A regional approach to the analysis of Belgian agricultural energy use and production

Abstract

By reducing inputs as well as outputs to the same unit of measure, economic agricultural geography can define a number of useful characteristics of agricultural systems. In this field the reduction into energy units can be applied. This study aims to enlighten the intensity and the structure of the Belgian agricultural production on the basis of the production expressed in energy units on the one hand and the consumption of fossil energy on the other. The relation between these two values gives the energy yield. The calculations of the total edible production (output) are based on production data derived from agricultural censuses. We have also calculated the direct and indirect energy consumption (input) based on the machinery and on the use of intermediary production means (fuels, fertilizers, feedstuffs). An analysis at regional level shows that a great diversification of regional production structures corresponds with a highly diversified energy consumption for the absolute input and its composition. Central Belgium with its orientation towards “field crops” reaches a high out-/input level thanks to its very high output in spite of a medium input. In the rest of the country the out-/input values are not very high. They are obtained in two different ways. In the northern part of the country we have a very intensive agriculture with very high inputs and outputs. A very important part of the production is of animal origin and this explains the small value of the out-/input ratio. In the southern part of the country we notice rather small in- and output values and also a small ratio, which corresponds with a less intensive system oriented towards cattle. Thus, intensity, and structure are two different elements. Then, the typology and the absolute values of in- and output based on energy values are compared with calculations by means of the gross standard margin on the one hand and the final values on the other. In conclusion, the usefulness of the regional approach is emphasized. On the one hand it reflects complete results, and on the other it describes in most cases the problems of the individual farms in a satisfactory way. On the basis of similar systems, structures and circumstances of production, the observations concerning the Belgian agricultural regions can be said to hold true for other European regions as well.