| 1. |
- Lindström, Ulf, et al.
(författare)
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Perinatal characteristics, older siblings, and risk of ankylosing spondylitis: a case-control study based on national registers
- 2016
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Ingår i: Arthritis Research & Therapy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1478-6354 .- 1478-6362. ; 18:16
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: The effect of circumstances and exposures early in life on the risk of developing ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine whether perinatal characteristics predict development of AS. Methods: AS cases (n = 1960; 59 % men) were defined as listed with a diagnosis of AS at least once in the Swedish National Patient Register and registered in the Swedish Medical Birth Register (born = 1973). Population controls were retrieved from the Swedish Population Register (n = 8378; mean 4.3 controls/case), matched on birth year, sex and county. Odds ratios (OR) for developing AS were determined through conditional logistic regression, with regard to: birth weight, birth order, season of birth, maternal age, gestational length, size for gestational age, type of birth, mode of delivery, congenital malformations, mothers' country of birth, mothers' civil status and size of delivery unit. Results: In the univariate analyses statistically significant increases in risk for developing AS were observed for having older siblings (OR 1.18; 95 % Cl 1.06-1.30). No association was observed for the remainder of analysed exposures, although there was a weak association with birth weight below 3000 g (OR 1.19; 95 % CI 1.04-1.37), though not for "low birth weight" <2500 g (OR 0.90; 95 % CI 0.70-1.16). The increase in risk associated with having older siblings was consistent in a multivariate analysis adjusting for possible confounders (OR 1.23; 95 % Cl 1.09-1.39). The direction and magnitude of the point estimates were also consistent in several sensitivity analyses and when stratifying by sex. Conclusions: Having older siblings was associated with an increased risk for developing AS. These results need to be repeated and confirmed in other cohorts.
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| 2. |
- Brännlund, Runar, et al.
(författare)
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The Use of Biomass to Produce Electricity
- 2011
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Ingår i: EuroChoices. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1478-0917 .- 1746-692X. ; 10:3, s. 26-30
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The use of biomass to produce electricity has received much less attention than biofuels in the EU and the US. However, the production of bioelectricity has been increasing, especially in Europe. Bioelectricity has an advantage over some other renewable sources, such as wind or solar, in maintaining the ability of generators to respond more easily to fluctuating electricity demand. However, with current prices for other primary fuels there is limited availability of biomass supplies at prices generators are willing to pay. Bioelectricity production is influenced by policies for promoting the use of renewable energy and other policies, such as those relating to greenhouse gas emissions. Various incentive schemes are in place in the EU and US, such as feed-in tariffs that guarantee favourable purchase prices for renewables, and Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS) requiring that renewables constitute minimum percentages of electricity generation or Green Certificates which promote the use of renewables. The future development of bioelectricity will be determined by the form and magnitude of policy incentives and by prices for fossil fuels. Feedstock availability will only be assured if there are coordinated efforts at regional and local levels to develop the transportation and other infrastructure needed to create well-functioning biomass markets.
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| 3. |
- Copus, Andrew K, et al.
(författare)
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One Size Fits All? : Regional Differentiation and Rural Development Policy
- 2007
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Ingår i: EuroChoices. - 1478-0917 .- 1746-692X. ; 6:3, s. 13-21
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Since enlargement the European Union has become more diverse in many socio-economic, demographic and agricultural respects. A recent research project sponsored by DG Agriculture (SERA - Study on Employment in Rural Areas) carried out a review of a broad range of regional statistics relating to rural labour markets. The results were presented within the framework of the OECD rural-urban classification. A broad overview of the findings confirms the importance of two widely acknowledged processes of change, urbanisation and counter-urbanisation. Overlaying these urban-based centripetal and centrifugal processes both east-west and north-south differentiation affects particular socio-economic aspects. The net result of this complex combination of (macro-scale) processes is a tendency for accumulation of human capital in accessible significantly rural (SR) regions and a depletion of the remoter, sparsely populated predominantly rural (PR) regions. The emphasis upon macro-scale patterns and trends complements the recent preoccupation of much rural development research upon localised 'soft factors'. There is arguably scope for both in the design of rural policy Broad spatial processes should influence resource allocation, whilst localised advantages, such as strong human and social capital, good governance, networking, clusters and networks, entrepreneurial culture, and so on, can form the basis of strategies for intervention.
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| 4. |
- Hansson, Helena, et al.
(författare)
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European farmer perspectives and their adoption of ecological practices
- 2022
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Ingår i: EuroChoices. - 1478-0917. ; 21
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Delivering an agricultural policy which meets ecosystem and climatic pressures and addresses weaknesses in our current food system presents complex challenges for food producers. Adoption of ecological practices will reduce the dependence on imports into the farm and is one way to meet some of these policy ambitions. Understanding why farmers do or don’t adopt these practices is key to enabling this transition. This study outlines a series of investigations into the key barriers, values and perceptions towards ecological practice adoption across European farming.We find that personal, technical and institutional forces influence the adoption of more sustainable practices but these forces have varying levels of influence. The tensions between environmental, compared to purely production orientated motivations, may be a key barrier to ecological practice adoption. We also find a strong influence of commodity supply chains which may either encourage or limit adoption of these approaches. Promoting efforts for co-ordinated approaches between the public and private sectors may mitigate some of the dissonance in messaging towards these practices and alleviate these tensions. We also identify a great deal of heterogeneity within the European farming community and argue for a more targeted approach that would encourage adoption of ecological approaches and promote the scaling up of these practices.
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| 5. |
- Manevska Tasevska, Gordana, et al.
(författare)
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How do Stakeholders Perceive the Sustainability and Resilience of EU Farming Systems?
- 2020
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Ingår i: EuroChoices. - 1478-0917. ; 19, s. 18-27
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- An increasing variety of stresses and shocks provides challenges and opportunities for EU farming systems. This article presents findings of a participatory assessment on the sustainability and resilience of eleven EU farming systems, to inform the design of adequate and relevant strategies and policies. According to stakeholders that participated in workshops, the main functions of farming systems are related to food production, economic viability and maintenance of natural resources. Performance of farming systems assessed with regard to these and five other functions was perceived to be moderate. Past strategies were often geared towards making the system more profitable, and to a lesser extent towards coupling production with local and natural resources, social self‐organisation, enhancing functional diversity, and facilitating infrastructure for innovation. Overall, the resilience of the studied farming systems was perceived as low to moderate, with robustness and adaptability often dominant over transformability. To allow for transformability, being reasonably profitable and having access to infrastructure for innovation were viewed as essential. To improve sustainability and resilience of EU farming systems, responses to short‐term processes should better consider long‐term processes. Technological innovation is required, but it should be accompanied with structural, social, agro‐ecological and institutional changes.
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| 6. |
- Manevska Tasevska, Gordana
(författare)
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Policy directions to support generational renewal in European farming systems
- 2020
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Ingår i: EuroChoices. - 1478-0917. ; 19, s. 30-36
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Sufficient generational renewal is an important contributor to resilient farming systems but across the EU there is widespread concern over the so‐called ‘young farmer problem’. This article recommends several policy areas to support generational renewal. The first need is to clearly define the exact generational renewal challenge, since available data provide no clear‐cut evidence of an existing young farmer problem that is uniform across the EU. Second, while current policies seem effective in supporting the farm transfer process and providing aid during the early career phase of farmers, they lack targeting of the stage preceding farm take‐over, during which possible entrants develop a successor identity. Increasing the attractiveness of farming as both an occupational and a lifestyle choice appears to be important in stimulating entry into farming. Third, policymakers should give high priority to facilitating access to land and labour, and to accommodating the capital‐intensive nature of farming. Fourth, a mix of policies at different levels and domains that coherently contribute to the achievement of predefined goals regarding generational renewal is needed. Fifth, support for farm‐specific advice and personal coaching holds underexploited potential for addressing the specificity of on‐farm challenges regarding generational renewal.
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| 7. |
- Rabinowicz, Ewa
(författare)
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Farm size: why should we care?
- 2014
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Ingår i: EuroChoices. - 1478-0917. ; 13, s. 28-30
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Farm size matters for two reasons: the poverty of (some but not all) small farmers, and their environmentally friendly practices. Encouraging structural change to increase incomes and discouraging it to preserve biodiversity seems impossible, but clever design of agri‐environmental schemes (AESs) can help. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) objective of a fair standard of living for farmers still applies, but paying peanuts to many semi‐subsistence farms (SSFs) and large amounts to a few big farms, as in Romania and Bulgaria, is not acceptable. In post‐war Finland, many small farms/SSFs were created for refugees, and support was differentiated according to size, in order to address poverty, labour surplus and food security, but certainly slowed structural change, and reduced agricultural efficiency. Direct CAP payments cannot substitute for social policy. The only long‐term solution given the present size of the agricultural labour force is for farm labour to leave the sector. The CAP could encourage non‐farm employment and suitable skills through its Rural Development Programmes (RDPs). There are several suitable measures in the proposed new RDP regulation. In contrast to most farm business investment, preservation of biodiversity contributes to a public good. Hence, there is a case for public support for small farms through targeted and monitored AES payments.
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| 8. |
- Rommel, Jens
(författare)
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Can economic experiments contribute to a more effective CAP?
- 2021
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Ingår i: EuroChoices. - 1478-0917. ; 20, s. 42-49
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- In order to keep pace with the evolution of the objectives and means of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy, evaluation tools also need to adapt. A set of tools that have proved highly effective in other policy fields is economic experiments. These allow the testing of a new policy before its implementation, provide evidence of its specific effects, and identify behavioural dimensions that can influence policy outcomes. We argue that agricultural policy should be subject to economic experiments, providing examples to illustrate how they can inform CAP design. We identify the additional efforts needed to establish further proof-of-concept, by running more – and more robust – experiments related to the CAP. This can happen only by integrating experimental evaluation results within the policy cycle and addressing ethical and practical challenges seriously. To do so, researchers would benefit from a concerted European effort to promote the methodology across the EU; organise the replication in time and across Europe of experiments relevant for the CAP; and build a multi-national panel of farmers willing to participate in experiments. Steps are being taken in this direction by the Research Network of Economics Experiments for CAP evaluation (REECAP).
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