Energy productivity in agriculture in EU countries – directions and dynamics

Abstract

The productivity of inputs, especially energy, is a subject of interest in many countries, including the countries of the European Union and the EU itself. To achieve a more sustainable economy, the EU launched the European Green Deal, a development strategy to transform the EU into a zero-emission economy. The study aims to assess changes in the productivity of energy inputs in agriculture in EU countries in connection with the changes in the volume of production and energy inputs. Based on Eurostat data, changes for the period 2010-2020 were determined. It was found that agricultural production in the EU-27 increased by 1.36%, while the amount of energy used in agriculture increased by as much as 12%. As a result, energy productivity decreased by as much as 10% from EUR 360,000 to EUR 325,000 per 1 TJ of energy input. A decrease in energy productivity was observed in 20 of the 27 countries surveyed. On average, production or energy use volume changes in particular countries were not large and did not exceed 5% in the analysed period. An increase in the efficiency of energy use in agriculture is possible through rational concentration of production, mechanization and introduction of innovations in production technologies. The phenomenon of emission leakage outside the EU and large imports of food should be avoided, as the efficiency of energy use in agriculture in the EU is higher than in less developed countries. Achieving a reduction in energy consumption in agriculture seems to be difficult to reconcile with maintaining production volumes.