?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.title=Auswirkungen+der+Agrarhandelsliberalisierungspolitik+auf+den+biologischen+Landbau+und+seine+relative+Vorz%C3%83%C2%BCglichkeit+gegen%C3%83%C2%BCber+der+konventionellen+Landwirtschaft+in+der+Schweiz&rft.subject=+Policy+environments+and+social+economy&rft.description=Definition+of+the+problem%3A%0D%0AThe+agricultural+policy+conditions+for+the+Swiss+farming+sector+will+continue+to+change+significantly+in+the+next+decade+due+to+the+current+WTO+negotiations+on+agricultural+trade+liberalisation+and+the+bilateral+agreement+between+Switzerland+and+the+European+Union.+The+Doha-Round+means+for+Switzerland+that+it+must+continue+to+reduce+significantly+in+the+medium%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%93term+(2005-2015)+its+agricultural+support+and+protection+measures.+Besides+the+WTO+negotiations+the+Swiss+primary+sector+is+also+highly+affected+by+the+bilateral+agreement+with+the+EU+that+came+into+force+in+July+2001.+The+agricultural+agreement+consists+of+a+reduction+of+customs+duties+for+certain+produces+and+the+elimination+of+technical+trade+barriers.+%0D%0AThe+liberalisation+of+the+protected+Swiss+market+will+be+a+major+challenge+for+the+agricultural+sector+in+Switzerland.+As+most+Swiss+farms+produce+at+higher+costs+per+output+and+have+consequently+a+much+lower+productivity+in+comparison+to+other+EU+farms+(Rieder%2C+1998)%2C+improvements+in+market+access+as+well+as+substantial+reductions+in+trade-distorting+measures+will+lead+to+a+drop+in+producer+prices+and+farm+incomes+and+will+hardening+the+competition+for+farmers.+For+this+reason%2C+the+majority+of+Swiss+farmers+are+forced+to+change+the+structure+of+their+businesses+to+become+more+competitive+and+to+be+able+to+survive+on+the+market+without+the+depending+on+the+current+level+of+price+support.+%0D%0AUntil+today+the+effects+of+the+Doha-Round+have+been+analysed+only+at+a+very+high+aggregation+level+using+a+general+equilibrium+model+(Lips%2C+2002).+According+to+this+study%2C+producer+prices+will+drop+up+to+29%25.+In+particular+due+to+the+lower+milk+price+Swiss+agricultural+income+will+decline+about+30%25.+However%2C+in+reality%2C+the+economic+performances+of+individual+farms+vary+significantly+depending+on+the+farm+type+and+size%2C+the+farming+system+and+the+geographical+location.+Therefore%2C+it+is+obvious+that+the+coming+trade+liberalisation+will+not+affect+all+producers+in+the+same+way.+Further+research+is+needed+to+know+more+about+the+effects+of+trade+liberalisation+on+different+types+of+farms+and+to+provide+farmers+with+more+detailed+information+so+that+they+are+able+to+chose+an+optimal+strategy+for+their+farming+business.+%0D%0ANo+information+is+currently+available+about+the+effects+of+trade+liberalisation+on+the+organic+sector+in+Switzerland+and+the+economic+performance+of+organic+farms+in+comparison+to+integrated+%2F+conventional+farms.+In+the+past+years%2C+in+view+of+decreased+producer+prices%2C+many+farmers+converted+their+farms+with+the+prospect+to+achieve+a+higher+farm+income.+Several+studies+have+confirmed+that+organic+farms+are+able+to+achieve+higher+economic+performance+in+comparison+to+comparable+integrated+%2F+conventional+farms+mainly+due+to+high+premium+prices+for+organic+produces%2C+higher+direct+payments+for+organically+managed+farms+and+lower+production+costs+(Hartnagel+and+Stolze%2C+2002%3B+Offermann+and+Nieberg%2C+2000%3B+Nieberg%2C+2000%3B+Hilfiker%2C+1998).+According+to+these+studies+the+farm+income+was+on+average+10+%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%93+15%25+higher+on+organic+farms.%0D%0AIf+in+the+past+a+conversion+were+a+suitable+strategy+for+some+farms+to+adjust+price+reductions%2C+it+seems+to+be+justifiable+to+pose+the+question%2C+for+what+farm+types+and+under+which+conditions+organic+farming+would+be+a+possibility+for+Swiss+farmers+to+meet+the+challenge+of+the+coming+trade+liberalisation.+%0D%0AProject+aims%3A%0D%0AThe+overall+aim+of+this+project+is+to+analyse+and+compare+the+effects+of+the+coming+agricultural+trade+liberalisation+(WTO+Doha-Round%2C+Bilateral+Agreement)+on+organic+farming+in+Switzerland+and+its+economic+performance+in+comparison+to+conventional+%2F+integrated+farming+systems.+The+scenarios+shall+express+the+likely+effects+of+the+coming+liberalisation+of+agricultural+trade+on+the+policy+conditions+for+Swiss+farmers+and+will+comprise+changes+in+the+farm+output-level%2C+producer+prices%2C+technical+progress+as+well+as+direct+payment+level+that+will+be+derived+from+the+outcomes+of+the+ongoing+WTO+negotiations.%0D%0AThe+overall+aim+of+modelling+and+analysing+the+effect+of+the+current+WTO+agriculture+negotiations+on+organic+and+integrated+farming+may+be+divided+into+the+following+objectives%3A+%0D%0A%0D%0A%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%A2%09Review+of+relevant+literature+%0D%0A%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%A2%09Generate+representative+farm+groups%0D%0A%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%A2%09Calculate+input-output+coefficients%0D%0A%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%A2%09Estimate+structural+changes+and+technical+progress+in+the+ex-ante+period%0D%0A%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%A2%09Construct+an+optimisation+matrix%0D%0A%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%A2%09Analyse+different+policy+simulations%0D%0A%C3%A2%C2%80%C2%A2%09Synthesise+the+results+and+write+the+thesis%0D%0AMethodology%3A%0D%0A+A+comparative-static+process-analytical+programming+model+will+be+used+to+model+and+analyse+the+effects+of+different+scenarios+on+farm+production%2C+factor+allocation%2C+supply+of+agricultural+produces+and+farm+income+of+different+representative+farm+groups+of+the+Swiss+agricultural+sectors.+A+similar+model+was+developed+by+Jacobs+(1998)+and+Schleef+(1999)+and+can+be+used+for+this+project.++The+model+was+also+described+by+Offermann+(2001).+However%2C+it+needs+to+be+adapted+to+the+Swiss+situation+and+be+further+developed+according+to+the+specific+research+question.&rft.type=Project+description&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=application%2Fpdf&rft.identifier=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F5746%2F1%2Ffibl-projekt-soziooekonomie-politikfolgenabsch-WTO.pdf&rft.identifier=%7BProject%7D+WTO-LIB%3A+Auswirkungen+der+Agrarhandelsliberalisierungspolitik+auf+den+biologischen+Landbau+und+seine+relative+Vorz%C3%83%C2%BCglichkeit+gegen%C3%83%C2%BCber+der+konventionellen+Landwirtschaft+in+der+Schweiz.+[Impact+of+agricultural+trade+liberalisation+policies+on+organic+farming+and+its+relative+competitiveness+compared+to+conventional+agriculture+in+Switzerland.]+Runs+2003+-+2006.+Project+Leader(s)%3A+Sanders%2C+J%C3%83%C2%BCrn%2C+Research+Institute+of+Organic+Agriculture+(FiBL)%2C+CH-5070+Frick.+More+information+online+at+%3Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.fibl.org%2Fde%2Fschweiz%2Fforschung%2Fsoziooekonomie.html+%3Chttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.fibl.org%2Fde%2Fschweiz%2Fforschung%2Fsoziooekonomie.html%3E%3E.&rft.relation=http%3A%2F%2Forgprints.org%2F5746%2F