In the heart of Europe, a call to arms has been issued, not for soldiers, but for scientists, economists, and policymakers. The battleground? The complex interplay between European agricultural development, climate change, and food security. The call comes from the German Journal of Agricultural Economics, a beacon for those navigating the intricate web of agricultural economics, and it’s a call that could reshape the future of the energy sector.
At the helm of this initiative is Floor Brouwer, a researcher affiliated with Wageningen University & Research, a leading institution in the field of agricultural and environmental sciences. Brouwer is inviting submissions for a special issue that aims to shed light on the recent developments related to European agriculture and climate change, with a particular focus on Germany and the EU.
The stakes are high. Climate change is set to induce regional shifts in crop production, and mitigation measures in the livestock sector could increase production costs significantly. The EU’s ambitious goal of an 80% emission reduction by 2050 is a case in point. “Such mitigation measures may have strong effects on food supplies and food security, both inside Europe and on a global scale,” Brouwer warns.
But it’s not all doom and gloom. European agriculture is also seeking opportunities to implement climate-smart agriculture, balancing mitigation and adaptation strategies while maintaining productivity. The biobased economy is another area of interest, with a focus on processing agro-raw materials for biofuels, pharmaceutics, textiles, and new bio-medical materials.
The special issue aims to address several key questions. What are potential win-win actions for mitigation that could reduce costs and emissions? How can water scarcity be addressed as part of adaptation strategies in agriculture to cope with climate change? What are the relevant economic drivers of agricultural development at different scales, from the farm to the global level? And how does climate change impact international trade, both within Europe and with other non-European countries?
The call for papers is a clarion call for quantitative modelling and empirical analyses. Topics of interest include existing tools for addressing these challenges, linking economic and biophysical models, modelling land use and climate change, and the interplay between water, agriculture, and climate change.
The implications for the energy sector are significant. As Europe seeks to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, the biobased economy could provide a viable alternative. But to make this transition, we need a deep understanding of the economic and environmental impacts of these changes.
The special issue of the German Journal of Agricultural Economics, which translates to the Journal of Agricultural Economics, is set to be published on September 1, 2014. But the work starts now. Scientists, economists, and policymakers are invited to submit their full papers for review by October 1, 2013. The future of European agriculture, and by extension, the energy sector, depends on it.
This research could shape future developments in the field by providing a comprehensive, data-driven understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing European agriculture in the face of climate change. It could inform policy decisions, guide investment in the biobased economy, and help shape a more sustainable future for Europe and beyond. But to do that, we need to answer the call. We need to engage with the complex interplay between agriculture, climate change, and food security. And we need to do it now.