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This paper explores how deliberative workshops might enhance social learning about climate change adaptation among land managers in northwest Europe (Scotland). To date, methods for enhancing social learning in the context of adaptation and climate change have been neglected. In this study, location specific agro-meteorological indicators for both observed and future climate data were produced. The indicators were used as a basis for discussion in four deliberative workshops. The workshops sought to raise awareness of climate change issues, ensure the validity and utility of the indicators, stimulate thinking about adaptive responses and increase land managers' capacity to adapt. Land managers' adaptations to climate change fell into four broad categories: changing what they do, how they do it, when they do it or the frequency with which they do it. This paper therefore reflects on the use of deliberative workshops as an effective technique to enhance social learning regarding adapting to climate change. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The viability of irrigated systems in Southern Europe is closely linked to efficient institutional settings and water-allocation mechanisms. A significant, although not widely used, mechanism for water allocation is an intra-sectorial water market. The objective of this paper is to evaluate to what extent water markets may contribute to the improvement of the efficiency of water allocation and to the profitability of irrigated agriculture. The related issues of water allocation among farm types and farm specialisation are also addressed. The analysis is based on a basin-level linear programming model, comparing the situation with and without a market. It includes both fixed and variable transaction costs and estimates their combined effects on market performances. The model is applied in two areas in Southern Italy and Spain, and simulates the behaviour of different farm types, derived from cluster analysis on a sample of farms in each area. The paper confirms that water markets could potentially improve the economic efficiency of water use, in terms of higher profit per hectare, given limited water availability. The potential improvements are associated with a more intense specialisation of farms and are strongly differentiated among farmers, particularly where significant restrictions to water availability occur. This corroborates the expectations of institutional difficulties in implementing water markets. However, the exchanges, and consequently the potential effects of water markets, are heavily affected by the actual level of water availability, as well as the size and the structure (fixed vs. proportional) of transaction costs. The paper calls for a more in-depth analysis of the connections between market performances and institutional settings, as related to the issue of water-agriculture policy design and coordination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of crops that by harvest have accumulated higher amounts of a particular micronutrient than standard crops is known as biofortification. Biofortified staple crops such as provitamin A‐biofortified sweet potato ('orange sweet potato'), zinc‐biofortified rice ('zinc rice') and iron‐biofortified beans ('iron beans'), developed by selective breeding, have been introduced into developing countries with the goal of reducing micronutrient deficiencies. In these settings, micronutrient deficiencies caused by low dietary intakes and exacerbated by inflammation and infection result in considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. The aim of this review is twofold: (1) to describe the impact of biofortified crops on micronutrient intake, nutritional status and other biological endpoints in developing countries and (2) to consider the relevance of these nutritional effects in other parts of the world such as Europe. Regular consumption of biofortified crops in developing countries where micronutrient deficiency is common has been shown to increase micronutrient intakes and thus help meet the World Health Organization's dietary recommendations. In terms of micronutrient status, most research has been conducted using provitamin A‐biofortified crops (particularly orange sweet potato), with large 2‐ to 3‐year studies indicating increases in plasma retinol, though additional studies measuring change in body stores would provide more definitive evidence. There is some evidence to suggest that iron‐biofortified crops can increase iron status (measured by serum ferritin and total body iron), but further studies are required to demonstrate the efficacy of zinc‐biofortified foods. Intakes of some micronutrients are low in some UK population subgroups (in particular adolescents and young adult women), with sizeable proportions having intakes below the lower reference nutrient intake. There is also evidence of low status for some nutrients (e.g. iron and in particular vitamin D), although the prevalence of iron deficiency is much less, and therefore the consequences less severe, than seen in the developing world. The final part of the paper describes strategies used to improve micronutrient intake in Europe, such as fortification of bread flour post‐harvest and supplementation with vitamin D and folic acid, and discusses whether there is a role for biofortified crops in the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that we know little about how small farmers in post-communist Europe survive and even grow while having little access to credit markets. In approaching small farmers, this paper builds on ideas of self-provisioning, contending that the tendency among small farmers is not one of growth towards and through economies of scale, but one of internalising and de-monetising costs, by growing in order to control upstream and downstream links in the value chain. It asks what is it that makes self-provisioning possible in two post-communist regions (located in Romania and Ukraine) and identifies various assets in the smallholders' environments, such as most importantly a diverse scene of intermediaries supplying smallholders with cash incomes. The implication of the research is that the existence of these assets is crucial for the smallholders' survival and growth, and these assets should be valued accordingly rather than dismissed in favour of integrating smallholders into modern, retailer-dominated, value chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Availability of information has increased rapidly over the past decades. Yet, information on food safety is still considered problematic. Economists have extensively researched the effects of imperfect information. However, little attention has been paid to the institutional organization of the supply of information and the incentive schemes in the information market. This paper analyzes how and when information is supplied by media organizations, and what the implications are. We first develop a theoretical framework and afterwards provide empirical evidence from media coverage of two recent food safety crises in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SummaryUnder the Kyoto Protocol, the European Union is committed to a reduction in CO2 emissions to 92% of baseline (1990) levels during the first commitment period (2008–2012). The Kyoto Protocol allows carbon emissions to be offset by demonstrable removal of carbon from the atmosphere. Thus, land-use/land-management change and forestry activities that are shown to reduce atmospheric CO2 levels can be included in the Kyoto targets. These activities include afforestation, reforestation and deforestation (article 3.3 of the Kyoto Protocol) and the improved management of agricultural soils (article 3.4). In this paper, we estimate the carbon mitigation potential of various agricultural land-management strategies and examine the consequences of European policy options on carbon mitigation potential, by examining combinations of changes in agricultural land-use/land-management. We show that no single land-management change in isolation can mitigate all of the carbon needed to meet Europe's climate change commitments, but integrated combinations of land-management strategies show considerable potential for carbon mitigation. Three of the combined scenarios, one of which is an optimal realistic scenario, are by themselves able to meet Europe's emission limitation or reduction commitments. Through combined land-management scenarios, we show that the most important resource for carbon mitigation in agriculture is the surplus arable land. We conclude that in order to fully exploit the potential of arable land for carbon mitigation, policies will need to be implemented to allow surplus arable land to be put into alternative long-term land-use. Of all options examined, bioenergy crops show the greatest potential for carbon mitigation. Bioenergy crop production also shows an indefinite mitigation potential compared to other options where the mitigation potential is finite. We suggest that in order to exploit fully the bioenergy option, the... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EU agriculture is currently in transition from conventional crop protection to integrated pest management ( IPM). Because biocontrol is a key component of IPM, many European countries recently have intensified their national efforts on biocontrol research and innovation (R&I), although such initiatives are often fragmented. The operational outputs of national efforts would benefit from closer collaboration among stakeholders via transnationally coordinated approaches, as most economically important pests are similar across Europe. This paper proposes a common European framework on biocontrol R&I. It identifies generic R&I bottlenecks and needs as well as priorities for three crop types (arable, vegetable and perennial crops). The existing gap between the market offers of biocontrol solutions and the demand of growers, the lengthy and expensive registration process for biocontrol solutions and their varying effectiveness due to variable climatic conditions and site-specific factors across Europe are key obstacles hindering the development and adoption of biocontrol solutions in Europe. Considering arable, vegetable and perennial crops, a dozen common target pests are identified for each type of crop and ranked by order of importance at European level. Such a ranked list indicates numerous topics on which future joint transnational efforts would be justified. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses several papers related to economic history of Italy, published in the several journals. In a short paper "La Polonia medievale tra occidente ed oriente europeo," by A. Giesztor, the author examines economic conditions of central Europe, particularly of Poland about A.D. 1000, with particular reference to agriculture. The author decides that Polish agriculture was well adapted for a variety of crops. The paper "La structure economique et sociale de I'etat de I'ordre teutonique en Prusse," sets out to analyse the role that the Teutonic Order had in the life of Prussia. With an indubitable political function the Order showed also its efficiency in the economic sector, revitalizing internal and external commerce to a degree, which the author describes as exceptional. In 1454 the insurrection put an end to its regime in most of the country. B. Geremek deals with the problem of the origins of pauperism in an essay "La popolazione marginale tra ii medioevo e I'eta moderna'." As is evident from the title, the author believes that the problem of pauperism was born in the period of the transformation of society that occurred at the beginning of the modern era.

This paper introduces a nonparametric measure of coordination productivity growth where the subprocesses are explicitly modelled in the production technology. The coordination productivity indicator is decomposed into a coordination technical inefficiency change component and a coordination technical change component. This decomposition allows assessment of reallocation impacts on the different sources of productivity growth. The empirical application focuses on a large panel of English and Welsh farms over the period 2007-2013. The results show that coordination inefficiency significantly increases with the proportion of resources allocated to livestock production in economic and statistical terms. Coordination inefficient farms should generally allocate more land to crop production. Depending on the region, the average coordination productivity growth ranges from −9.7% to 15.9% per year. It is driven by coordination technical change rather than coordination inefficiency change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents summary of various articles published in the July 2005 issue of the journal "Sociologia Ruralis." One of the article states that the Bulgarian irrigation facilities deteriorated to a large extent and no longer meet the needs of the new landowner and agricultural production structure. The Bulgarian government therefore enacted two new laws to encourage collective action and to establish water user associations in order to achieve sustainable water management. Another article reports that governments across Central and Eastern Europe have enacted agri-environmental legislation over the past decade. This paper explores how the legislation has played out in practice, using property as an analytical lens to examine the social dynamics surrounding agri-environmental problems. The findings highlight the discrepancy between the legal rights accorded to land owners and their rights-in-practice. Land owners contest the constraints imposed by agri-environmental legislation through strategies ranging from avoidance to open violation.

Common voles ( Microtus arvalis) are common small mammals in some European landscapes. They can be a major rodent pest in European agriculture and they are also a representative generic focal small herbivorous mammal species used in risk assessment for plant protection products. In this paper, common vole population dynamics, habitat and food preferences, pest potential and use of the common vole as a model small wild mammal species in the risk assessment process are reviewed. Common voles are a component of agroecosystems in many parts of Europe, inhabiting agricultural areas (secondary habitats) when the carrying capacity of primary grassland habitats is exceeded. Colonisation of secondary habitats occurs during multiannual outbreaks, when population sizes can exceed 1000 individuals ha−1. In such cases, in-crop common vole population control management has been practised to avoid significant crop damage. The species' status as a crop pest, high fecundity, resilience to disturbance and intermittent colonisation of crop habitats are important characteristics that should be reflected in risk assessment. Based on the information provided in the scientific literature, it seems justified to modify elements of the current risk assessment scheme for plant protection products, including the use of realistic food intake rates, reduced assessment factors or the use of alternativee focal rodent species in particular European regions. Some of these adjustments are already being applied in some EU member states. Therefore, it seems reasonable consistently to apply such pragmatic and realistic approaches in risk assessments for plant protection products across the EU. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The political will to reduce global GHG emissions has largely contributed to increased global biofuel production and trade. The expanding cultivation of energy crops may drive changes in the terrestrial ecosystems such as land cover and biodiversity loss. When biomass replaces fossil energy carriers, sustainability criteria are therefore crucial to avoid adverse impacts and ensure a net positive GHG balance. The European Union has set mandatory sustainability criteria for liquid biofuels in its Renewable Energy Directive ( RED) 2009/28/ EC to ensure net positive impacts of its biofuel policy. The adoption of sustainability criteria in other world regions and their extension to solid and gaseous biomass in the EU is ongoing. This paper examines the effect of the EU RED sustainability criteria on the availability of biomass resources at global and regional scale. It quantifies the relevance of sustainability criteria in biomass resource assessments taking into account the criteria's spatial distribution. This assessment does not include agricultural and forestry residues and aquatic biomass. Previously unknown interrelations between sustainability criteria are examined and described for ten world regions. The analysis concludes that roughly 10% (98.5 EJ) of the total theoretical potential of 977.2 EJ occurs in areas free of sustainability concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of EPPO Bulletin is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Deliberate and malevolent use of plant pathogens, i.e. agroterrorism lato sensu (anticrop bioterrorism and use of bioweapons against the agricultural sector), may represent a non-negligible threat for crops and forests in Europe. In order to assess this risk objectively, a methodology based on a critical review of existing Pest Risk Analysis schemes has been elaborated and is described in the present paper. In this methodology, three interdependent steps are suggested: (i) definition of an a priori list of potentially dangerous plant pathogens for Europe, (ii) detailed elaboration and analysis of theoretical scenarios of possible acts of agroterrorism, and (iii) elaboration and use of a risk assessment scheme adapted to agroterrorism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents several abstracts of research papers published in the July 3, 2001 issue of the journal "Sociological Ruralis." It discusses the cultural economics in the rural areas of Europe. The paper "Transnational Co-operation Between Rural Areas: Elements of a Political Economy of European Union Rural Development," by Christopher Ray considers the significance of the phenomenon in terms of the emergence of a rural development system. "Exploring the Dimensions of Culture Economies in Rural West Wales," by Moya Kneafsey, Brian Ilbery and Tim Jenkins, interrogates the nature and extent of the culture economy as a force for rural development in West Wales. The discussion draws on empirical material from research into four different product sectors, namely, specialty beef and lamb, organic fruit, vegetables and meat, specialty cheese and artisanal crafts. Of particular significance is the research paper "Governing the Boundaries of Viability Economic Expertise and the Production of the Low-Income Farm Problem in Australia," by Vaughan Higgins which discusses how economic expertise assumed prominence as key authorities in constituting previous collectivist forms of assistance as irrational, and in linking the future viability of Australian agriculture to the theories and practices of agricultural economists.

In this paper we discuss inclusiveness of identification among farmers in Galicia (Spain) and The Netherlands. Identification with three nested categories—farmers in the local community, farmers in the country, and farmers in Europe was assessed among 167 Dutch and 248 Galician farmers at three points in time: winter of 1993/94, winter 1995 and fall 1995. Our findings suggest that inclusiveness reduces the level of identification. However, the observed patterns of identification were more complex than inclusiveness per se can account for. Borrowing from the common ingroup-identity model, functional and socialization models of identity formation, and a model of politicized collective identity we formulated hypotheses about patterns of identification that were to be expected. On the whole our findings supported our theoretical reasoning. Galician farmers appear to identify much less with farmers in their country and Europe than Dutch farmers do. Inclusiveness of identification appears to be linked to experience with national and supranational political institutions. More political knowledge and involvement appear to generate more inclusive patterns of identification. Among Galician farmers evaluation of the agricultural policy of the European Union is negatively related to identification with farmers in Europe, among Dutch farmers the two are positively related. Finally, more inclusive identities seem to be more politicized. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial stress and general crisis in European agriculture recently have generated a widespread interest in alternative paths of farm business development and structural adjustment. One of the options suggested by policy makers and adopted by farmers was the development of alternative farm enterprises (AFEs), in which farmers recombine resources on the farm and produce a new mix of products and services in order to supplement their incomes. In the present paper we examine the factors influencing the development of AFEs. According to empirical evidence from Etolia-Akarnania, a prefecture in western Greece that merits "less favored area" status, AFE adoption is influenced by the amount of family labor, the ratio of hired to family labor, the presence of tobacco as a main enterprise, the proximity of the farm to grade A roads, and the farmers' age. Education, management experience demonstrated by the farm manager, physical size of the farm, enterprise specialization, the use of grants, and farm location are the main factors responsible for the farmers' integration into the agro-food system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the effects of an early introduction of agriculture (Neolithic Transition) on modern agglomeration, using a new dataset on carbon dated organic materials found at archeological sites in Northern Europe. We find a positive effect of early agriculture, in particular within countries, which contrasts with a negative or zero correlation found in studies using older data, covering a larger region that includes both Europe and the Middle East. We argue that this reflects a mix of positive long‐run effects on urban agglomeration, and negative effects on state institutions, which show up to different degrees depending on context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Sociologia Ruralis is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Sociologia Ruralis is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The article presents abstracts of reports and papers about agriculture in Europe. They include "Spanish Rural Society in Transition," by Manuel Pérez Yruela, "Agriculture, Rural Society and the Land Question in Portugal," by Fernando Oliveira Baptista and "The European and Local Context of Greek Family Farming," by Dimitris Goussios.

The article discusses the role of rural organizations in a changing society. The ten papers on which this report is based give examples of the development of rural and agricultural organizations in different parts of Europe but the pattern of change seems to follow everywhere the same general trends. Two basic elements in all formal organizations, functional differentiation and coordination, are put to use in order to fulfill specific functions for the members of the organizations. As the ends to be attained and the functions to be carried out are related to the community or society at large, these organizations are true change agent systems. A pre-requisite for the existence and for the successful functioning of a voluntary organization is that its aims coincide with some joint or shared interest on the part of the members. In a rapidly changing society this basic prerequisite for the functioning of voluntary organizations is threatened, mainly because of the increasing functional differentiation in every aspect of human activity.

Agricultural landscapes that are intensively farmed, as in western Europe, face the challenge of a transition to more sustainable systems. Although erosion rates are relatively low in western Europe, the agricultural landscape is confronted by the need to mitigate the off‐site impacts of erosion. An important challenge is that of disrupting connectivity between runoff and sediment sources, often farmers' fields, and freshwater systems or local communities. Mitigation strategies should include monitoring of erosion rates and off‐site impacts and a mix of engineered and alternative measures such as buffer strips and retention ponds. Also needed are supportive government policies and actions including awareness of institutional memory problems and the promotion of farmer education. For the future, the risk of climate change must be appreciated and built into the planning of comprehensive mitigation strategies. Our perspective is that the overall aim should be a 'sustainable agricultural landscape' and not simply a reduction of erosion and runoff on farmers' fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The agriculture sector can contribute to climate change mitigation by reducing its own greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, sequestering carbon in vegetation and soils, and providing biomass to substitute for fossil fuels and other GHG‐intensive products. The sector also needs to address water, soil, and biodiversity impacts caused by historic and current practices. Emerging EU policies create incentives for cultivation of perennial plants that provide biomass along with environmental benefits. One such option, common in northern Europe, is to include grass in rotations with annual crops to provide biomass while remediating soil organic carbon (SOC) losses and other environmental impacts. Here, we apply a spatially explicit model on >81,000 sub‐watersheds in EU27 + UK (Europe) to explore the effects of widespread deployment of such systems. Based on current accumulated SOC losses in individual sub‐watersheds, the model identifies and quantifies suitable areas for increased grass cultivation and corresponding biomass‐ and protein supply, SOC sequestration, and reductions in nitrogen emissions to water as well as wind and water erosion. The model also provides information about possible flood mitigation. The results indicate a substantial climate mitigation potential, with combined annual GHG savings from soil‐carbon sequestration and displacement of natural gas with biogas from grass‐based biorefineries, equivalent to 13%–48% of current GHG emissions from agriculture in Europe. The environmental co‐benefits are also notable, in some cases exceeding the estimated mitigation needs. Yield increases for annual crops in modified rotations mitigate the displacement effect of increasing grass cultivation. If the grass is used as feedstock in lieu of annual crops, the displacement effect can even be negative, that is, a reduced need for annual crop production elsewhere. Incentivizing widespread deployment will require supportive policy measures as well as new uses of grass biomass, for example, as feedstock for green biorefineries producing protein concentrate, biofuels, and other bio‐based products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind erosion from agricultural land is an underrated and understudied environmental challenge in Europe. Its societal and policy relevance will likely increase in the near future due to climate change and associated increases in the frequency, severity and patterns of atmospheric events such as droughts.We review the research on this issue and find it to be fragmented, siloed and dominated by natural sciences, leaving important research gaps. The most important gaps that circumscribe a research agenda for the future include specific effects of future climate change on wind erosion, the relevance of wind erosion for public health and ecosystem functioning, farmers' behaviour affecting erosion risk and feedback between land management and environmental change, and appropriate policy approaches to address wind erosion risks. Social science contributions are thus required to make wind erosion research relevant for addressing the related societally most pressing questions.We provide a social–environmental systems perspective to highlight the potential of inter‐ and transdisciplinary research into wind erosion in times of climate change and the increasingly recognized need to transform agriculture towards more sustainability and climate resilience. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soils store vast amounts of carbon (C) on land, and increasing soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in already managed soils such as croplands may be one way to remove C from the atmosphere, thereby limiting subsequent warming. The main objective of this study was to estimate the amount of additional C input needed to annually increase SOC stocks by 4‰ at 16 long‐term agricultural experiments in Europe, including exogenous organic matter (EOM) additions. We used an ensemble of six SOC models and ran them under two configurations: (1) with default parametrization and (2) with parameters calibrated site‐by‐site to fit the evolution of SOC stocks in the control treatments (without EOM). We compared model simulations and analysed the factors generating variability across models. The calibrated ensemble was able to reproduce the SOC stock evolution in the unfertilised control treatments. We found that, on average, the experimental sites needed an additional 1.5 ± 1.2 Mg C ha−1 year−1 to increase SOC stocks by 4‰ per year over 30 years, compared to the C input in the control treatments (multi‐model median ± median standard deviation across sites). That is, a 119% increase compared to the control. While mean annual temperature, initial SOC stocks and initial C input had a significant effect on the variability of the predicted C input in the default configuration (i.e., the relative standard deviation of the predicted C input from the mean), only water‐related variables (i.e., mean annual precipitation and potential evapotranspiration) explained the divergence between models when calibrated. Our work highlights the challenge of increasing SOC stocks in agriculture and accentuates the need to increasingly lean on multi‐model ensembles when predicting SOC stock trends and related processes. To increase the reliability of SOC models under future climate change, we suggest model developers to better constrain the effect of water‐related variables on SOC decomposition. Highlights: The feasibility of the 4‰ target was studied at 16 long‐term agricultural experiments.An ensemble of soil organic carbon models was used to estimate the uncertainty of the predictions.On average across the sites, carbon input had to increase by 119% compared to initial conditions.High uncertainty of the simulations was mainly driven by water‐related variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early blight of potato is caused by the fungal pathogen Alternaria solani and is an increasing problem worldwide. The primary strategy to control the disease is applying fungicides such as succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (SDHI). SDHI‐resistant strains, showing reduced sensitivity to treatments, appeared in Germany in 2013, shortly after the introduction of SDHIs. Two primary mutations in the SDH complex (SdhB‐H278Y and SdhC‐H134R) have been frequently found throughout Europe. How these resistances arose and spread, and whether they are linked to other genomic features, remains unknown. For this project, we performed whole‐genome sequencing for 48 A. solani isolates from potato fields across Europe to better characterize the pathogen's genetic diversity in general and understand the development and spread of the genetic mutations that lead to SDHI resistance. The isolates can be grouped into seven genotypes. These genotypes do not show a geographical pattern but appear spread throughout Europe. We found clear evidence for recombination on the genome, and the observed admixtures might indicate a higher adaptive potential of the fungus than previously thought. Yet, we cannot link the observed recombination events to different Sdh mutations. The same Sdh mutations appear in different, non‐admixed genetic backgrounds; therefore, we conclude they arose independently. Our research gives insights into the genetic diversity of A. solani on a genome level. The mixed occurrence of different genotypes, apparent admixture in the populations, and evidence for recombination indicate higher genomic complexity than anticipated. The conclusion that SDHI tolerance arose multiple times independently has important implications for future fungicide resistance management strategies. These should not solely focus on preventing the spread of isolates between locations but also on limiting population size and the selective pressure posed by fungicides in a given field to avoid the rise of new mutations in other genetic backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions: Two scientific disciplines, vegetation science and weed science, study arable weed vegetation, which has seen a strong diversity decrease in Europe over the last decades. We compared two collections of plot‐based vegetation records originating from these two disciplines. The aim was to check the suitability of the collections for joint analysis and for addressing research questions from the opposing domains. We asked: are these collections complementary? If so, how can they be used for joint analysis? Location: Europe. Methods: We compared 13 311 phytosociological relevés and 13 328 records from weed science, concerning both data collection properties and the recorded species richness. To deal with bias in the data, we also analysed different subsets (i.e., crops, geographical regions, organic vs conventional fields, center vs edge plots). Results: Records from vegetation science have an average species number of 19.0 ± 10.4. Metadata on survey methodology or agronomic practices are rare in this collection. Records from weed science have an average species number of 8.5 ± 6.4. They are accompanied by extensive methodological information. Vegetation science records and the weed science records taken at field edges or from organic fields have similar species numbers. The collections cover different parts of Europe but the results are consistent in six geographical subsets and the overall data set. The difference in species numbers may be caused by differences in methodology between the disciplines, i.e., plot positioning within fields, plot sizes, or survey timing. Conclusion: This comparison of arable weed data that were originally sampled with a different purpose represents a new effort in connecting research between vegetation scientists and weed scientists. Both collections show different aspects of weed vegetation, which means the joint use of the data is valuable as it can contribute to a more complete picture of weed species diversity in European arable landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents various abstracts of articles related to organic farming. Some of these are as, "Recent Development and Political Acceptance of Organic Farming in Europe," by Johannes Michelsen; "Naming organics: Understanding Organic Standards in New Zealand as a Discursive Field and "Conversion to Organic Farming: A Typical Example of the Diffusion of an Innovation?," by Susanne Padel." Organic farming aims at developing self regulating sustainable farming systems and seem to be an important example of environmental self regulation. Acknowledgement of organic farming included the introduction of public certification, but this may disturb self-regulation.

This article draws together results from farm efficiency studies in six Central and East European countries that are part of the EU enlargement process. The main questions addressed concern whether there is a clear superiority of one organisational type, namely, family farms, over corporate structures (production co-operatives and various types of farming companies) and the nature of the relationship between size and farm efficiency. Results from empirical research show that there is no clear cut evidence of corporate farms being inherently less efficient for all farming activities than family farms. Where significant differences have been found in favour of family farms against the average corporate farm, the best corporate farms still tend to perform as well as the best family farms. As far as size in concerned, in countries in transition where small family farms are well established and managed continuously by the present farm household, they appear to be less inefficient compared to larger cohorts as against countries where small family farms are a relatively new phenomenon. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Provides an annual report for 2002 by the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO) in Europe. Decision made for the constitution of a new Panel to develop a group of Standards; Conferences held by the EPPO with the working parties; Topics discussed during the events.

Farmland birds belong to the most endangered group of vertebrates in Europe. They are an important component of farmland biodiversity considering the numerous functions they perform (e.g. seed dispersal, improving germination, increasing gene flow, nutrient recycling, and pest control). Therefore, their decline imposes substantial risks on agricultural ecosystems. In general, farmland bird conservation includes land‐use and management alterations leading to less‐intensive farming and land‐sparing for breeding habitats (e.g. agri‐environment‐climate schemes, and organic farming). However, theoretical concepts describing farmland biodiversity maintenance and applied conservation measures usually ignore the role of singular, often very small, natural or man‐made elements in an agricultural landscape. These elements play a role in the populations of certain species, their biology and in the general species richness of farmland. Furthermore, the importance of these elements has never been empirically tested, which means that conservationists and practitioners are not aware of their measurable value for birds. Herein, we define and identify singular point elements in the agricultural landscape (SPELs) which are potentially important for breeding farmland birds. We also describe each SPEL and evaluate its importance for birds in farmland based on a systematic review of the available literature. Using a horizon‐scanning technique, we then polled field ornithologists about their personal observations of birds in relation to SPELs and the evaluation of the potential roles of such structures for birds. We identified 17 SPELs that vary in naturalness and age: singular trees, singular shrubs, erratic boulders, puddles, electricity pylons, wind turbines, spiritual sites, hunting platforms, fence and border posts, wells, road signs, scarecrows, piles of manure, piles of brushwood/branches, piles of stones/debris, piles of lime, and haystacks. Analysis of the literature revealed knowledge gaps, because some SPELs are frequently mentioned in ecological studies (e.g. trees, shrubs, pylons), but others such as spiritual sites, stones, hunting platforms, wells, road signs, or piles of lime are ignored. Despite the fact that some authors incorporate the effects of some SPELs in their studies, little research to date has aimed to assess the impact of various SPELs on farmland bird species numbers and distribution. Horizon scanning revealed that ornithologists often observe birds on various SPELs and thus, attribute to SPELs many functions that are important for maintaining bird populations. Horizon scanning also highlighted the importance of SPELs for many declining bird species and suggested possible mitigation of negative changes in the agricultural landscape by retaining SPELs within fields. We suggest that a better understanding of the role of SPELs for farmland birds is required. We also recommend that SPELs are considered as a potential tool for the conservation of birds, and existing conservation programs such as agri‐environment‐climate schemes and organic farming should be updated accordingly. Finally, we suggest that SPELs are included in predictive models that evaluate habitat suitability for farmland biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Aim: To investigate spatial gradients in population trends of European birds in relation to their association with farmland, dietary dependence on insects, and the intensity of agricultural practices. Location: Europe. Time period: 2001–2012. Major taxa studied: Birds. Methods: We collected population trends for 197 species in 32 European countries. For the same time period, we used agricultural variables (annual yields of five major crops and the per‐hectare application of pesticides and fertilizers) to express the agricultural intensity level (mean values of variables over the years) and intensification rate (slopes of agricultural variables over the years) in each country. We employed spatial generalized additive mixed models accounting for the effects of 11 species' traits and phylogeny to test for spatial gradients in bird population trends in relation to species' associations with farmland and their diet dependence on insects and the interaction of these traits with agricultural intensity levels and intensification rates. Results: Open‐habitat insectivores showed the strongest spatial gradient in population trends, from insignificant trends in south‐eastern Europe to steep declines in north‐western Europe. Insectivorous species breeding in semi‐open habitats showed very similar but weaker spatial gradient in trends. More negative bird trends were related to higher mean crop yields and fertilizer amounts across countries, whereas the temporal trends in yields and fertilizer amounts, and the mean and temporal trend in the amount of pesticides, were unrelated to bird declines or showed the opposite patterns. Main conclusions: Our results indicate that high agricultural intensity levels are stronger drivers of spatial gradients in population declines of insectivorous farmland birds than intensification rates. Therefore, approaches to the conservation of farmland birds may differ regionally: introducing more management for birds and insects into highly intensive agriculture in north‐western Europe and preventing further intensification in south‐eastern Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout recent years, ungulates have experienced significant increases in numbers and geographic range sizes in Europe, becoming locally overabundant populations in some regions. Changes in legislation regarding poaching, abandonment of land and re‐naturalisation of habitats, and decreasing numbers of hunters, among other things, have led to alarming scenarios in wild ungulate biology. Although ungulates bring some financial benefits for ecosystems and society through tourism and hunting, the problems associated with populations that are no longer controlled can outweigh the advantages. Damage to forestry and agriculture, ungulate‐vehicle collisions, and diseases are among the most concerning problems related to ungulate overabundance.To deal with these problems and to decide on the best management strategy to apply, it is essential to have tools available to monitor populations with an integrative approach based on ecological change indicators, and to assess population and ecosystem status. Furthermore, in a globalised world, people's opinions matter, and sociological studies regarding human perception of wild mammals must take place in order to allow proper management, including consideration of people's expectations as well as animal and ecosystem needs. Successful and unsuccessful management strategies have already been attempted, and the knowledge of consequences over time enables an adaptive approach.Management of ungulate populations is a complex subject, and each case should be studied, analysing the cost_performance balance of measures to be taken, and ensuring ongoing financial means to carry out and continue with successful ecosystem management strategies. Multidisciplinary teams should be built, including biologists, veterinarians, stakeholders, sociologists, and others, to deal with the management of European wild ungulate populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture benefits from soil functions, whereof many depend on soil biota, but some management practices can threaten soil organisms. We inventoried values that European farmers associate to soils and soil biota into their soil management decisions. We used Dewey's pragmatic epistemology, stating that values can be observed through active behaviours, attitudes and communication acts. We applied a plural values framework on a dataset composed of 35 scientific articles and five focus groups. Farmers saw the soil as a single object. They hardly distinguished soil biota from other elements in their soils. Soil biota remained poorly known and little valued. Besides instrumental values, many other values, such as soil ecosystem resilience, influence farmers' management choices. We conclude that soils and soil biota values are plural and that they can evolve along with changes in farmers' practices. Further studies investigating values dynamics in time and space could be beneficial for designing an effective European soil conservation policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the northward shift of homogeneous agro‐climate zones in Europe analyzed for the observed past and projected climate conditions for the next decades. Statistical cluster analysis is used to derive eight main agro‐climatic zones driven by two agro‐meteorological indicators, namely, active temperature sum and thermal growing season length. The northward shift of homogeneous agro‐climate zones and the corresponding change of crop growth suitability are analyzed together with the change of exposure of crops to temperature‐related climate extremes during the growing season. Gradual warming over Europe has contributed to a lengthening of the growing season and an increased active temperature accumulation, accompanied by more frequent occurrence of warm extreme climate events. Using a set of five high‐resolution regional climate scenarios, we calculate that a major part of Europe will be affected by further northward climate zone migration. In the next decades, the migration of agro‐climatic zones in Eastern Europe may reach twice the velocity observed during the period 1975–2016. Several regions of the Mediterranean may lose suitability to grow specific crops in favor of northern European regions. This indicator‐based assessment suggests that the potential advantages of the lengthening of the thermal growing season in northern and eastern Europe are often outbalanced by the risk of late frost and increased risk of early spring and summer heat waves. Key Points: Agro‐climate zones in eastern Europe have experienced a northward migration velocity of 100 km per 10 years over the past 40 yearsNorthward migration of agro‐climate zones in Europe may be up to two times faster in next decadesNegative impacts of heat stress are expected to nonlinearly increase in large parts of southern and southeastern Europe [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geographical Indications (GIs) are increasingly important instruments of agricultural and food regulations and are growing as contentious issues in trade negotiations and disputes. GIs can improve welfare but they can also be a protectionist instrument. The EU has the most GIs in the world, but they are concentrated in the south of the EU. Even excluding wine, there are seven times more food GIs per capita in the southern EU Member States than in other EU Member States. This note discusses several factors which may explain the geographic concentration of GIs in the south of the EU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Temperature and precipitation are the most important factors responsible for agricultural productivity variations. In 2018 spring/summer growing season, Europe experienced concurrent anomalies of both. Drought conditions in central and northern Europe caused yield reductions up to 50% for the main crops, yet wet conditions in southern Europe saw yield gains up to 34%, both with respect to the previous 5‐year mean. Based on the analysis of documentary and natural proxy‐based seasonal paleoclimate reconstructions for the past half millennium, we show that the 2018 combination of climatic anomalies in Europe was unique. The water seesaw, a marked dipole of negative water anomalies in central Europe and positive ones in southern Europe, distinguished 2018 from the five previous similar droughts since 1976. Model simulations reproduce the 2018 European water seesaw in only 4 years out of 875 years in historical runs and projections. Future projections under the RCP8.5 scenario show that 2018‐like temperature and rainfall conditions, favorable to crop growth, will occur less frequent in southern Europe. In contrast, in central Europe high‐end emission scenario climate projections show that droughts as intense as 2018 could become a common occurrence as early as 2043. While integrated European and global agricultural markets limited agro‐economic shocks caused by 2018's extremes, there is an urgent need for adaptation strategies for European agriculture to consider futures without the benefits of any water seesaw. Key Points: Unique concurrent spring and summer climatic anomalies affected Europe in 20182018‐like droughts could become a common occurrence as early as 2043Climate change adaptation strategies for agriculture in Europe cannot count on recurrent water seesaws [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmers in most western countries have increased use of fertilizer and pesticides with impact on wild animals and plants, including the abundance of insects and their predators.I used 1,375 surveys of insects killed on car windscreens as a measure of insect abundance during 1997–2017 at two transects in Denmark. I cross‐validated this method against three other methods for sampling insect abundance, and I investigated the effects of this measure of insect abundance on the abundance of breeding insectivorous birds.The abundance of flying insects was quantified using a windscreen resulting in reductions of 80% and 97% at two transects of 1.2 km and 25 km, respectively, according to general additive mixed model. Insect abundance increased with time of day, temperature, and June date, but decreased with wind resulting in a reduction by 54%. The abundance of insects killed on a car windscreen was strongly positively correlated with the abundance of insects caught in sweep nets and on sticky plates in the same study areas and at the same time as when insects were sampled using windscreens. The decline in abundance of insects on windscreens predicted the rate at which barn swallows Hirundo rustica fed their nestlings, even when controlling statistically for time of day, weather, and age and number of nestlings. The abundance of breeding pairs of three species of aerially insectivorous birds was positively correlated with the abundance of insects killed on windscreens at the same time in the same study area. This suggests a link between two trophic levels as affected by the temporal reduction in the abundance of flying insects.These findings are consistent with recent dramatic declines in insect abundance in Europe and North America with consequences for the rate of food provisioning of barn swallow offspring, the abundance of aerially insectivorous birds and bottom‐up trophic cascades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since Hoggart and Mendoza's article on 'African immigrant workers in Spanish agriculture' in Sociologia Ruralis in 1999 there has been a proliferation of interest in labour migration to/in rural Europe. It is now clear that the rural realm has been, and is being, transformed by immigration, and that low‐wage migrant workers in the food production industry are playing a particularly prominent role in this transformation. This article takes stock of the literature and identifies seven key issues associated with low‐wage labour migration, contemporary food production, and rural change. Most notably, since the 1990s, there has been growing demand for migrants in the segmented, and sometimes exploitative, labour markets of the European food production industries. This demand has been met across a variety of contexts, with states and labour market intermediaries playing a largely supportive role. However, migrants' integration into rural communities has often been problematic, with the emphasis being on the need for, rather than needs of, low‐wage migrant workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In addition to the protection of nature in reserves, known as the land‐sparing approach, another strategy is often suggested, the land‐sharing approach, which implies the integration of nature protection with other human activities. Especially in Europe, a rich variety of sharing approaches have been practiced. Using the theoretical concepts of the multilevel perspective on sustainable transitions, we will analyze two experimental cases in the Netherlands, in which the development of a sustainable, nature‐friendly form of agriculture was attempted. In these experiments, new concepts of biodiversity monitoring, self‐governance, and agriculture were developed in order to enhance biodiversity and the quality of nature on a regional scale. Our conclusion is that this sharing strategy has proved to be promising, at least in terms of relatively extensive use of agricultural areas. It should, however, not only include sharing of land use but also of responsibilities, knowledge development, aims, and means. Moreover, our study revealed that such an approach is possible only if governmental and market structures also change, and if based on new integrating concepts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this research, Finnish actors engaged in the conservation and sustainable use of local breeds on different levels and sectors were interviewed to find out how breeds are valued by different stakeholders and what kinds of policies and practices are preferred in their conservation and sustainable use; and which also gives rise to some ethical concerns. Four storylines based on sustainable use vs. conservation and service-based vs. production-based dimensions were derived from the research data. The research revealed a broad diversity of perceptions of the aims and means of conservation and sustainable use. Some stakeholders brought up different possibilities regarding the different means of in situ conservation. Yet, many were strictly in favour of conservation and against sustainable use. Moreover, in questions of ownership, stakeholders differed in their opinions. The colliding views diversify the conservation and sustainable use of landraces but simultaneously constitute a challenge to finding common aims and means to it. Communication between stakeholders should be improved to enable actors, at the implementation level, to make long lasting commitments regarding the conservation and sustainable use of local breeds. Furthermore, animals should be regarded as conservation actors, in addition to people and organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The toxicology laboratory in Lyon (France) developed a unique multi-residue technique to monitor ca 200 pesticides residues and 7 anticoagulant rodenticides in liver samples of animals in a single run. Pesticide monitoring is still new and fewer data are available, but the technique offers promising results in forensic cases and has been used to support post-marketing monitoring schemes or unusual exposure cases which will be presented. Toxicology Laboratory, Vetagro Sup, Marcy, France B Introduction: b Pesticides are a common source of acute poisoning in both domestic and wildlife species and has been often observed across Europe. [Extracted from the article]

Various frameworks for assessing sustainability in agriculture have emerged in recent years. We analysed how sustainability is framed as a governing concept for agriculture within three such frameworks. The results suggest that in all three frameworks sustainability is perceived as a fixed, definable end goal, rather than a process, and its assumed that if all stake holders understand each other and are informed about the negative impacts of agriculture, sustainability will be achieved. The characteristics of the assessment frameworks, which are primarily developed by and based on expert knowledge, provide limited possibilities for farmers to influence how sustainable agriculture is framed and acted upon, limiting the utility of the frameworks. A number of challenges that need to be solved for successful implementation were uncovered, including how assessment frameworks should be used in practice and identification of conflicts between different goals in relation to assessment results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Was there an agro-ecological crisis in Europe which preceded and contributed to pushing forward the agricultural revolution? This article presents a new theoretical and empirical approach to this controversial perspective on agricultural transformation and relates to an ongoing debate on conditions of growth in pre-industrial societies. The results demonstrate that there were indeed indicators of a crisis, which grew stronger during the eighteenth century and culminated in the early nineteenth century. The crisis was, however, not general, but was rather restricted to areas that stand out due to poor natural conditions for agriculture. In other words, the crisis was conditional. Furthermore, the findings show that the crisis could push forward changes that were important for enabling agricultural transformation and growth. However, both the emergence and reversal of the crisis were connected to new opportunities opened up by market development. Enough differences were found between different types of regions to suggest that there were many development paths within the agricultural transformation process, and that they were not necessarily linear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the effects of the interactions that the two pillars of the European Union Common Agricultural Policy-market support and rural development-have on farmers' uptake of organic farming practices. Special attention is given to the 2003 reform, which substantially altered the relative importance of the two types of support by decoupling direct agricultural payments from the production of a specific crop. In our empirical analysis we study the case of Sweden, making use of the variation in the timing of farmers' decisions regarding participation in support programs. We estimate a dynamic non-linear unobserved effects probit model to account for unobserved individual heterogeneity and state dependence. Our results indicate the existence of a negative effect of the market support system in place when organic farming techniques were adopted before the 2003 reform. However, this effect is reversed by the introduction of decoupling. Furthermore, the effects of support differ between certified and non-certified organic production: both pillars have significant effects on non-certified organic farming, whereas certified organic farming is exclusively driven by agro-environmental subsidies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate progress on political biodiversity objectives, biodiversity monitoring provides information on whether intended results are being achieved. Despite scientific proof that monitoring and evaluation increase the (cost) efficiency of policy measures, cost estimates for monitoring schemes are seldom available, hampering their inclusion in policy programme budgets., Empirical data collected from 12 case studies across Europe were used in a power analysis to estimate the number of farms that would need to be sampled per major farm type to detect changes in species richness over time for four taxa (vascular plants, earthworms, spiders and bees). A sampling design was developed to allocate spatially, across Europe, the farms that should be sampled., Cost estimates are provided for nine monitoring scenarios with differing robustness for detecting temporal changes in species numbers. These cost estimates are compared with the Common Agricultural Policy ( CAP) budget (2014-2020) to determine the budget allocation required for the proposed farmland biodiversity monitoring., Results show that the bee indicator requires the highest number of farms to be sampled and the vascular plant indicator the lowest. The costs for the nine farmland biodiversity monitoring scenarios corresponded to 0·01%-0·74% of the total CAP budget and to 0·04%-2·48% of the CAP budget specifically allocated to environmental targets., Synthesis and applications. The results of the cost scenarios demonstrate that, based on the taxa and methods used in this study, a Europe-wide farmland biodiversity monitoring scheme would require a modest share of the Common Agricultural Policy budget. The monitoring scenarios are flexible and can be adapted or complemented with alternate data collection options (e.g. at national scale or voluntary efforts), data mobilization, data integration or modelling efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Direct greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from agriculture accounted for approximately 10% of total European Union (EU) emissions in 2010. To reduce farming-related GHG emissions, appropriate policy measures and supporting tools for promoting low-C farming practices may be efficacious. This article presents the methodology and testing results of a new EU-wide, farm-level C footprint calculator. The Carbon Calculator quantifies GHG emissions based on international standards and technical specifications on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and C footprinting. The tool delivers its results both at the farm level and as allocated to up to 5 main products of the farm. In addition to the quantification of GHG emissions, the calculator proposes mitigation options and sequestration actions that may be suitable for individual farms. The results obtained during a survey made on 54 farms from 8 EU Member States are presented. These farms were selected in view of representing the diversity of farm types across different environmental zones in the EU. The results of the C footprint of products in the data set show wide range of variation between minimum and maximum values. The results of the mitigation actions showed that the tool can help identify practices that can lead to substantial emission reductions. To avoid burden-shifting from climate change to other environmental issues, the future improvements of the tool should include incorporation of other environmental impact categories in place of solely focusing on GHG emissions. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2015;11:404-416. © 2015 The Authors. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of SETAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biochar has received considerable scientific attention in the past decade as a possible method for carbon storage and increasing agricultural yields. Despite this promise, however, economic assessments of biochar are yet to definitively establish the value of the technology, primarily due to discrepancy between observed short-term agronomic benefits and expectations of biochar as a lasting soil improver. This study investigated the economic value of biochar as an agricultural technology for long-term improvement of arable farming. From presently available field trial data, the costs and benefits of using biochar technology to enhance cereals agriculture were evaluated in two generalized geo-economic agricultural scenarios: North-Western Europe ( NWE) and Sub-Saharan Africa ( SSA). Cost models were developed to estimate the total cost of biochar from initial biomass feedstock acquisition to final soil application for each agricultural setting. Benefits of biochar application were estimated by statistical meta-analysis of crop yield data from published biochar field trials to find the increase in cereal grain yield attributable to biochar application for both NWE (+0.07 to +0.28 t ha−1 yr−1) and SSA (+0.18 to +1.00 t ha−1 yr−1). The grain yield improvement from a one-time biochar application was assumed to persist without decay for an independently varying time period, and the increase in grain production then monetised using projected future commodity prices. The Net Present Value ( NPV) of applying biochar was then calculated by setting present total costs against present total benefits as a function of biochar performance longevity. Biochar application was found to carry a positive NPV for cereal cropping in SSA in several scenarios where the duration of the biochar yield effect was assumed to extend 30 years into the future. Conversely, NWE biochar scenarios were all found to have negative NPVs even when the benefits time span was indefinitely stretched. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]