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LEI analysis on speculation of agricultural commodity prices
The large influx of speculative capital by, amongst others, index funds, has raised concern. There is no consistent evidence in the scientific literature that the large inflow of speculative capital by amongst other index funds has led to higher prices or more volatility on the mid to long term.
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Sectors with high farm payments most severely hit by CAP reforms
Europe's common agricultural policy is set to change. The European Commission has put forward proposals to distribute the income support differently, to invest more in sustainability and further reduce the production support. This has a direct effect on various types of farms.
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Growth set to be a challenge for Dutch agricultural sector
Between now and 2025, agricultural production in the Netherlands will be confronted by environmental limits, particularly with regard to the disposal of manure. Nevertheless, the prospects for this highly productive sector are favourable.
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Food security and maintaining biodiversity are not mutually exclusive
The world can produce enough food and protect biodiversity, even if farm production continues to increase at the same rate. This can be done if three key measures are implemented.
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Restrictions on grain exports increase risk of famine in Africa
If in response to disappointing wheat harvests countries announce an export ban, African countries such as Tanzania could be hit particularly hard, as such bans actually push international wheat prices upwards.
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Greening of EU agricultural subsidies will slow down decline of farmland biodiversity
Greening’ the EU Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), as proposed by the EC, will slow down the decline in farmland biodiversity, most notably in intensive farming areas. Extensively farmed areas are better served by policies preserving their rich biodiversity.
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Review of the effects of European rural policy can be simplified
The European Commission reviews the effects of the Rural Development Programme with a method designed in 2006. LEI developed alternative method which is less time-consuming and yields better results.
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LEI reviews European opportunities for Serbian agriculture
The Dutch government has announced that the Netherlands is to work more intensively with Serbia’s agricultural sector. LEI is reviewing the extent to which the Serbian agricultural sector complies with the European Union's requirements.
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Are high food prices here to stay?
The quick succession of strong price swings leads to the question whether something has changed in the structural features that drive international market developments. Answers to these questions will be important input to discussions on possible strategies to reduce or mitigate food price fluctuations.
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Sunflowers and soya beans might be an economic success in Ethiopia
Soya bean companies and sunflower companies are economically and agronomically feasible in Ethiopia, if their activities are fine-tuned within a chain.
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EU should speed up authorisation process for GM animal feed
The European Union should speed up the authorisation processes for novel GM events, to preserve the relative importance of the EU market in animal feed products.
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Dutch trade is causing loss of biodiversity in tropical countries
The Netherlands is a large importer of soya, palm oil and tropical timber products. These imports require large area of land in the exporting countries.This is leading to direct losses of biodiversity at the production sites and fragmentation of the remaining forest and nature areas.
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Effects of new European agricultural policy are varied
LEI carried out a study into the economic and ecological effectiveness of the Initial Draft of the CAP which the Netherlands presented in 2008. The effectiveness of the different measures varies widely in terms of income, production, competitiveness, land use, and biodiversity.
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