Browsing by Subject "Germany"

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Automation, robots and wage inequality in Germany
a decomposition analysis
(2020) Schmid, Ramona; Brall, Franziska
We analyze how and through which channels wage inequality is affected by the rise in automation and robotization in the manufacturing sector in Germany from 1996 to 2017. Combining rich linked employer-employee data accounting for a variety of different individual, firm and industry characteristics with data on industrial robots and automation probabilities of occupations, we are able to disentangle different potential causes behind changes in wage inequality in Germany. We apply the recentered influence function (RIF) regression based Oaxaca-Blinder (OB) decomposition on several inequality indices and find evidence that besides personal characteristics like age and education the rise in automation and robotization contributes significantly to wage inequality in Germany. Structural shifts in the workforce composition towards occupations with lower or medium automation threat lead to higher wage inequality, which is observable over the whole considered time period. The effect of automation on the wage structure results in higher inequality in the 1990s and 2000s, while it has a significant decreasing inequality effect for the upper part of the wage distribution in the more recent time period.
Dependence of the abundance of reed glass-winged cicadas (Pentastiridius leporinus (Linnaeus, 1761)) on weather and climate in the Upper Rhine Valley, Southwest Germany
(2025) Kakarla, Sai Kiran; Schall, Eric; Dettweiler, Anna; Stohl, Jana; Glaser, Elisabeth; Adam, Hannah; Teubler, Franziska; Ingwersen, Joachim; Sauer, Tilmann; Piepho, Hans-Peter; Lang, Christian; Streck, Thilo; Guo, Jianying
The planthopper Pentastiridius leporinus , commonly called reed glass-winged cicada, transmits the pathogens “ Candidatus Arsenophonus phytopathogenicus” and “ Candidatus Phytoplasma solani”, which are infesting sugar beet and, most recently, also potato in the Upper Rhine valley area of Germany. They cause the “Syndrome Basses Richesses” associated with reduced yield and sugar content in sugar beet, leading to substantial monetary losses to farmers in the region. No effective solutions exist currently. This study uses statistical models to understand to what extent the abundance of cicadas depends on climate regions during the vegetation period (April–October). We further investigated what influence temperature and precipitation have on the abundance of the cicadas in sugar beet fields. Furthermore, we investigated the possible impacts of future climate on cicada abundance. Also, 22 °C and 8 mm/day were found to be the optimal temperature and precipitation conditions for peak male cicada flight activity, while 28 °C and 8 mm/day were the optimum for females. By the end of the 21st century, daily male cicada abundance is projected to increase significantly under the worst-case high greenhouse gas emission scenario RCP8.5 (RCP-Representative Concentration Pathways), with confidence intervals suggesting a possible 5–15-fold increase compared to current levels. In contrast, under the low-emission scenario RCP2.6, male cicada populations are projected to be 60–70% lower than RCP8.5. An understanding of the influence of changing temperature and precipitation conditions is crucial for predicting the spread of this pest to different regions of Germany and other European countries.
Divergence in labour force growth
should wages and prices grow faster in Germany?
(2020) Marczak, Martyna; Hellier, Joël; Beißinger, Thomas
We develop a model which shows that wages, prices and real income should grow faster in countries with low increase in their labour force. If not, other countries experience growing unemployment and/or trade deficit. This result is applied to the case of Germany, which has displayed a significantly lower increase in its labour force than its trade partners, except in the moment of the reunification. By assuming that goods are differentiated according to their country of origin (Armington’s hypothesis), a low growth of the working population constrains the production of German goods, which entails an increase in their prices and in German wages. This mechanism is magnified by the low price elasticity of the demand for German goods.Hence,the German policy of wage moderation could severely constrain other countries’ policy options. The simulations of an extended model which encompasses offshoring to emerging countries and labour market imperfections suggest that (i) the impact of differences in labour force growth upon unemployment in Eurozone countries has been significant and (ii) the German demographic shock following unification could explain a large part of the 1995-2005 German economic turmoil.
Grundpreisaufschläge bei Groß- und Familienpackungen: eine empirische Untersuchung im deutschen und französischen Lebensmitteleinzelhandel
(2005) Benner, Eckhard; Heidecke, Sandra-Jasmin
Verbraucher und Verbraucherinnen gehen in der Regel davon aus, dass sie beim Kauf von Groß- bzw. Familienpackungen einen Mengenrabatt bezogen auf den Grundpreis (Preis pro Mengeneinheit) erhalten. Diese Regel trifft auch bei der Mehrzahl der am Markt angebotenen Waren zu. Allerdings zeigten Studien aus USA, Großbritannien, Kanada und Griechenland bereits, dass die Erwartung auf einen Preisnachlass nicht immer gerechtfertigt ist. Für den deutschen Markt fehlte bisher eine wissenschaftliche Untersuchung dieses Verbraucherthemas. Diese liegt nun mit der Hohenheimer Studie vor. Die Studie gibt zunächst einen Überblick über die Literatur zu Grundpreisaufschlägen (quantity surcharges). Sie stellt anschließend die empirische Untersuchung zur Existenz von Grundpreisaufschlägen im deutschlen und französischen Lebensmittelmarkt dar. Es werden auch die Rahmenbedingungen der Vermarktung betroffener Produkte (Zusatzbeschriftungen, Produktplatzierungen) besprochen. Die Studie zeigt, dass auf beiden Märkten so gut wie keine Produktkategorie von Grundpreisaufschlägen ausgenommen ist. Abschließend werden auf Grundlage der Ergebnisse und vor dem Hintergrund des Artikels 153 des Europäischen Vertrages Politikimplikationen diskutiert. Die Studie hinterfragt sowohl die derzeitig diskutierten Einsparungen bei der Lebensmittelüberwachung als auch die Kürzungen der öffentlichen Zuschüsse für Verbraucherorganisationen.
The intangible costs of overweight and obesity in Germany
(2023) Meng, Fan; Nie, Peng; Sousa-Poza, Alfonso
Background: Previous literature documents the direct and indirect economic costs of obesity, yet none has attempted to quantify the intangible costs of obesity. This study focuses on quantifying the intangible costs of one unit body mass index (BMI) increase and being overweight and obese in Germany. Methods: By applying a life satisfaction-based compensation value analysis to 2002–2018 German Socio-Economic Panel Survey data for adults aged 18–65, the intangible costs of overweight and obesity are estimated. We apply individual income as a reference for estimating the value of the loss of subjective well-being due to overweight and obesity. Results: The intangible costs of overweight and obesity in 2018 amount to 42,450 and 13,853 euros, respectively. A one unit increase in BMI induced a 2553 euros annual well-being loss in the overweight and obese relative to those of normal weight. When extrapolated to the entire country, this figure represents approximately 4.3 billion euros, an intangible cost of obesity similar in magnitude to the direct and indirect costs documented in other studies for Germany. These losses, our analysis reveals, have remained remarkably stable since 2002. Conclusions: Our results underscore how existing research into obesity’s economic toll may underestimate its true costs, and they strongly imply that if obesity interventions took the intangible costs of obesity into account, the economic benefits would be considerably larger.
Intermedia agenda-setting from the far right? Three case studies on spillover effects by alternative media inGermany
(2023) Klawier, Tilman
Right-wing alternative media can increase their public impact if they succeed to set their issues on the mainstream media’s agenda. In three qualitative case studies, the present article explores whether and how such intermedia agenda-setting occurs in Germany. Special attention is given to spillover effects between different actors, both at the level of attention and tone towards the issues. Furthermore, the analysis of news articles is supplemented with Twitter data to account for the role of social media. Two of the case studies indicate that right-wing alternative media contributed to push pseudo-scandals into the mainstream. The analyses also reveal alternative news outlets with particular agenda-setting power and point to the crucial role of tabloid media as a bridge to the mainstream. The third study, however, which centered on the Global Compact for Migration, presents a case where intermedia agenda-setting failed. Against this background, the article discusses the conditions under which intermedia agenda-setting by right-wing alternative media is likely to occur and how journalists should deal with such attempts.
Job insecurity, employability, and health
an analysis for germany across generations
(2014) Otterbach, Steffen; Sousa-Poza, Alfonso
In this paper, we use 12 waves of the German Socio-Economic Panel to examine the relationship between job insecurity, employability and health-related well-being. Our results indicate that being unemployed has a strong negative effect on life satisfaction and health. They also, however, highlight the fact that this effect is most prominent among individuals over the age of 40. A second observation is that job insecurity is also associated with lower levels of life satisfaction and health, and this association is quite strong. This negative effect of job insecurity is, in many cases, exacerbated by poor employability.
Migration and wage inequality
a detailed analysis for German regions over time
(2022) Schmid, Ramona
This study presents new evidence on immigrant-native wage differentials estimated in consideration of regional differences regarding the presence of Non-German population in metropolitan and non-metropolitan areas between 2000 and 2019 in Germany. Using linked employer-employee-data, unconditional quantile regression models are estimated in order to assess the degree of labor market integration of foreign workers. Applying an extended version of the Oaxaca-Blinder decomposition method, the results provide evidence on driving factors behind wage gaps along the entire wage distribution. There are not only changes in the relative importance of explanatory factors over time, but also possible sources of wage differentials shift between different points of the wage distribution. Differentiating between various areas in Germany, on average, larger wage gaps are revealed in metropolitan areas with at the same time a higher presence of the foreign population. Regarding the size of overall estimated wage gaps, after 2012 a reversal in trend and particular increasing tendencies around median wages are identified.
Mind the gap: effects of the national minimum wage on the gender wage gap in Germany
(2022) Schmid, Ramona
With its introduction in 2015, the statutory minimum wage in Germany intends to benefit primarily low-wage workers. Thus, this paper aims at estimating the effectiveness of the implemented wage floor on gender wage gaps in the lower half of the wage distribution. Using administrative data, distinct regional differences regarding magnitudes of wage differentials and responses to the minimum wage are identified. Overall, wage gaps between men and women at the 10th percentile decrease by 2.46 and 6.34 percentage points respectively in the West and East of Germany after 2015. Applying counterfactual wage distributions, the study provides new evidence that around 60% and even 95% of the decline result from the introduction of the minimum wage in each region. Further, group-specific analyses identify concrete responses on the basis of age, educational level and occupational activity. Having yearly data, the study additionally reveals new results on the impact of the successive minimum wage raises in 2017 and 2019. Counterfactual aggregate decompositions of gender wage gaps finally indicate a decrease in discriminatory remuneration structures in the West of Germany due to the introduced wage floor.
Offshoring and labour market reforms
modelling the German experience
(2015) Hellier, Joël; Beißinger, Thomas; Chusseau, Nathalie
A usual interpretation of the high performance of the German economy since 2005 is that the Hartz labour market reforms have boosted German competitiveness, resulting in higher exports, higher production and lower unemployment. This explanation is at odds with the sequence of observed facts. We propose and model an alternative scenario in which offshoring explains the gains in competitiveness but increases unemployment and inequality, and the subsequent labour market reforms lower unemployment by lessening the reservation wage and expanding the non-tradable sector. The model replicates the developments of the German economy since 1995: 1) Germany offshores more intensively than other advanced countries; 2) The increase in competitiveness and in the exports/production ratio occurs before the implementation of the labour market reform, and this comes with both higher inequality and higher unemployment; 3) The implementation of the reform reduces unemployment, but also decreases the exports/production ratio and increases inequality. The model also predicts that the reduction in unemployment in Germany would have occurred without the Hartz reforms, but later and less intensively. We finally discuss the possible extension of this ‘strategy’ to other Eurozone countries, and alternative policies that activate similar mechanisms without increasing inequality.
Pathways for biodiversity enhancement in German agricultural landscapes
(2025) Sponagel, Christian; Thompson, Amibeth; Paetow, Hubertus; Mupepele, Anne‐Christine; Bieling, Claudia; Sommer, Martin; Klein, Alexandra‐Maria; Settele, Josef; Finger, Robert; Huber, Robert; Albert, Christian; Filser, Juliane; Jansen, Florian; Kleemann, Janina; Schreiner, Vera; Lakner, Sebastian
Conserving biodiversity, especially in agricultural landscapes, is a major societal challenge. Broad scientific evidence exists on the impacts of single drivers on biodiversity, such as the intensification of agriculture. However, halting biodiversity decline requires a systemic understanding of the interactions between multiple drivers, which has hardly been achieved so far. Selecting Germany as a case study, the goal of our analysis is (i) to understand how various socio‐economic drivers of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes interact at the national scale, (ii) to identify plausible pathways that most likely will lead to an improvement of biodiversity in agricultural landscapes and (iii) to discuss guiding principles for policy‐making based on the pathways. We applied the expert‐based Cross‐Impact‐Balance (CIB) methodology to the German agri‐food system (target year 2030). Seven descriptors that represent the most relevant socio‐economic drivers of biodiversity (here, we focus on species richness) in agricultural landscapes in Germany were defined. In three workshops with different groups of experts, we assessed all the interactions and impacts between these descriptors. From the workshops, seven overlapping scenarios were identified and aggregated into four main future pathways for enhancing biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. These pathways are: (1) ‘Innovation and stricter legislation’, (2) ‘Major change in protein production and CAP shift’, (3) ‘Major change in protein production and national legislation’ and (4) ‘Major social changes compensate for a lack of innovation in food production’. Socio‐economic drivers interact to varying degrees. Societal values have a strong active influence on the system, e. g. agricultural policy, whereas the orientation and objectives of agriculture, e. g. focus on public goods, are rather passively determined. Conserving biodiversity thus depends upon the evolution of societal values, European and national nature conservation and agricultural policies, innovations in plant and protein production as well as on global commodity markets. A key message for policymakers is that there are generally different, complementary options for achieving the objective of improving biodiversity. This is important when specific drivers such as the CAP cannot be steered in a particular desired direction.
Pesticide residues in daily bee pollen samples (April–July) from an intensive agricultural region in Southern Germany
(2021) Friedle, Carolin; Wallner, Klaus; Rosenkranz, Peter; Martens, Dieter; Vetter, Walter
Insect-pollinated plants are essential for honey bees to feed their brood. In agricultural landscapes, honey bees and other pollinators are often exposed to pesticides used for cultivation. In order to gain more insight into the fluctuation of pesticide loads, 102 daily pollen samples were collected between April and July 2018 in a fruit-growing area in Southern Germany. Samples were analyzed with respect to more than 260 pesticides using a multi-residue pesticide analysis method. Almost 90% of the analyzed pollen samples featured between one and thirteen different pesticides. In total, 29 pesticides were detected at maximum concentrations of up to 4500 ng/g pollen. Maximum residual concentrations of most pesticides were observed during April and the first half of May, as well as during the second half of June. In most cases, serial data of pesticide residuals were detected for approximately 10 subsequent days with two or three maximum values, which were several folds higher than concentrations on the days before and thereafter. The pollen hazard quotient (PHQ) was calculated to estimate the risk of the detected pesticides to honey bees and wild pollinators.
Public knowledge of alternative media in times of algorithmically personalized news
(2021) Klawier, Tilman; Prochazka, Fabian; Schweiger, Wolfgang
Citizens are likely to encounter various types of alternative media online, especially on algorithmically personalized news channels (APNC) like social network sites or search engines. It is unclear, however, to what degree they are aware of these outlets and familiar with the concept of alternative media. This study investigates the relation between exposure to alternative media and knowledge of them, taking the role of APNC into account. Analyzing representative survey data of German Internet users, we find a gap: While many individuals report to use alternative media, few of them are able to name alternative media titles matching scholarly conceptions. Although the use of APNC increases self-reported exposure to alternative media, it does not improve actual knowledge of them. All in all, many Internet users have little awareness of alternative media and do not clearly distinguish between different types of sources they come across online.
Real wages and the business cycle in Germany
(2010) Beißinger, Thomas; Marczak, Martyna
This paper establishes stylized facts about the cyclicality of real consumer wages and real producer wages in Germany. As detrending methods we apply the deterministic trend model, the Beveridge-Nelson decomposition, the Hodrick-Prescott filter, the Baxter-King filter and the structural time series model. The detrended data are analyzed both in the time domain and in the frequency domain. The great advantage of an analysis in the frequency domain is that it allows to assess the relative importance of particular frequencies for the behavior of real wages. In the time domain we find that both real wages display a procyclical pattern and lag behind the business cycle. In the frequency domain the consumer real wage lags behind the business cycle and shows an anticyclical behavior for shorter time periods, whereas for longer time spans a procyclical behavior can be observed. However, for the producer real wage the results in the frequency domain remain inconclusive.
Red foxes harbor two genetically distinct, spatially separated Echinococcus multilocularis clusters in Brandenburg, Germany
(2021) Herzig, Mandy; Maksimov, Pavlo; Staubach, Christoph; Romig, Thomas; Knapp, Jenny; Gottstein, Bruno; Conraths, Franz J.
Background: Alveolar echinococcosis (AE) is a clinically serious zoonosis caused by the fox tapeworm Echinococcus multilocularis. We studied the diversity and the distribution of genotypes of E. multilocularis isolated from foxes in Brandenburg, Germany, and in comparison to a hunting ground in North Rhine-Westphalia. Methods: Echinococcus multilocularis specimens from 101 foxes, 91 derived from Brandenburg and 10 derived from North Rhine-Westphalia, were examined. To detect potential mixed infections with different genotypes of E. multilocularis, five worms per fox were analyzed. For genotyping, three mitochondrial markers, namely cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (Cox1), NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (Nad1), and ATP synthase subunit 6 (ATP6), and the nuclear microsatellite marker EmsB were used. To identify nucleotide polymorphisms, the mitochondrial markers were sequenced and the data were compared, including with published sequences from other regions. EmsB fragment length profiles were determined and confirmed by Kohonen network analysis and grouping of Sammon’s nonlinear mapping with k-means clustering. The spatial distribution of genotypes was analyzed by SaTScan for the EmsB profiles found in Brandenburg. Results: With both the mitochondrial makers and the EmsB microsatellite fragment length profile analyses, mixed infections with different E. multilocularis genotypes were detected in foxes from Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia. Genotyping using the mitochondrial markers showed that the examined parasite specimens belong to the European haplotype of E. multilocularis, but a detailed spatial analysis was not possible due to the limited heterogeneity of these markers in the parasite population. Four (D, E, G, and H) out of the five EmsB profiles described in Europe so far were detected in the samples from Brandenburg and North Rhine-Westphalia. The EmsB profile G was the most common. A spatial cluster of the E. multilocularis genotype with the EmsB profile G was found in northeastern Brandenburg, and a cluster of profile D was found in southern parts of this state. Conclusions: Genotyping of E. multilocularis showed that individual foxes may harbor different genotypes of the parasite. EmsB profiles allowed the identification of spatial clusters, which may help in understanding the distribution and spread of the infection in wildlife, and in relatively small endemic areas.
Reliance on biological nitrogen fixation depletes soil phosphorus and potassium reserves
(2020) Reimer, Marie; Hartmann, Tobias Edward; Oelofse, Myles; Magid, Jakob; Bünemann, Else K.; Möller, Kurt
Limited nutrient availability is one of the major challenges in organic farming. Little is known about nutrient budgets of organic farms, the underlying factors or effects on soil fertility. We therefore assessed farm gate nutrient budgets for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg) and sulfur (S) of 20 organic farms in Germany and analyzed their soil nutri-ent status. In average, the budgets showed a surplus of N (19 kg ha−1), K (5 kg ha−1), S (12 kg ha−1), and Mg (7 kg ha−1), and a deficit of P (−3 kg ha−1). There was, however, high variability between farms (e.g. standard deviation up to ± 36 kg N ha−1), which was mainly explained by different degrees of reliance on biological N fixation (BNF) as N source. When farms obtained more than 60% of their N input through BNF, they had deficits of P (mean −8 kg P ha−1) and K (mean −18 kg K ha−1). Nutrient status of most soils was within the ad-vised corridor, but for P, K and Mg, 10–15% of fields were lower and 45–63% were higher than advised. Extractable soil nutrient contents did not correlate with the nutrient budgets, inputs or outputs. Only extractable soil P increased with increasing P inputs and outputs. Fur-thermore, a decrease in extractable soil P was detected with a prolonged history of organic farming, indicating a risk of soil P mining in organic farming systems. In conclusion, the study revealed nutrient imbalances in organic farming and pointed to P and K scarcity as a major challenge for organic farms with high reliance on BNF in the long term.
Serological protection rates against TBEV infection in blood donors from a highly endemic region in Southern Germany
(2023) Dobler, Gerhard; Euringer, Kathrin; Kaier, Klaus; Borde, Johannes P.
Background: Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is the most significant tick-borne disease in Europe and Asia, with more than 10,000 cases per year worldwide. A surge of reported TBE cases can be observed despite the availability of highly efficient vaccines. There is little known about the serological immune protection rate of the population in Germany. The seroprotection rate is defined as the presence of neutralizing antibodies. In contrast, the vaccination rate, as defined by public health agencies, may differ from the true protection rate in a population. Materials and Methods: 2220 blood samples from inhabitants of the county Ortenaukreis in the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg in Germany were included in the study. These were tested for anti-TBEV IgG antibodies by an anti-TBEV-IgG-ELISA. Subsequently, all TBEV-IgG positive samples were confirmed for neutralizing antibodies in the micro serum neutralization assay. Results: From the overall 2220 samples, 2104 were included in the comparison because of the selection of specific age groups (ages 20–69). In our sample size, we found an average serological protection rate (presence of neutralizing antibodies) of 57% (518/908) for the female blood donors and of 52% (632/1196) for the male blood donors. Discussion: In this study, we present new findings on a highly endemic region in southern Germany. Additionally, we present current data regarding the serological TBEV protection rates in the Ortenaukreis in southern Germany and compare these with a dataset published by the RKI, which is based on vaccination reports of the primary care providers and health care insurers, and with a self-reporting study conducted by a vaccine manufacturer. Our results significantly exceed the official numbers of average active vaccination status by 23.2% for females and by 21% for males. This might indicate an even longer persistence of TBE-vaccination-induced antibody titers than previously assumed.
Stakeholder perspectives on the contribution of digital technologies to improve the sustainability of fruit production – a case study on the Lake Constance region in Germany
(2024) Gaber, Kirsten; Bieling, Claudia
Fruit cultivation is facing numerous sustainability challenges including climate change, weather extremes, and societal pressures surrounding the use of agricultural inputs. The value of fruit cultivation extends beyond the production of food, as the places of production are regionally important for ecology, recreation, tourism, and socio-cultural values; thus, sustainability issues threaten not only the future production of fruit, but also the cultural landscape as such. Digitalization in agriculture is progressing at a rapid pace and is frequently heralded as a solution to the current pressures surrounding modern food production. Increased productivity, efficiency gains, and improved transparency along the food value chain, enabled through the implementation of digital technologies, may lead to environmental and socio-economic benefits. Meanwhile, a divide is growing between supporters of digitalization and skeptics who are concerned with the technologies and their short- and long-term impacts. Digital solutions are not always suitable across agricultural sectors and regions due to differences in crop management activities, land-use types (e.g. perennial crop area like orchards versus arable land area for temporary crops), and physical barriers and infrastructure. At the face of these challenges and the rapid development of digitalization, stakeholder perceptions regarding the influence of digitalization on the sustainability of fruit cultivation must be understood in order to enable a sustainable further development of digital technologies. Particular to the case study region of this dissertation, the Lake Constance region in southern Germany, research on stakeholder perspectives at the interface of sustainability in fruit production and digitalization does not exist. There is a large knowledge gap regarding the attitudes and practical understandings of the stakeholders impacted by the digital transformation of fruit cultivation, as well as what measures are required to support a more user-oriented development. Technology development without the consideration of barriers, user abilities, and user expectations may lead to an imbalanced transformation that may favour certain agricultural sectors, farm sizes, or production systems over others, which may consequently create a regional, demographic, and/or sectoral digital divide. To this end, this cumulative doctoral work sought to explore the knowledge and views of stakeholders regarding the contribution of digital technologies to improve the sustainability of fruit production by using an empirical and qualitative case-study approach within the setting of sustainability research. The case-study region was the Lake Constance region in Germany, characterized by organic and integrated production (IP) fruit production on small- to medium-sized family farms. This region is the second-largest fruit growing area in the country and plays a critical role in the regional, national, and international food supply. The research questions that have guided this doctoral thesis are as follows: (1) What is the state of the art on digital technologies in fruit production? (2) How do stakeholders perceive digitalized fruit production, adoption and barriers to adoption of the technologies, and do these perceptions differ based on production system or farm size? (3) Do farmers (and other stakeholders) believe that digital technologies can tackle the environmental and social/societal sustainability challenges of fruit production, in both conventional and organic production, and if yes, how? In order to answer these questions, the author comprehensively reviewed over 200 digital tools that can be used by farms in the context of fruit production and conducted a qualitative analysis of 34 interviews with stakeholders along the fruit value chain. The three research articles that form the basis of this cumulative dissertation synergistically answer these questions through the research findings and surrounding scientific literature-based discussions. Overall, the development of digital tools for this case study region appears to be unsuitable and knowledge on digitalization is uneven. Based on the findings, opportunities for technological development to overcome reported barriers and therefore support a user-oriented transformation include the development of tools that are cost-efficient, such as tools with multifunctionalities or that are hireable services, and that offer technical support in the local language. Marketing of technologies must be improved, as misguided marketing and inadequate information in the fruit sector may hinder implementation. Political frameworks should prioritize supporting the inclusion of small farms and equal efforts for development and implementation across production systems. The reduction of agricultural inputs and lack of societal acceptance of agriculture were the most frequently reported sustainability challenges for regional fruit production. Stakeholders believed both environmental and socio-economic challenges could be mitigated by digitalization in fruit production, particularly through increased efficiency and improved transparency. However, perceptions of digitalization’s chances and challenges varied among individuals, fruit production systems, and farm sizes. Furthermore, the majority of stakeholders believed that digitalization could change the public opinion about fruit production, either through on-farm use of the technologies or through improved transparency along the value chain. Both pathways were reported to potentially create positive or negative impacts; for instance, more transparency can lead to improved trust between farmers and consumers, but could also de-romanticize expectations or contradict the idea of naturalness in agriculture, especially in the case of organic farming. The discourse surrounding the use of digital technologies in fruit farming may be more influential on public opinion than their actual implementation. According to stakeholders in the Lake Constance region, digitalized technologies can be used as tools to mitigate urgent sustainability challenges in fruit cultivation, but are not a cure-all solution. These technologies must be considered with caution, as they also risk worsening sustainability issues, particularly related to power inequalities and the growth paradigm of greater productivity and efficiency. Therefore, a reprioritization of digitalization focusing on mitigating urgent sustainability issues is required. This should include the supported development and implementation of user-driven technological design, hybrid (human-technological) intelligence for fruit cultivation tasks, and tools that prioritize building trust towards farmers and maintaining their autonomy. Future transdisciplinary research approaches are encouraged in order to meet many of the provided recommendations from this dissertation, such as enabling collaborative technology- and research design, improving foundational knowledge of involved groups through capacity-building measures like trainings, and building trust between actor groups. The results of this work will inform policy makers, researchers, and technology developers to support the fruit production sector to overcome current and future sustainability issues and enable fair, informed participation in the digital transformation of agriculture.
The geography of stock exchanges in Imperial Germany
(2014) Lehmann-Hasemeyer, Sibylle; Burhop, Carsten
23 Stock Exchanges were in operation in Germany in 1913. We provide new data about the number of listed firms, their market value, and the number of IPOs between 1897 and 1913 for all exchanges. We assess reasons why a firm opts to be listed at a certain exchange. Large firms tend to be listed and tend to go public at the Berlin Stock Exchange, while the regional stock exchanges were important hosts for small and medium-sized firms. Borders and distance affect listing decisions, suggesting that a patriotic home bias and asymmetric information between issuer and investors affected listing decisions.
The long shadow of history
roman legacy and economic development - evidence from the German limes
(2015) Wahl, Fabian
This paper contributes to the understanding of the long-run consequences of Roman rule on economic development. In ancient times, the area of contemporary Germany was divided into a Roman and non-Roman part. The study uses this division to test whether the formerly Roman part of Germany show a higher nightlight luminosity than the non-Roman part. This is done by using the Limes wall as geographical discontinuity in a regression discontinuity design framework. The results indicate that economic development—as measured by luminosity—is indeed significantly and robustly larger in the formerly Roman parts of Germany. The study identifies the persistence of the Roman road network until the present as an important factor causing this development advantage of the formerly Roman part of Germany both by fostering city growth and by allowing for a denser road network.