Economic and environmental impacts of introducing grain legumes in farming systems of Midi-Pyrenees region (France): A simulation approach

Abstract

<span class="fontstyle0">The reconciliation of economy and environment is a key factor in achieving sustainability.<br />The European Union wishes to achieve the sustainability of its agriculture in order to produce<br />high quality food materials and to manage energy crisis and the risks related to climate and<br />market fluctuations. These risks can be mitigated by reducing negative impacts of agricultural<br />activities on the environment. Therefore, this study was designed to derive and promote the<br />potential tools to increase the land area under grain legumes in Midi-Pyrenees region (France)<br />where it currently stands at only 1 to 3%. For this purpose modeling chain APES-FSSIMIndicator was used to assess different alternative scenarios of proposition of new grain legumesbased cereals rotations, provision of higher premium on grain legumes, increase in sale price<br />and yield of grain legumes, reduction in price and yield variability of grain legumes and<br />combination of all these scenarios. Results showed that alternative scenario of provision of more<br />premiums on grain legumes was more efficient in increasing the grain legume area than other<br />alternative scenarios, but this would require a level of subsidies much higher than the current<br />crop-specific subsidies in EU. However, in case of combination of all these scenarios, the<br />increase in grain legumes area was maximum for all three selected farms from the study area.<br />In addition farm income was increased by 11 to 26% and energy consumption was decreased by<br />4 to 9% for the selected farms. It is concluded that grain legumes area in Midi-Pyrenees farming<br />systems can be increased by following the above mentioned alternative strategies</span>