The impact of organic farming on endangered birds and butterflies: applying an ecological-economic model

Gerling, Charlotte and Sturm, Astrid and Wätzold, Frank (2017): The impact of organic farming on endangered birds and butterflies: applying an ecological-economic model.

Abstract

The conservation of biodiversity is one of the aims of the EU’s organic farming subsidy programme. We applied an ecological-economic modelling procedure to analyse the impact of organically and conventionally managed meadows on endangered bird and butterfly species in Saxony, Germany. We also analysed the impact of agri-environment schemes (AES) in landscapes with conventional and organic farming. Applying a modelling procedure to assess the impact of organic farming is novel as previous research predominantly relies on field studies. We found that for the species considered the difference in the impact of conventional and organic farming is minor, and both types of farming are unable to conserve a large share of these species. This is because the species require different timings of land use for their reproduction and neither conventional nor organic farming provide this heterogeneity. We also found that in comparison with conventional farmers organic farmers face different opportunity costs when implementing AES measures and are offered different payments for such measures. This influences organic farmers’ decisions to take part in AES, which in turn has an important impact on biodiversity conservation. In order to better conserve species it may be necessary to adapt the payment structure of AES with respect to organic farming.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: organic farming; grassland; agri-environment schemes; biodiversity; model; DSS-Ecopay
• Subjects: Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q1 - Agriculture; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q5 - Environmental Economics

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