Archive:Agri-environmental indicator - intensification - extensification

Data from November 2012. Most recent data: Further information, Main tables and Database.

This article provides a fact sheet of the European Union (EU) agri-environmental indicator "Intensification/extensification". It consists of an overview of recent data, complemented by all information on definitions, measurement methods and context needed to interpret them correctly. The Intensification/extensification article is part of a set of similar fact sheets providing a complete picture of the state of the agri-environmental indicators in the EU.

The intensity of a farm can be defined as the level of inputs used by the farm per unit of factor of production (in general land). Intensification is defined as the increase in farm intensity,
while the extensification describes the opposite trends.

Main indicator: Trend in the shares of the agricultural area managed by low, medium and high intensity farm.

Supporting indicator: Average inputs expenditures per hectare in constant input prices.

Indicators are broken down by EU group, Member States, type of farming and less favoured area (LFA) .

Main statistical findings

Key messages

In the EU-15, a continuous trend towards extensification (decrease of utilised agricultural area (UAA) share managed by highly intensive farms and increase of UAA share managed by low input farms) has been observed since 2004. In the 10 Member States which joined the EU in 2004 (EU-N10), the share of UAA managed by medium and high intensity farms increases whereas the one managed by low intensity farms decreases, which indicates intensification. However, the UAA managed by low intensity farms (as defined in this note) represents around a half of the total EU-N10 UAA.
The trend by Member State can be significantly different from the EU-group average. In the EU-15, extensification is observed to a more or less extent in 12 Member States over the period studied. In the EU-N10, the share of UAA managed by low intensity farms is decreasing in 5 Member States. In the others, no clear trend can be identified over the period studied.
The average inputs expenditures per hectare are very linked to the IRENA type of farming: Cropping fallow land and grazing livestock permanent grass farms have on average lower input levels and pigs and poultry and horticulture farms have higher input levels. The trend (intensification or extensification) is more explained by the EU-group or country than by the IRENA type of farming.
In the EU-15 overall it is difficult to identify any trend towards intensification or extensification by Less Favoured Area (LFA) class over the period studied, even though there seems to be a trend towards extensification over the end of the period. In the EU-N10, intensification can be observed in the three LFA classes. However the speed of intensification seems higher for the non LFA class, medium for LFA not mountain and low for LFA mountain. This might reflect a higher intensification in the most productive regions where you can increase more efficiently productivity than in LFA.
In Bulgaria and Romania, no trend is available yet at the time of drafting the fact-sheet (FADN contains data only from the year of accession).

Assessment

The indicator is studied by:

EU group
Member States
IRENA type of farming (more adapted to study environmental issues than the general typology)
Less Favoured Area (LFA): in order to address the different types of environmental concerns (intensification versus land abandonment) in the different types of zones.

The detailed results are annexed in separate excel file. The fact sheet presents the main results. The series of tables "Synthesis of XX results" provide an overall view of the situation. They show information on the trend towards intensification/extensification over the period studied (columns "Main indicator"). Yet, to properly interpret and qualify the trends for the main indicator, it is necessary to look at the average level of intensity in the country/region. That's why these tables also present information on the average level of intensity (inputs expenditure per hectare in constant input prices 2 000 EUR per ha) in the last available year (column "supporting indicator") .
It should be noted that given the availability of data at the time of preparing this fact-sheet, the period studied differs according to the EU group: for the EU-15 1995-2007, for the EU-N10 2004-2007, for Bulgaria and Romania only 2007 was available at the time of carrying out the analysis. Therefore it was not possible to assess a trend at this stage.

Analysis at EU group level
Overall for the EU-15 the shares of UAA managed by low, medium and high intensity farms do not change radically during the period studied. The share oscillates between 31 % and 36 % (Figure 1). Since 2000 the share of UAA managed by high intensity farms has decreased, very slightly but regularly, from 34 % to 31 %. The share of UAA managed by low intensity farms has fluctuated between 31 % and 34 % during the period 1995-2003. After this date it has increased, also slightly but regularly, from 31 % in 2003 to 36 % in 2007. Therefore in the EU-15 the trend towards extensification is very slight but continuous since 2004.
The trend is different for the EU-N10: the share of UAA managed by medium and high intensity farms are progressing (+3 percentage points and +5 respectively), whereas the one managed by low intensity farms is decreasing (-8 percentage points between 2004 and 2007). It indicates intensification. However, the UAA managed by low intensity farms (as defined in this note) represents around a half of the total EU-N10 UAA.

As mentioned above, the trend should actually be put in perspective with a measure of the absolute level of "intensity". In this note, it is estimated with the inputs expenditures per hectare in constant input prices. Table 1 sums up the results for the EU groups. This table reads as follows: in EU-15, where the share of UAA managed by low intensity farms increased between 1995 and 2007 while the share of UAA managed by high intensity farms decreased, there is a trend towards extensification; yet the average level of input expenditure per ha in constant input prices – that is, the level of "intensity" - remains high in 2007.

Analysis at Member State level
The trend by Member State can be significantly different from the EU group average. In the EU-15, extensification (decrease of UAA share managed by highly intensive farms and increase of UAA share managed by low input farms) is observed in 12 Member States over the period 1995-2007 (see tables and graphs in the annexed excel file). It is particularly clear and constant over the period in Greece, Austria and Finland (increase by 24 percentage points of the UAA share managed with low intensity farms). In Austria extensification occurred in the late 90s and the situation remained fairly stable afterwards. Similarly in the Netherlands, we can observe reduction of intensification in the early 2000s and a quite stable situation after. In Belgium, France, Ireland, Italy and Luxembourg, we observe a stable or slight fluctuation until 2003 and a slight extensification process after 2003. Germany and Spain show slight intensification (small increase of UAA share managed by high input farms and decrease of UAA share managed by low or medium inputs per ha). Finally, in the United Kingdom, the data show intensification during 1995-2000 and a reverse process during 2001-2007.
In the EU-N10, we can observe intensification in 5 Member States: the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Slovakia. In Cyprus, Malta, Lithuania, Slovenia and Hungary, no clear trend can be identified (stable or slightly fluctuating).
However, to properly interpret the trend in each country, it is necessary to have in mind the starting "intensity" level. In the EU-15, Greece, Ireland, Austria, Portugal, Finland, Sweden and Spain have on average lower inputs expenditures per hectare than Belgium, Germany, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Denmark. In the EU-N10, Cyprus and Malta have on average high input levels per ha whereas these are low in the Baltic countries.
Obviously the average level may hide big differences between regions. The Map 1 shows the regional average level of inputs expenditures per hectare and the trend when available and clearly identifiable. It should be noted that since the trend is assessed by comparing averages in given years (respectively 1995 vs 2007 for EU-15 and 2004 vs 2007 for EU-N10) for the Table 2 and three-year averages (1995-1996-1997 vs 2005-2006-2007) for the Map 1, the overall picture may look a bit different.

Analysis by IRENA type of farming
The trends by IRENA type of farming observed in the EU-15 and in the EU-N10 are often very different, with more cases of extensification in the EU-15 and of intensification in the EU-N10 (see tables and graphs in the annexed excel file). However, EU-15 and EU-N10 do not have the same average level of intensity, as explained above, EU-15 having on average higher input levels than the EU-N10. Bulgaria and Romania have even lower average intensity level in 2007.
In the EU-15, a clear extensification can be observed for grazing livestock temporary grass farms from 2003 onwards. Pigs and poultry farms started with a highly intensive level, but we can observe a slight yet continous extensification process since the late 90s. For cropping fallow land farms and cropping mixed crops farms, there are fluctuations with a general trend towards extensification over the period. For horticulture, mixed cropping and livestock, permanent crops, fluctuations are observed with a more extensive management in the end of the period. No clear trend can be identified for cropping specialist crops, grazing livestock forage crops and grazing livestock permanent grass farms.
In the EU-N10, intensification at different degree is observed for cropping fallow land, cropping cereals, cropping specialist crops, grazing livestock forage crops, grazing livestock permanent grass, mixed cropping and livestock and pigs and poultry farms, as well as for permanent crops farms (from 2005). Horticulture is the only type of farming in the EU-N10 showing extensification.

Analysis by Less Favoured Area class
Results are analysed by Less Favoured Area zones in order to address the different types of environmental concerns (intensification versus land abandonment) in the different types of zones.
In the EU-15 on total it is difficult to identify any trend towards intensification or extensification by Less Favoured Area (LFA) class. The shares of UAA managed by low, medium and high intensity farms fluctuate a bit but do not change radically. However, since 2005, there seems to be a trend towards extensification in the three classes.
In the EU-N10, we can observe intensification in the three LFA classes. However the speed of intensification seems higher for the non LFA class, medium for LFA not mountain and low for LFA mountain. This might reflect a higher intensification in the most productive regions where you can increase more efficiently productivity than in LFA.
Finally, similarly as for types of farming, it should be highlighted that LFA classes do not have the same average intensity level. For EU-15 and EU-N10, the intensification level is higher for non LFA, intermediate for LFA not mountain and lower for LFA mountain. For Bulgaria and Romania, results by LFA are not displayed given the low number of sample farms in LFA and the improbable results. In Bulgaria, a lot of grazing livestock farms located in mountain areas use indeed a lot of common land for their grazing livestock. This area is not counted in the UAA. It triggers high levels of input per hectare of UAA but does not correspond to real intensity.

Please note:

The inputs expenditures per hectare in constant national input prices allow approaching the trend in volume of inputs used per hectare, since price fluctuations and inflation are deducted. However, it does not capture differences of inputs' prices between countries and the differences of prices within each category of inputs (for example between a pesticide A and a pesticide B). Therefore it does not give the exact volume of inputs used for a year in a country. Yet, to properly interpret and qualify the trends for the main indicator, it is necessary to look at the average level of intensity in the country/region. Intensification in a country with very low intensity does not mean the same for the environment than intensification in a country with high intensity. That is the purpose of the supporting indicator: average inputs expenditures per hectare in constant input prices. It is not the ideal measurement of intensity; however it is the best estimate that can be obtained until now from the available data.
All inputs are not included: water use could not be included because there is no consistent information on it. Energy use is not included since it is addressed in another specific Agri-environmental indicator and since it would have been more difficult to interpret the results.
It should be noted that common land is not included in the area used for the indicator. The area of common land used (but not rented) by the farm is actually very difficult to estimate. This can have an impact on the results for Spain, Greece, the United Kingdom and Bulgaria in particular. The area used by the farm may be underestimated. It means that the ratio of inputs per hectare may be overestimated. Therefore the share of area managed by medium and high intensity farms may be overestimated in these countries, leading to an underestimation of the share of area managed by low intensity farms.
Each farm is classified according to the level of input expenditure per ha. The thresholds distinguishing high/medium/low intensity farms have been set in such a way that the EU-15 utilised agricultural area is equally divided into the three categories for the first year of the analysis (1995 for the EU-15). These levels do not pretend to represent the borders of what is extensive and intensive farming. They are just set in order to study the trends of shares in area managed by different categories of intensity farms.
These thresholds having been set without taking into account the different price levels between countries, two similar farms in terms of real input use may be classified differently according to the country they are located in: due to a higher price level of inputs in high income countries, the farm in a high income country may be classified as high, while the farm with the same real input use in a low income country may be classified as medium. There are, however, no clear differences in price level between the EU-15 and the 12 Member States which joined the EU in 2004 and 2007 (EU-N12).
It should be highlighted that the change of each indicator between the extreme years of the period covered may be misleading because of various trends during the period studied. That is why annual data covering the whole period studied are displayed and looked at.
Last but not least, it should be underlined that the potential environmental damage is not always proportionate to the volume or to the expenditure of inputs: for example, one litre of a certain pesticide might be more damaging for the environment than 5 litres of another one. Therefore the results should be interpreted with caution.

Data sources and availability

Context

Further Eurostat information

Publications

Title of the publication

Main tables

Title of top Main tables folder, see:

Title(s) of second level folder (if any)

Title(s) of third level folder (if any)

Database

Title of top Database folder, see:

Title(s) of second level folder (if any)

Title(s) of third level folder (if any)

Other information

Regulation 1737/2005 (generating url [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32005R1737:EN:NOT Regulation 1737/2005]) of DD Month YYYY on ...
Directive 2003/86/EC (generating url [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32003L0086:EN:NOT Directive 2003/86/EC]) of DD Month YYYY on ...
Commission Decision 2003/86/EC (generating url [http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:32003D0086:EN:NOT Commission Decision 2003/86/EC]) of DD Month YYYY on ...

External links

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Notes

[[Category:<Subtheme category name(s)>|Statistical article]] [[Category:<Statistical article>|Statistical article]]