?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Study+on+Input%2FOutput+Accounting+Systems+on+EU+agricultural+holdings&rft.creator=Goodlass%2C+G.&rft.creator=Halberg%2C+N.&rft.creator=Verschuur%2C+G.W.&rft.creator=Hanegraff%2C+M.C.&rft.subject=+Environmental+aspects&rft.subject=+Education%2C+extension+and+communication&rft.subject=Farm+nutrient+management&rft.description=Of+241+questionnaires+sent+out+to+20+countries+55+completed+forms+were+returned.+No%0D%0Ainformation+could+be+obtained+about+systems+in+Portugal+or+the+USA.+The+subject+of%0D%0Anutrients+was+covered+by+91%25+of+systems%2C+pesticides+38%25%2C+energy+29%25+and+other+subjects%0D%0Aincluding+wastes+44%25.+Nearly+half+of+the+systems+covered+more+than+one+subject%2C+the+most+common+single+subject+system+was+nutrients.+The+arable+sector+was+covered+most+often+by+the+systems+(76%25)%2C+with+dairy+(62%25)+and+pig+(56%25)+the+most+prominent+of+the+livestock+sectors.+The+respondents+judged+that+65%25+of+systems+were+at+least+moderately+effective+in+improving+the+ratio+of+inputs+to+outputs.+The+highest+levels+of+ratio+reduction+tended+to+occur+with+systems+which+included+the+livestock+sectors+or+protected+horticultural+crops.+Over+half+(56%25)+of+farmers+had+a+good+opinion+of+the+system%2C+indifferent+or+bad+opinions+were+more+likely+to+be+due+to+effect+on+income+than+the+type+of+system+or+who+managed+it.+High+uptake+was+more+likely+in+compensated+systems.+Farm+incomes+in+the+arable+and+dairy+sectors+were+most+likely+to+be+improved+by+systems%2C+negative+effects+were+most+likely+in+the+horticultural+sector.+Government+was+the+main+driving+force+in+38%25+of+the+systems%2C+but+government+was+not+necessarily+the+driving+force+behind+the+15%25+compulsory+systems+and+only+one+of+these+was+compensated.%0D%0AIncreasing+concern+about+environmental+issues+was+the+driving+force+behind+development+of+each+of+the+systems+studied.+In+most+cases+a+major+part+of+the+funding+to+develop+the+system+or+run+pilot+projects+came+from+government.+Benefits+in+terms+of+increased+awareness+of+problem+areas+were+identified+by+several+systems+originators.+Anecdotal+evidence+suggests+that+farmers+are+encouraged+to+make+actual+changes+to+their+management+on+the+basis+of+the+systems%2C+if+they+receive+detailed+help+from+an+adviser+associated+with+the+system%2C+or+if+the+system+results+in+a+marketing+advantage.+It+seems+likely+that+input+output+accounting+systems+could+be+used+to+increase+awareness+and+provide+evidence+of+the+impact+of+management+changes%2C+they+may+need+to+be+linked+to+supporting+systems+of+technical+advice.%0D%0AMore+than+40+IOA+systems+representing+very+different+approaches+have+been+developed%0D%0Aand+applied+on+farms+in+European+countries+with+the+aim+of+improving+environmental%0D%0Aperformance.+Major+differences+regard+especially+two+characteristics%3A+The+no+topics+covered+(single+or+multiple)+and+the+way+indicators+are+presented.+In+many+systems+the+indicators+used+are+presented+as+calculations+of+input+related+to+output+and+are+derived+from+accounts+based+data.+Other+systems+present+indicators+that+are+transformed+to+a+standard+scale+and+often+these+indicators+are+based+on+a+combination+of+practise+and+account+data+compared+with+norms+for+Good+Agricultural+Practices.+Moreover%2C+the+systems+differ+in+their+origin+and+driving+force%3A+Only+a+few+systems+have+been+developed+for+mandatory+use+or+for+labelling+and+formal+auditioning.+Most+systems+have+been+developed+for+the+use+by+advisory+services+on+a+voluntary+basis.+A+number+of+very+different+systems+seem+to+have+been+successful.+Effectiveness+is+defined+here+as+the+combination+of+a+system+with+high+(potential)+impact+on+the+participating+farmers+in+combination+with+high+uptake+in+terms+of+the+no+of+farmers+willing+to+use+the+system.+Generally+documentation+of+effects+and+uptake+is+poor+and+more+investigations+into+this+are+needed.%0D%0AIt+seems+that+many+systems+have+not+passed+the+pilot+phase%2C+even+though+some+of+them%0D%0Adid+get+a+positive+evaluation+by+the+farmers.+In+several+examples+the+effort+of++researchers+to+develop+a+scientifically+valid+concept+was+not+matched+by+efforts+to+secure+the+uptake+by+advisors+or+other+institutions+afterwards.+The+right+institutional+setting+and+political+context+seems+to+be+more+important+than+the+character+of+the+indicators+used+for+the+question+of+farmer+uptake.+But+that+does+not+mean+that+the+choice+of+indicators+is+not+important+from+another+point+of+view.+In+none+of+the+reviewed+systems+were+the+use+of+confidence+intervals+or+variation+coefficients+an+established+part+of+the+procedure.+Only+few+reports+exist+that+analyse+the+variation+between+farms+or+between+years+on+specific+farms+in+order+to+decide+to+which+degree+differences+are+due+to+systematically+different+management+practices.&rft.contributor=Goodlass%2C+G.&rft.contributor=Halberg%2C+N&rft.contributor=Verschuur%2C+G.W.&rft.contributor=Hanegraff%2C+M.C.&rft.date=2001&rft.type=Report&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F13117%2F1%2F13117.pdf&rft.identifier=Goodlass%2C+G.%3B+Halberg%2C+N.%3B+Verschuur%2C+G.W.+and+Hanegraff%2C+M.C.+(2001)+Study+on+Input%2FOutput+Accounting+Systems+on+EU+agricultural+holdings.&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F13117%2F