16 march 2006 sustainability indicators: key tools for swiss agricultural policy infasa symposium,...

16 March 2006

Sustainability indicators: key tools for Swiss agricultural policy

INFASA Symposium, 16 March 2006Vinzenz Jung, Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture

INFASA Symposium

16 March 2006

Change in the structure of support

Policy background

63

20

29

71

8 9

0

20

40

60

80

100

1990/92 2005

in %

Structural improvements, extensionDirect payments

Market support

16 March 2006

General direct payments• to remunerate farmers for the provision of

public goods• to compensate for difficult production conditions in mountains

Ecological direct payments• for ecological compensation areas which

foster biodiversity• for the extensive production of cereals

and rape-seed• for organic farming• for special animal welfare commitments

Policy background

16 March 2006

Federal Constitution (proposal 1995)

a. to the provision of food to the population;

b. to the conservation of natural resources and the upkeep of rural landscapes;

c. to a decentralized settlement of the country.

1 The Confederation shall ensure that agriculture contributes substantially by way of an ecological and market-oriented production:

2 (...)

Policy background

d. It complements farmers‘ incomes with direct payments (...)

16 March 2006

Federal Constitution (adopted 1996) 1 The Confederation shall ensure that agriculture contributes substantially by way of a sustainable and market-oriented production:

2 (...)

Policy background

a. to the provision of food to the population;

b. to the conservation of natural resources and the upkeep of rural landscapes;

c. to a decentralized settlement of the country.

a. It complements farmers‘ incomes with direct payments (...) contingent on ecological cross-compliance conditions.

16 March 2006

a. balanced fertiliser useb. appropriate share of ecological compensation areasc. regular crop rotationd. suitable soil protectione. selected and targeted application of plant treatment productsf. animal welfare standards

Cross-compliance conditions for all direct payments

Policy background

Implementation ControlCriteria

Necessary stepsNecessary steps

16 March 2006

Indicator-based monitoring

Ecological dimension

Broad monitoring / evaluation

as of 1995

Indicators

16 March 2006


Social dimension


Broad monitoring /evaluation

as of 1995as of 2000

Indicators

16 March 2006


Economic dimension

Social dimension



as of 1995as of 2000continued/intensified

Indicators

16 March 2006


Economic dimension

Social dimension


Research



continued / intensified

Indicators

16 March 2006


Economic dimension

Social dimension


Research


Sustaina-bility monitoring


as of 2005

continued / intensified

Indicators

16 March 2006

Sustainability indicators

• Conceptual work started in 2001

• Indicator development and implementation: 2002 – (ongoing)

• First publication (indicators and results) in 2005

Indicators

16 March 2006

Sustainability indicators: Concept

Resources

Efficiency

Equity

Indicators

16 March 2006


Economic dimension

Social dimension


Resources

Efficiency

Equity

Indicators

16 March 2006


Economic dimension

Social dimension


Stocks

Efficiency

Equity

2 indicators 1 indicator 4 indicators

1 indicator 2 indicators

2 indicators

Indicators

16 March 2006

Sustainability indicators: first resultsDimension Indicator Development since 1990

Economic dimension

Capital renewal

Soil (quantity)

Labour productivity

Social dimension

Training

Income compared with other sectors

Quality of life compared with other groups of society


Ecological compensation areas

Sales of plant protection products

N-efficiency

P-efficiency

Energy efficiency

Indicators

16 March 2006

Dimension Indicator Development since 1990

Economic dimension

Capital renewal

Soil (quantity)

Labour productivity

+ Positive

+ Positive

Social dimension

Training






N-efficiency

P-efficiency

Energy efficiency

+ Positive

+ Positive

+ Positive

+ Positive

Indicators

Sustainability indicators: first results

16 March 2006


Economic dimension

Capital renewal

Soil (quantity)

Labour productivity

+ Positive

+ Positive

Social dimension

Training



- Negative




N-efficiency

P-efficiency

Energy efficiency

+ Positive

+ Positive

+ Positive

+ Positive

- Negative

Indicators


16 March 2006


Economic dimension

Capital renewal

Soil (quantity)

Labour productivity

+ Positive- Negative (not a result of AP)

+ Positive

Social dimension

Training



- Negative




N-efficiency

P-efficiency

Energy efficiency

+ Positive

+ Positive

+ Positive

+ Positive

- Negative

Indicators


16 March 2006


Economic dimension

Capital renewal

Soil (quantity)

Labour productivity

+ Positive- Negative (not a result of AP)

+ Positive

Social dimension

Training



No conclusion poss.

- Negative

No conclusion poss.




N-efficiency

P-efficiency

Energy efficiency

+ Positive

+ Positive

+ Positive

+ Positive

- Negative

Indicators


16 March 2006

Challenges and limits• Conceptual level:

• System boundaries

• Indicators have to make sense from a global perspective

• Indicator design

Indicators

• Implementation: What conceptually may look like a good indicator is sometimes too difficult to implement or too expensive

• Sustainability indicators cannot replace broad monitoring

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Sustainability indicators: use

• Retrospective evaluation (ex-post), every four years

• Prospective evaluation (ex-ante) (Ex.: Evaluation of policy package „AP

2011“)

Indicators

16 March 2006

Do indicators have an impact?

Indicators

16 March 2006

Challenge: N-efficiency

0

40

80

120

160

200

1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

in 1

,000

t N

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

%

Input

Output

N-efficiency

Indicators

16 March 2006

Answer: Programme to improve

sustainable resource use

Fertilizer use

Pesticides

Soil

Energy

Biodiversity Con

cept

Pla

nnin

g

Region or value chainRegion or value chain

Mea

sure

s

More efficient use of

natural resources

Indicators

16 March 2006

Conclusions Indicators play an important role in Swiss agricultural policy

• Policy evaluation Broad monitoring Sustainability indicators

• Policy development Example: Resource programme in new policy package „AP 2011“

• Indicator work is work in progress, long-term commitment is crucial.

Indicators

16 march 2006 sustainability indicators: key tools for swiss agricultural policy infasa symposium,...

Documents

marketoriented production

farmers incomes

provision of food

upkeep of rural landscapesc

decentralized settlement

swiss federal office

provision of public

policy backgroundd