Search

This paper tests the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) hypothesis for four local (SO $$_{x}$$ , NO $$_{x}$$ , CO, VOC) and two global (CO $$_{2}$$ , GHG) air pollutants. Using a panel data set of thirty OECD countries, the paper finds that the postulated inverted U-shaped relationship between income and pollution does not hold for all gases. A meaningful EKC exists only for CO, VOC and NO $$_{x}$$ , where for CO $$_{2}$$ the curve is monotonically increasing. For GHG there is indication of EKC, but most countries are still on the increasing path of the curve. SO $$_{x }$$ emissions follow a U-shaped curve.

Frameworks describing the overall assessment of sustainability are limited and usually not well described. This study proposes a protocol for the selection and quantification of indicators that can be used to discuss and communicate the sustainability of agri-food production systems. A gross list of indicators was established covering the social, environmental and economic dimensions. Core indicators were selected from this gross list using predefined criteria. Then, sustainability limits were set for these core indicators to evaluate their sustainability impact. Policy makers can determine the effects of different weights and the extent to which indicators can compensate each other (compensability) either at the level of the individual indicator or on the overall sustainability. The protocol was tested in a case study comparing potato production in peri-urban agriculture to conventional and to organic agriculture. Data were based on literature, expert opinion and additional calculations. Application in the case study showed that the protocol can be a valuable tool in assessing the sustainability of agri-food production systems. It enables more transparent policy decisions and facilitates communication with stakeholders about these decisions.

In this paper we analyze the impact of the sensitivity and specificity of a Mycobacterium avium (Ma) test on pig producer incentives to control Ma in finishing pigs. A possible Ma control system which includes a serodiagnostic test and a penalty on finishing pigs in herds detected with Ma infection was modelled. Using a dynamic optimization model and a grid search of deliveries of herds from pig producers to slaughterhouse, optimal control measures for pig producers and optimal penalty values for deliveries with increased Ma risk were identified for different sensitivity and specificity values. Results showed that higher sensitivity and lower specificity induced use of more intense control measures and resulted in higher pig producer costs and lower Ma seroprevalence. The minimal penalty value needed to comply with a threshold for Ma seroprevalence in finishing pigs at slaughter was lower at higher sensitivity and lower specificity. With imperfect specificity a larger sample size decreased pig producer incentives to control Ma seroprevalence, because the higher number of false positives resulted in an increased probability of rejecting a batch of finishing pigs irrespective of whether the pig producer applied control measures. We conclude that test sensitivity and specificity must be considered in incentive system design to induce pig producers to control Ma in finishing pigs with minimum negative effects.

Natuurlijke omstandigheden, specifieke afzetmarkten, maatschappelijke druk, vakkennis, het zijn allemaal factoren die de ontwikkeling en kostprijs van de varkensproductie in een land beïnvloeden. Een internationale kostprijsvergelijking bevestigt dat Nederland één van de meeste efficiënte productielanden is, maar tegelijkertijd veel extra maatschappelijke kosten moet dragen.

In dit artikel worden de resultaten van onderzoek naar de milieu-impact van wild gevangen witvis uit de Noordzee beschreven. De resultaten worden vergeleken met de milieu-impact van geïmporteerde kweekvis en vlees.

The main objective of this study is to answer the question of how farmers’ networking behaviour and their ability to acquire, assimilate, transform and exploit external knowledge is related to their level of innovativeness and profitability. These relations were tested on the basis of struc-tural equation modeling using 444 questionnaires completed by large-scale pig farmers in the Netherlands. Previous studies on the relation between network structure and innovativeness re-tained the absorptive capacity 'black box' by using proxies for absorption of knowledge. The pre-sent study addresses this shortcoming by studying absorptive capacity in terms of organizational capacities (routines and processes) of farmers to use their networks and absorb external knowledge. The findings show that frequency of contact in a specific network range affects in-novativeness positively, but also indirectly through acquisition and assimilation capacity. Assim-ilation capacity turns out to be the most important dimension of absorptive capacity for the inno-vativeness of pig farmers.

An ideal agropark is envisaged as a planned agribusiness system in which all activities are geared towards sustainable development based on the principles of industrial ecology. The agropark concept offers in theory a variety of economic advantages as well as environmental benefits. The implementation of the concept, however, has encountered many challenges. This paper introduced an analytical framework for evaluating the synergy and risk of agroparks. The analysis brought into prominence the impact of institutional arrangements on the success or failure of agropark formation. An overview of the risks related to the agropark concept was provided. It was concluded that the key to successful formation and operation of the an agropark is the choice of proper institutional arrangements that create high incentives to cooperate and incur low institution cost

Throughout the world, male chicks from layer breeds are killed just after hatching, as they are not profitable as regards the production of meat. The Dutch and European parliaments have insisted on research into possible alternatives to the killing of day-old chicks. In the present study we have investigated Dutch public opinion on the acceptability of these alternatives by means of discussions in socalled focus groups and via a public survey through computer-aided personal interviews (CAPI). To inform the participants about the subject, a film was made to explain the current practice and introduce a number of technological alternatives that would prevent development of male embryos, as well as the possibility of creating a ‘dual-purpose chicken’ that would allow male chicks to be used for meat production. The topics addressed in the study included the willingness of participants to pay a premium for eggs and chicken meat, were it necessary to prevent killing of male chicks. Focus-group discussions showed that many participants were unaware of the current practise of killing male chicks, and were shocked by this practice. However, once informed, the participants seemed able to take various considerations into account and rank the alternatives. The alternatives ‘looking into the fresh egg (to determine sex of the egg and not incubate male eggs)’, and ‘dual-purpose chickens’ scored best out of all the possible alternatives, and higher than maintaining the current practice. ‘Influencing the laying hens such that they produce fewer male eggs’ scored the same as maintaining the current practice. The use of ‘genetic modification to facilitate looking into the fresh egg’ scored only slightly lower than maintaining the current practice. Alternatives whereby developing male embryos die, or are killed, scored lower than maintaining the current practice. Keywords: animal ethics, animal welfare, chicks, killing, laying hens, public opinion

Throughout the world, male chicks from layer breeds are killed just after hatching, as they are not profitable as regards the production of meat. The Dutch and European parliaments have insisted on research into possible alternatives to the killing of day-old chicks. In the present study we have investigated Dutch public opinion on the acceptability of these alternatives by means of discussions in socalled focus groups and via a public survey through computer-aided personal interviews (CAPI). To inform the participants about the subject, a film was made to explain the current practice and introduce a number of technological alternatives that would prevent development of male embryos, as well as the possibility of creating a 'dual-purpose chicken' that would allow male chicks to be used for meat production. The topics addressed in the study included the willingness of participants to pay a premium for eggs and chicken meat, were it necessary to prevent killing of male chicks. Focus-group discussions showed that many participants were unaware of the current practice of killing male chicks, and were shocked by this practice. However, once informed, the participants seemed able to take various considerations into account and rank the alternatives. The alternatives 'looking into the fresh egg (to determine sex of the egg and not incubate male eggs)', and 'dual-purpose chickens' scored best out of all the possible alternatives, and higher than maintaining the current practice. 'Influencing the laying hens such that they produce fewer male eggs' scored the same as maintaining the current practice. The use of 'genetic modification to facilitate looking into the fresh egg' scored only slightly lower than maintaining the current practice. Alternatives whereby developing male embryos die, or are killed, scored lower than maintaining the current practice

The European horticultural sector faces changes in its market environment, such as changes in trade regulations, concentration in the chain-, and environmental concerns. These issues may individually affect the future economic and environmental performance of horticulture. The objective of the present paper is to review partial equilibrium models in terms of their ability to cope with the aforementioned aspects of the horticultural sector. We found that changes in trade regulations are already modelled in a detailed way in horticultural partial equilibrium models. However, chain concentration and environmental concerns are addressed to a much lesser extent in the currently available models

European pork supply chains, like other agri-food supply chains, currently face numerous challenges such as globalization, emerging markets, changing consumer requirements, and new governmental regulations related to issues such as environmental pollution and food safety. These challenges require continuous innovation of supply chain network structures, reconsideration of business processes, relocation of logistics infrastructures and renewed allocation of chain activities to these infrastructures in order to achieve sustainable performances. This paper presents a scenario analysis of the spatial allocation of pork supply chain activities in Europe. Supply chain production and distribution activities are optimized in various scenarios based on economic and sustainability performance indicators. A mixed integer linear programming (MILP) model, which includes piglet production, fattening, slaughtering of pigs, processing of pork and pork consumption, is used to analyse the scenarios. The results reveal major opportunities for reductions in cost as well as in CO2 equivalent emissions if a European sector perspective is taken and some chain activities are relocated to other countries. However, as minimizing costs will not always lead to an optimal reduction in CO2 equivalent emissions, a differentiated strategy is needed for the European pork sector to move towards more sustainable production.

Food companies, governments, and societal organizations use an increasing number of food-choice motives to persuade consumers to buy food products, and the question which combinations of motives matter for which type of consumer has become of central relevance. In this study, we use a concomitant mixture-modeling approach to uncover consumer segments in terms of food-choice motives, using a nationwide sample in the Netherlands. The results reveal seven segments with distinct profiles and demonstrate that age and membership of environmental organizations play an essential role in segment membership probabilities. Our findings support the idea that information about non-food-related consumer behavior improves the identification of segments. In an additional analysis, we demonstrate how organizational membership also provides an effective way to access consumer segments as compared to diverse media outlets. We discuss the implications of our findings for segmentation practice.

PurposeThis paper aims to develop a hierarchical typology of trust elements for business‐to‐business trade among European companies in the food sector.Design/methodology/approachThe paper integrates desk research literature study and a qualitative survey of food industry companies. An extensive literature review about inter‐organizational trust lays a foundation for designing a draft typology based on previous studies, with special attention paid to the influence of culture. Fine‐tuning and validation of the typology is achieved through an exploratory field study based on 18 qualitative in‐depth interviews with key informants in five EU countries, involving practitioners from the fresh fruit and vegetable, grain, meat and olive supply chains.FindingsA detailed typology of trust is developed. Although it is highly specific to the food industry, it is designed to be neutral to culture and sector, thus allowing the identification of differences in culture when dealing with trust building elements in different sectors in the food supply chain.Research limitations/implicationsSince the buyer's perspective is adopted in this paper, further research is needed to validate the typology on the seller side. The typology developed here must also be tested in practice, for instance within a descriptive research quantitative study, aimed at quantifying the relative importance of the different trust elements.Practical implicationsThe typology stimulates the consideration of cross‐cultural or cross‐sector differences in the salience of trust attributes and its construction process confirms that reputation management is an extremely important determinant of success or failure. It can serve as a checklist for any company that is interested in improving its relationships with suppliers or buyers.Originality/valueThe paper adds to the body of knowledge about inter‐organizational trust, providing researchers with a useful tool for conducting experimental research on trust creation mechanisms.

De vele inspanningen voor het verbeteren van het dierenwelzijn ten spijt, de meeste consumenten raken moeilijk overtuigd en weigeren extra te betalen voor de welzijnsinvesteringen. Welzijn verkopen is niet eenvoudig. Sinds kort heeft de veehouderij een nieuwe troef: de sterren van het Beter Leven-kenmerk van de Dierenbescherming. Dat kenmerk wordt wél opgemerkt door de consument.

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to present a conceptual overview of the price transmissions within agri‐food supply chains. Analyzing price transmission in agri‐food supply chains is essential since imperfect price transition may result in market power. This is an important issue that needs attention, given that the structure of agri‐food retail in Europe, USA and Canada is experiencing rapid change towards retail power.Design/methodology/approachThe conceptual overview draws on a review of different approaches in analyzing transmission of prices through an agri‐food supply chain based on supply chain analysis and price transmission studies.FindingsThree key challenges are identified in analyzing price transmission in agri‐food supply chains: structure of the supply chain; factors affecting price transmission; and supply response.Originality/valueThis paper presents a novel concept in analyzing price transmission in agri‐food supply chains using price transmission literature and bi‐directional flows of information and products in agri‐food supply chains

PurposeChinese agri‐food chains consist of the millions of small scale farmers, who are not well structured and organized in the supply chain. Owing to market liberalization and globalization, one of the most challenging issues along agri‐food chains in China is becoming the issue of how to link these small‐scale farmers into the modern chains. Consequently, it is essential for both policy makers and private sectors to understand the governance structure in agri‐food supply chains. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical framework for supply chain governance, including its antecedents and consequences, as well as a series of hypotheses for empirical testing.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual framework of chain governance is proposed in this study, where governance structure consists of two dimensions: contractual governance and relational governance. The study intends to propose a complementary relationship between contracts and relational aspects, such as trust, in the Chinese context. Future research is needed to empirically test this model.FindingsThe proposed conceptual model is unique, since the majority of the articles addressing this topic focuses on contract farming while limited research touches upon the issues of trust and relations. However, a combination of both contracting and relationships are seldom addressed.Originality/valueThis paper evaluates a novel concept of two dimensional governance structure in the agri‐food supply chain, where transaction cost economics theory and relational theory are combined to study the governance relationships between small scale producers in China and their buyers.

In twelve EU countries, the lower VAT-tariff is applied to flowers and plants in order to promote the production and employment in floriculture. This paper assesses whether the VAT-regulation for flowers and plants achieves the goals set - promoting consumer demand and production and employment in the ornamental supply chain - (effectiveness) and at what cost (efficiency). The empirical results show that the VAT-regulation for floriculture is effective, but not very efficient

PurposeMeasurement of the performance of entire supply chains is an important issue because it allows for “tracking and tracing” of efficacy and efficiency failures and leads to more informed decision making with regard to chain design. However, the choice of appropriate supply chain performance indicators is rather complicated due to the presence of multiple inputs and multiple outputs in the system. Therefore, this paper aims to evaluate the usefulness of a novel conceptual model for supply chain performance measurement in an agri‐food supply chain.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual model for integrated supply chain performance measurement is evaluated in a Dutch‐German tomato supply chain by means of a case study approach.FindingsThe proposed conceptual framework is found to be useful for measuring performance of the tomato supply chain. From the case study it is concluded that four main categories of performance measures (i.e. efficiency, flexibility, responsiveness, and food quality) are identified as key performance components of the tomato supply chain performance measurement system.Originality/valueThis research evaluates a novel concept for measuring the performance of agri‐food supply chains. This concept is the first step in developing an integrated performance measurement system that contains financial as well as non‐financial indicators combined with the specific characteristics of agri‐food supply chains. Based on a case study in the tomato supply chain, this concept is found to have potential.

De vraag naar biologische producten is slechts in beperkte mate gevoelig voor veranderingen in het prijsverschil tussen biologische producten en hun niet-biologische tegenhangers. Alleen prijsbeleid is niet afdoende om een marktaandeel van 5 procent voor biologische voedingsproducten te realiseren.

Increasing public awareness of food safety concerns, together with the recognized importance of an integrated ‘farm to table’ approach to food safety, are reaching all the way to the practices and procedures used on farms. This has created the need to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of alternative strategies for increasing food safety on the dairy farm as being part of the chain. The objectives of this study were to (1) examine the optimal farm strategies for achieving different levels of chemical and microbiological food safety in the dairy chain, (2) provide insight into the effect of farm size on these strategies and economic consequences both for the farm and the chain. The study starts with developing a set of control measures that could be implemented at different points on a farm and within the chain. The extra costs of implementing and maintaining these measures were calculated using a partial budgeting method. The effectiveness of the measures at improving food safety was assessed by 22 experts using adaptive conjoint analysis. This information on alternatives, costs, and effectiveness was used to build an integer linear programming model that minimized the costs of attaining different food safety levels over the entire chain. For the two scenarios, one each for the chain involving the 50- and 250-milking cow farm as part of the chain, results demonstrate an upward sloping relationship between the food safety levels and the corresponding extra costs both for the farm and the chain. Relatively low food safety levels in the chain (up to 50% of the maximum) can be achieved at low extra cost for the farm (up to €0.10 and €0.34 per ton of milk in the 50- and 250-cow scenario, respectively). The results for higher food safety levels in the chain (approaching the maximum of 100%) reveal that these levels can only be achieved with the active contribution of the farm at almost all possible action points. Irrespective of farm size, this results in a steep rise in extra chain costs (up to €44.37 and €39.63 per ton of milk in the 50- and 250-cow scenario, respectively), with more than 60% share in the farm stage. Changes in the cost-effectiveness of some farm control measures in the 250-cow farm scenario, due to lower extra costs on a per unit basis, do not result in notable differences in farm strategies, compared to the 50-cow farm scenario. Therefore, an increase of farm size does not affect the burden put on the farm stage for achieving high food safety levels in the chain.

Het LEI hield vorig jaar een enquete onder vleeskuikenhouders om meer inzicht te krijgen in de (mogelijke) gevolgen van de (concept) EU-richtlijn voor het welzijn van vleeskuikens. Ook om te zien hoe vleeskuikenhouders denken te gaan reageren op die richtlijn

In recent years, supply chain performance measures have been in the spotlight of many authors. Many performance measures have been used. In this paper, efficiency was measured as an indicator of performance in the vegetable supply chain. The study consisted of two stages. In the first, data envelopment analysis (DEA) evaluated technical and scale efficiency of the Dutch vegetable sector relative to the type of final distribution (mixed marketing channels versus traditional auctions). In the second stage, a truncated regression model (TRM) was applied to explain grower efficiency from a managerial point of view. The results of the first stage showed that growers who sell their products through auctions are less efficient. The second stage revealed that variables such as firm size, age, ownership structure, and distribution channel strategy significantly contribute to the explanation of technical efficiency of the growers, while the variables firm location, firm size, and firm age affect their scale.

In de varkensvleeskolom in Nederland wordt nauwelijks winst gemaakt. In supermarkten wordt varkensvlees zonder winst verkocht om klanten te trekken. De vleesindustrie kan alleen een marge maken bij de vleesbewerking en varkenshouders draaien gemiddeld verlies. Vraagsturing, aansluiten bij consumententrends, minder prijsfluctuaties en betere informatie-uitwisseling zijn nodig om de varkensvleeskolom rendabeler te maken

Berekeningen die inzicht geven in de opbouw van de productiekosten, in de schakels van de pluimveevleeskolom. De pluimveehouder kan hiermee inzicht krijgen in hoe de producteikosten in zijn schakel van de primaire keten zich verhouden tot de kosten inde andere schakels

De kostprijzen liggen ruim 40 eurocent per hen hoger dan in de vorige berekening uit 2010. De kostprijs per afgeleverde hen staat in tabel 1. In de 2e tabel staan de investeringskosten per hen en de kuikenprijs. In de 3e tabel staat de gevoeligheidsanalyse kostprijs 17-weekse hen.

De kostprijsberekeningen voor de vier schakels in de pluimveevleeskolom zijn geactualiseerd. Vooral als gevolg van de gestegen voerkosten zijn de kostprijzen flink gestegen.

De wereldbevolking stijgt. Verwacht wordt dat er in 2050 ruim 9 miljard wereldburgers zullen zijn. Ook worden veel burgers welvarender. Bij een stijgend inkomen neemt de vleesconsumptie toe, hoewel niet onbegrensd. Als gevolg groeit de mondiale vraag naar vlees. De OECD verwacht over de periode 2010(2019 een toename van de vleesconsumptie van 19%. Tegelijkertijd lijken de voergrondstoffen schaarser te worden; niet alleen tijdelijk, zoals de sterk gestegen voerprijzen in de periode herfst 2006 – zomer 2008 en opnieuw vanaf midden 2010 lieten zien, maar ook structureel door een stijgende vraag naar biobrandstoffen. Kan een efficiëntieverbetering in de varkensproductie bijdragen aan een uitweg in dit dilemma? De wereldwijde productie van varkensvlees bedroeg in 2009 106 miljoen ton karkasgewicht (FAOstat, 2010). Hoeveel varkens zijn nodig om dit volume te produceren als dit zou gebeuren volgens de Nederlandse mate van productie(efficiëntie?

De kosten van varkensproductie in Nederland in 2010 bedroegen E 1,40 per kg slachtgewicht (exclusief btw). Daarmee staat Nederland in de Europese Unie op de vierde plaats na Frankrijk, Denemarken en Spanje. Dat blijkt uit een jaarlijkse kostprijsvergelijking door Interpig, een forum van varkenseconomen uit veertien landen.

De Nederlandse varkenshouderij produceert zeer efficiënt. Door hoge kosten voor mestafzet, milieu- en welzijnsmaatregelen, maar ook door hoge arbeidstarieven is de Nederlandse kostprijs met 1,41 euro per kg slachtgewicht ongeveer gelijk aan die van diverse andere Europese landen. Dit blijkt uit een LEI-studie die onlangs is uitgekomen. De kostprijsvergelijking is uitgevoerd binnen InterPIG. InterPIG is een internationale groep varkenseconomen vanuit 14, vooral Europese, landen

Door invoering van wet Dieren per 1 januari 2013 speelt de vraag voor het Ministerie van Economische Zaken of de systematiek voor de bepaling van de vergoeding voor het ophalen, verwerken en vernietigen van kadavers voor Rendac aanpassing behoeft. Dit onderzoek gaat in op deze vraag. Daarnaast is er de vraag om de systematiek ook op andere punten tegen het licht te houden.

Door invoering van wet Dieren per 1 januari 2013 speelt de vraag voor het Ministerie van Economische Zaken of de systematiek voor de bepaling van de vergoeding voor het ophalen, verwerken en vernietigen van kadavers voor Rendac aanpassing behoeft. Dit onderzoek gaat in op deze vraag. Daarnaast is er de vraag om de systematiek ook op andere punten tegen het licht te houden.

Tien procent biologische landbouw in 2010. Dat was de doelstelling van de regering aan het begin van dit millennium. Een doel dat bij lange na niet gehaald is

De kostprijsberekeningen voor 19-weekse vleeskuikenouderdieren, broedeieren, eendagskuikens en vleeskuikens zijn onlangs aangepast. Een presentatie in tabellen

Wenn man Transport und Zölle einbezieht, steht Westeuropa im weltweiten Wettbewerb nicht schlecht da. Robert Hoste hat berechnet, was es kostet, Schweinefleisch aus Brasilien, den USA un einigen EU-Ländern ins Ruhrgebiet zu liefern

De kostprijsberekeningen voor 18-weekse vleeskuikenouderdieren, broedeieren, eendagskuiken en vleeskuikens zijn onlangs aangepast. De uitgangspunten en een overzicht in tabelvorm

Prijzenobservatoria, zoals ze in Spanje en Frankrijk zijn opgericht, zijn zeer kostbaar. Dit komt vooral door de continue, aanvullende primaire dataverzameling door overheid en bedrijfsleven.

In een Europese vergelijking staat Nederland op drie als het gaat om innovatie in de levensmiddelenindustrie. Nederland investeert veel tijd en middelen in onderzoek en innovatie, maar genereert minder omzet uit nieuwe producten. De belangrijkste focus van Nederlandse bedrijven ligt op procesefficiëntie en kostenverlaging in plaats van productvernieuwing en marketing; op den duur een doodlopende weg. Innovatie van het MKB is belangrijk voor de concurrentiepositie en werkgelegenheid. Wel wordt het MKB belemmerd door hoge kosten, gebrek aan middelen en onvoldoende gekwalificeerde werknemers.

Natuurlijke omstandigheden, specifieke afzetmarkten, maatschappelijke druk, vakkennis, het zijn allemaal factoren die de ontwikkeling en kostprijs van de varkensproductie in een land beïnvloeden. Een internationale kostprijsvergelijking bevestigt dat Nederland één van de meeste efficiënte productielanden is, maar tegelijkertijd veel extra maatschappelijke kosten moet dragen.

In Kenya potato is an important food crop, second after maize. Potatoes are grown on 128,000 ha per year with average yields of about 8 tonnes per ha. The yield is far below its po-tential and should be improved to enhance food security. Of all potato growers in Kenya, 98% are characterised as small-scale farmers, producing less than 0.4 ha of potatoes per year per farm (total of two planting seasons). They produce 83% of the national production. Lack of good quality seed is a main reason for low yields. The fast-track seed project aims to improve availability of certified seed. Imported seed needs to be multiplied locally once or twice to reduce the cost price and make it affordable for small-scale growers. It is estimated that there is potential for at most 1,000 ha of professional seed production in Kenya to meet the market demand for certified seed. In Kenya about 98% of ware potatoes are sold for 'fresh' consumption. For industrial processing the most favourable opportunities are the production of crisps and fresh - not frozen - French fries. To change the low-input low-output strategy of many small-scale farmers linkages between producers and markets need to be improved. In the short term, improvement of potato growing and crop management should receive higher priority than storage and mechanisation. Storage and mechanisation should be adapted to local conditions and needs. Two cases have been indicated in which investments in professional cooled storage facilities are necessary; - storage of seed potatoes of varieties with a long dormancy period; - storage of ware potatoes for processing industry and some high-end retailers. Long-term seed storage in modern stores required for varieties with long dormancy increases the cost price of seed by 50% compared with short-term storage in diffused light stores. This makes short dor-mancy an important trait for potato varieties in Kenya, where potatoes are planted during two growing seasons. Machinery supplied for potato growing in Kenya should be geared to local needs. Higher yields and more multiplications of imported seed reduce the cost price of seed potatoes produced in Kenya. The cost price of imported seed after two multiplications is competitive with locally produced seed from minitubers after three multiplications. This report describes the current situation of the potato sector in Kenya and opportunities for further de-velopment. The study focuses on possibilities of the Dutch agribusiness to facilitate these developments. Existing information has been collected, although information on potato production was not easily availa-ble. In addition, during a mission to Kenya stakeholders were visited and interviewed. This resulted in cost- price calculations for seed potato production (short and long-term storage, imported seed and minitubers) and market information.

De kansen voor duurzame innovaties in de melkveehouderijsector bij verdergaande schaalvergroting en die voor de varkenshouderij bij stijgende voerprijzen zijn op verzoek van het ministerie van Economische Zaken in beeld gebracht. Dit is gedaan op basis van een systeembenadering en vanuit het ondernemersperspectief. De systeemanalyse is zowel kwalitatief uitgevoerd op basis van de veranderingstheorie als kwantitatief met het bedrijfseconomisch optimalisatiemodel FLAME. Het ondernemersperspectief is gebruikt voor het in kaart brengen van het huidige innovatiegedrag op basis van de LEI Innovatiemonitor-enquete. Daarnaast zijn vertegenwoordigers uit beide sectoren gevraagd naar de volgens hen benodigde innovaties voor een toekomstbestendige landbouw.