping rules; 8. Ensure the success of the new Delivery Model by means of a) linking Strategic Plans to the EU's Green Deal, b) retaining the yearly reporting of Result indicators, and c) improving the integration of scientists and other experts in the consultation processes offered by Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS). Science across all disciplines is available to address the agricultural sustainability challenge and improve the CAP. Over 3600 signatories have supported the call to improve the CAP. They underlined the feasibility of constructive changes and documented the readiness to assist in positively transforming and future-proofing the CAP and the EU's agriculture (Pe'er et al. 2020)

Download or read book Land use Changes and Their Environmental Impact in Rural Areas in Europe written by Reinhard Krönert and published by UNESCO. This book was released on 1999 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The rural landscapes of Europe have been radically modified over the last four decades, not only as a result of urban expansion, but primarily due to changes in agriculture, i.e. increased intensification of production in some areas and "extensification" - land being taken out of production - in other areas. This volume presents a comparison of rural land-use change and landscape pattern dynamics in different parts of Europe.

Download or read book Green Jobs for Sustainable Development written by Ana-Maria Boromisa and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2015-06-26 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A ‘green economy’ must be built on ‘green jobs’ - the kind of employment that is low carbon, intended to reduce energy use and expected to restore environmental quality. But attempts to define exactly what a ‘green job’ is have led to varied and often contradictory answers. There are many unresolved questions including whether we consider jobs in the nuclear fuel industry to be green jobs? Or is a worker at a glass making company which supplies the glass for the solar photovoltaic industry doing a green job given that glass making is a ‘dirty’ industry? This book deals with the relationship between "green" concepts (green jobs, green economy, green growth) and sustainable development. It examines to which extent creation of green jobs supports overall economic development as opposed to creation of elitist jobs and greenwashing. In order to do so, general conceptual frameworks for green jobs, green economy, green growth and green policy are presented as well as their implementation in ten countries selected among the Group of Twenty. The selection includes advanced (the European Union, the United States of America, Australia, Canada, Republic of Korea, Japan) and developing countries (Mexico, China, Turkey and Brazil). The analysis presented in this book shows that although green concept is well-intentioned, its implementation depends on local circumstances – economic, political and social. Developed countries perceive green growth as a way to create new markets and demand, while developing countries rely more on labor intensive growth and less expensive green jobs. Thus, greening the economy does not diminish differences between rich and poor. This book is suitable for those who study and work in Ecological Economics, Sustainable Development and Labor Economics.

Download or read book Scenarios of Socioeconomic Development for Studies of Global Environmental Change written by Ferenc L. Toth and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 302 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Agroforestry in Europe written by Antonio Rigueiro-Rodríguez and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2008-11-09 with total page 455 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Agroforestry has come of age during the past three decades. The age-old practice of growing trees and crops and sometimes animals in interacting combinations – that has been ignored in the single-commodity-oriented agricultural and forestry development paradigms – has been brought into the realm of modern land-use. Today agroforestry is well on its way to becoming a specialized science at a level similar to those of crop science and forestry science. To most land-use experts, however, agroforestry has a tropical connotation. They consider agroforestry as something that can and can only be identified with the tropics. That is a wrong perception. While it is true that the tropics, compared to the temperate regions, have a wider array of agroforestry systems and hold greater promise for potential agroforestry interventions, it is also true that agroforestry has several opportunities in the temperate regions too. Indeed, the role of agroforestry is now recognized in Europe as exemplified by this book, North America, and elsewhere in the temperate zone. Current interest in ecosystem management in industrialized countries strongly suggests that there is a need to embrace and apply agroforestry principles to help mitigate the environmental problems caused or exacerbated by commercial agricultural and forestry production enterprises.

Download or read book Sustainable Land Management in a European Context written by Thomas Weith and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-08-28 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This open access book presents and discusses current issues and innovative solution approaches for land management in a European context. Manifold sustainability issues are closely interconnected with land use practices. Throughout the world, we face increasing conflict over the use of land as well as competition for land. Drawing on experience in sustainable land management gained from seven years of the FONA programme (Research for Sustainable Development, conducted under the auspices of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research), the book stresses and highlights co-design processes within the “co-creation of knowledge”, involving collaboration in transdisciplinary research processes between academia and other stakeholders. The book begins with an overview of the current state of land use practices and the subsequent need to manage land resources more sustainably. New system solutions and governance approaches in sustainable land management are presented from a European perspective on land use. The volume also addresses how to use new modes of knowledge transfer between science and practice. New perspectives in sustainable land management and methods of combining knowledge and action are presented to a broad readership in land system sciences and environmental sciences, social sciences and geosciences. This book received the Gerd Albers Award. The prize is awarded by the International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP).