Sustainable intensification of agriculture requires the adoption of new production techniques, tools, and programmes on a large scale. This implies substantial shifts in established ways of farming under uncertain information about potential economic and environmental outcomes. Research can...

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the jointness between agricultural production and ecosystem services using a spatial explicit economic-ecological programming model. Thereby, the consideration of non-agricultural competitors in the provision of ecosystem services allows a simultaneous...

Environmental impacts of agricultural production, such as greenhouse gas (GHG) and nitrogen emissions, are of major concern for scientists and policy makers throughout the world. Global agricultural activities account for about 60% of nitrous oxide and about 50% of methane emissions. From a...

This paper evaluates the preferences of cantonal politicians for future agricultural land-use scenarios in a rural region of the Swiss lowlands. We combine results from a choice experiment with the outcome of a mathematical programming model. As a result, we define cost-efficient future land-use...

Environmental goals play a crucial role in the economic assessment of bio-energy production, particularly in countries where the agricultural sector is less competitive. In addition to the reduction of CO2 emissions, advanced biomass conversion technologies could contribute to the maintenance of...

The future agricultural policy framework seems clear. Even though the present trends do not point in this direction there is a strong probability that in the long run Swiss agriculture will have to forfeit border protection, while domestic support will be restricted to fully Green Box-compatible...

Joint production of agriculture commodities and environmental goods and services is a key attribute of multifunctionality. However, complex natural and economic interactions make a sound analysis difficult. In this regard, the concept of economies of scope provides a simple policy oriented...

Learning from the experiences of other countries can support efforts to improve agricultural policies. Switzerland provides an interesting case because its policy is exceptionally targeted towards the establishment of sustainable production systems. We describe the history and the current state...