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To produce or not to produce: an analysis of bioenergy and crop production decisions based on farmer typologies in Brandenburg, Germany

Regional Environmental Change volume 18, pages 521–532 (2018)Cite this article

Abstract

The future course of the political regulation of bioenergy will have a significant sustainability impact on many levels. Understanding the specific effects of different political governance strategies on the agricultural system is essential for developing a stable and economically, ecologically as well as socially sustainable market for bioenergy. This paper contributes to this objective by providing an analysis of different decision patterns of farmers in the production of energy crops. For this purpose, an empirical analysis was conducted among farmers in the federal state of Brandenburg in northern Germany. A cluster analysis of structural factors resulted in a typology of farmers that differ in their energy crop production decisions. Six cluster typologies are identified for each of which a cluster-specific conjoint analysis helped to identify decision preferences in order to understand how and to what degree structural farm characteristics as well as respective production “traditions” influence the willingness to produce crops for energy use.

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Notes

  1. According to EUROSTAT data, in 2011, the EU imported over 1.9 million tons of biodiesel. Of these, 71% were imported from Argentina and 27% from Indonesia. For a more detailed overview, see also Ecofys (2011).

  2. Statistics Berlin-Brandenburg; www.statistik-berlin-brandenburg.de, accessed September 19, 2014.

  3. In German: Arbeitsgruppe “lebendige Dörfer” in Brandenburg.

  4. Produkt + Markt is an established market research institute with global experience in agribusiness research. For more information, see also www.produktundmarkt.de.

  5. In the survey, the respondents were also asked whether they owned a plant oil press, a biodiesel production facility, or a biomass combined heat and power plant for the energetic use of biomass. However, none of these alternatives were of relevance, whereas biogas production facilities are common and proved to significantly impact the decision portfolio of farmers. For this purpose, in the following empirical analysis, only biogas production facilities will be further considered.

  6. The software used for the analysis is PASW Statistics 18, formerly known as SPSS.

  7. Slurry is a significant input for biogas production.

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Funding information

This research was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of its FONA-program in social-ecological research (FKZ 01UU0901A).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Telegrafenberg A31, 14473, Potsdam, Germany

    Sandra Venghaus & Lilibeth Acosta

  2. Institute for Energy and Climate Research - Systems Analysis and Technology Evaluation (IEK-STE), Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany

    Sandra Venghaus

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  1. Sandra Venghaus
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Venghaus, S., Acosta, L. To produce or not to produce: an analysis of bioenergy and crop production decisions based on farmer typologies in Brandenburg, Germany. Reg Environ Change 18, 521–532 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-017-1226-1

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Keywords

  • Energy crops
  • Farmer typologies
  • Bioenergy
  • Cluster analysis
  • Conjoint analysis