Auswirkungen der Entkopplung der Direktzahlungen auf den ökologischen Landbau in Deutschland

Summary

The 2003 CAP reform has a strong influence on the financial performance of organic
and conventional farming by decoupling direct payments and reducing price support.
This paper aims to identify and assess the impact of the CAP reform on the relative
profitability and production structure of organic farms in Germany. The statistical
analysis of FADN data from the years 2003/04 and 2006/07 suggests that differences
in payments from the first pillar decreased as a result of the reform, affecting positively
the relative profitability of organic farms. A survey among German organic farmers
revealed however that only a minority attributes changes in profits to the CAP reform
and decoupling, respectively. This suggests that organic farmers still require more
specific information and advice in order to use the new possibilities given through
decoupling.