Publications
NIBIOs employees contribute to several hundred scientific articles and research reports every year. You can browse or search in our collection which contains references and links to these publications as well as other research and dissemination activities. The collection is continously updated with new and historical material.
2006
Abstract
The paper analyses and discusses possible impacts on Norwegian agriculture of an EU membership based on the regionalized agricultural sector model CAPRI. Norwegian agriculture is characterized by a small-scale farming structure and high levels of support. Previous analyses have shown that Norwegian agriculture is expected to undergo dramatic changes because of EU membership in terms of farm income, production and structural change. Our study indicates that a substantial share of the agricultural production can be maintained at the national level. Milk and crop production may remain largely unaffected, while meat production decreases in the range of 10–20% compared to a reference run without membership. However, a reduction in total farm income by about 40% indicates that structural adjustments will follow EU accession. The results are discussed in view of the pattern of adjustments observed in Finland and Austria after EU accession in 1995. The need for the dairy industry to take advantage of the improved market access is stressed. Attention is also called to some strengths and limitations of the CAPRI model to analyse large-scale policy changes and to identify model improvements as an area of future research.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Report – Trade Facilitation through Equivalence and Mutual Recognition: The EU Model
Frode Veggeland
Authors
Frode VeggelandAbstract
This report explores how equivalence and mutual recognition have been applied by the European Union (EU) in order to facilitate trade. The EU is of particular interest in this area because it has been in the forefront internationally with regard to applying these tools, both in its internal market project and in its external trade relations. The report includes an empirical mapping of EU’s experience with applying equivalence and mutual recognition as trade facilitating tools. The aim here is to increase the understanding of how these tools can be relevant and important in a wider global context, in particular with regard to food trade. Furthermore, based on this experience some of the challenges that countries are faced with when applying these tools are highlighted thus allowing some assessments of the prospects of and difficulties in achieving trade facilitation through these means. Chapter 2 includes an account of some of the regulatory approaches that the EU has pursued in its attempts at realising an internal market, from the adoption of common rules, to mutual recognition and the «Better Regulation» programme included in the Lisbon strategy. Chapter 3 discusses EU’s rules for third-country relations. Furthermore, some of EU’s mutual recognition and equivalence agreements are explored. In addition to these, Chapter 3 includes an account of one-way judgements of equivalence included in EU’s rules for imports of organic food and fishery products. Chapter 4 presents EU’s work and positions on equivalence and mutual recognition in the WTO and the Codex Alimentarius Commission. Chapter 5 includes an assessment of the EU’s experience with mutual recognition and equivalence. Finally, in Chapter 6 some conclusions and final remarks are made. […]
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Authors
Gudbrand Lien Ola Flaten Audun Korsæth K.D. Schumann J.W. Richardson Ragnar Eltun J. Brian HardakerAbstract
Målet med denne studien var å jamføre risikoen for økologiske, integrerte og convensjonelle dyrkingssystem. Forsøksdata frå eit dyrkingssystem (1991-1999) på Austlandet vart brukte saman med budsjettal frå gardsbruk. Empirisk fordeling av nettoinntekt for ulike dyrkingssystem vart estimert ved hjelp av ein simuleringsmodell. Resultata syner at det økologiske systemet hadde størst variasjon i nettoinntekt, men med gjeldane tilskotsordningar og meirprisar for økologiske varer vert dette det mest økonomiske alternativet.
Abstract
Conventional farmers converting to organics have contributed to most of the rapid expansion of organic farming in recent years. The new organic farmers may differ from their more established colleagues, which may have implications for the development of the organic farming sector and its distinctiveness vis-a-vis conventional production and marketing practices. The aim of this study was to explore Norwegian organic dairy farmers' personal and farm production characteristics, farming goals, conversion motives, and attitudes to organic farming, grouped by year of conversion (three groups). A postal survey was undertaken among organic dairy farmers (n=161). The results show that the newcomers (converted in 2000 or later) were less educated than the early entrants (the so-called 'old guard') who converted in 1995 or earlier. The frequency of activities like vegetable growing and poultry farming among the old guard was high. The late-entry organic herds were fed with more concentrates and had a higher milk production intensity, showed a higher incidence of veterinary treatments and less frequent use of alternative medicine than the herds of the two earlier converting groups. For all groups of farmers, the highest ranked farming goals were sustainable and environment-friendly farming and the production of high-quality food. Late entrants more often mentioned goals related to profit and leisure time. On average, the most frequently mentioned motives for conversion were food quality and professional challenges. The old guard was more strongly motivated by food quality and soil fertility/pollution issues than the others, whereas financial reasons (organic payments included) were relatively more important among the newcomers. All groups held very favorable views about the environmental qualities of organic farming methods, albeit with different strengths of beliefs. Even though trends towards more pragmatic and business-oriented farming were found, the majority of the newcomers were fairly committed.
2005
Abstract
No abstract has been registered
Abstract
Up to ca. 1960, the forest sector was the largest export sector in Norway. Since then its importance has decreased, until in 2003 the export value totalled only 2,5 % of the export sector. The import of forest products constituted a relatively higher share of the total import value than the export (about 3,3%). Pulp and paper, mainly newsprint, is the most important export product. The annual cut has declined 30 per cent over the last decade and in 2003 totalled about 7.5 million cubic metres. The reasons for this decline are not fully understood, but changes in ownership structure, low unemployment rates and good job opportunities outside of the forest sector and the abolition of cost-share programs are certainly some of the explanation. Private non industrial owners own 78,5 % of the forest area and the average size of a forest property is 57 hectares. Almost all fellings are certified, and there is an intensive ongoing debate on the need for protection of a larger forest area. There is a large potential for developing non-wood products and services, and the forest owners association have companies and organisations dealing with this. There is a demand from both domestic and foreign customers for non-wood products and services but the cooperation with the domestic tourist industry still has to be improved to coordinate this effectively. There is a weak entrepreneurship culture in the forest products industry, with a few regional exceptions. The culture is mainly production oriented and market competence and international orientation is needed. Compared with other industries in Norway the level of education is low in the forest products industry. A large public program was started in 2002 to stimulate innovation and competence building activities in the forest products sector.
Authors
Birger VenneslandAbstract
During the 1980s Norway was troubled with overcapacity in the agricultural sector. The rural development support scheme (RDSS) was introduced. Farmers were encouraged to invest in forestry-related projects and rural business. More than 15 evaluations of the RDSS are undertaken, all of them having severe methodological weakness. The following study introduces a new tool, when analyzing a public support scheme like the RDSS in Norway. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a multi-input, multi-output optimization model used to measure relative efficiency of the best practice counties. The analysis is a two-stage study. In step one, it is found that 13 of the 18 (72%) counties in Norway are generating less output in the form of employment from a given level of the RDSS-budget than technically possible. In step two, a reallocation of the budget is shown for the purpose of maximizing the output of job establishments in rural Norway. The DEA is seen as a useful tool in measuring the efficiency of the RDSS at regional level in Norway.
Abstract
No abstract has been registered