Abstract
The contribution of the livestock sector to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as well as the worsening of animal welfare, with the intensification of production methods, have become increasingly relevant. Our contribution investigates the environmental impacts, in terms of methane and nitrous oxide emissions, of animal-based policies supported by the European Union. We examine factors affecting the adoption and the magnitude of related budget of Measure 215—animal welfare—of Rural Development Programmes 2007–2013. Our focus is cattle farming in Italy. The results highlight that the problem of animal welfare is highly perceived in regions with greater livestock intensity, also where GHG emissions are relevant. Given the adoption of measure 215, more budget tends to be allocated in regions where livestock units are particularly high. In addition, from the analysis emerges the bargaining position of regions with a higher propensity to the agricultural sector.
Highlights
The sustainability of the agricultural practices has been longstanding at the forefront of the policy agenda in the European Union (EU)
Each model considers five specifications according to the type of independent variables: total livestock units (LUs) and utilised agricultural area (UAA), minimum, maximum, and average LUs and UAA for each region, difference between maximum and minimum LUs and UAA in each region
Considering the drivers for the adoption of measures of animal welfare at a regional level (Table 3), we found a positive significant coefficient for ‘LU’ (0.0487) and negative significant coefficients for ‘UAA’ (−0.0047), ‘UAA’ (−0.0035), and ‘UAA’ (−0.0049)
Summary
The sustainability of the agricultural practices has been longstanding at the forefront of the policy agenda in the European Union (EU). Since the 1992 reform, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) paid special attention to the improvement of environmental performances of farmers; the mid-term review of the CAP in 2003 emphasised farmers’ responsibility to adhere to a set of environmental, food quality and animal welfare standards. The greening architecture of the CAP 2014–2020, which reinforced mandatory and voluntary measures of cross-compliance, reflects the increasing political interest in the environmental implications of agricultural practices. The Council Regulation (EC) No 73/2009 ratifies a mandatory ‘cross-compliance’ (Chapter I), based on which a farmer receives direct payments conditional to the compliance with Statutory Management Requirements (Article 5, Annex II) and Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (Article 6, Annex III). The cross-compliance is regulated by the Regulation (EU) 1306/2013 (Article 93)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
