Browsing by Subject "Wirtschaftlichkeit"

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Environmental and economic assessment of the intensive wheat - maize production system in the North China Plain
(2016) Ha, Nan; Bahrs, Enno
To ensure food security for its vast population input intensification in crop production has been one of China’s major strategies in the last decades. However, the negative environmental impact of the highly intensive crop production becomes apparent. Especially the emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) constitutes a major sustainability issue of crop production in China. The winter wheat - summer maize (WW-SM) double cropping system plays a crucial role for China’s national food security. Strong research efforts mainly focusing on field experiments insufficiently consider the economic viability of the proposed improvement strategies and farmers’actual crop management. Therefore this study aims to fill this void by assessing farmers’actual crop management in the WW-SM production system, with regard to its environmental and economic performance to derive suitable improvement strategies for more sustainable crop production in the North China Plain (NCP). This cumulative PhD thesis consists of three papers published or accepted with revisions in international peer-reviewed journals. A field survey conducted in 2011 interviewing 65 WW-SM producing farm households constitutes the core data base for the thesis’analysis. The data was supplemented by expert interviews and specific secondary data. Partial life cycle analysis and economic assessment were conducted, comprising GHG emission, product carbon footprint (PCF), gross margin (GM), variable cost per unit product and life cycle costing (LCC) as key environmental and economic indicators, respectively. The first article describes the status quo of single farm environmental and economic performance of 65 WW-SM producers. The results revealed a huge heterogeneity among farms. Astonishingly no trade-off between productivity and sustainability could be identified in the region. Building on cluster analysis, with farms grouped according to their economic and environmental performance into “poor”, “fair” and “good” producers, the regional GHG mitigation potential was estimated. Under the scenario assumption that all grain in the NCP is produced under “good” production conditions, 21% and 7% of GHG could be mitigated in wheat and maize production, respectively. To be able to address the existing heterogeneity and develop strategies towards attaining GHG mitigation in practice, the second article aimed at assessing the factors determining farmers’ current environmental and economic performance. Using stepwise multiple linear regression (SMLR) it was revealed that nitrogen (N) input and electricity for irrigation were responsible for 0.787 and 0.802 of variability (adjusted R2) in the GHG emission results of the WW and SM production, respectively. Electricity for irrigation and labor were the most significant factors explaining the differences in LCC of WW and SM production, with an adjusted coefficient of determination (adjusted R2) of 0.397 and 0.29. This finding indicates that N input, electricity for irrigation and labor are key target areas for lowering GHG emissions and production costs of the WW-SM production system in the NCP. As revealed in the second article overuse of N fertilizer, which actually constitutes a major current issue in China, offers great potential for reducing GHG emissions and production costs in the WW-SM production system. Therefore in the third article three simple and easily to apply N fertilizer recommendation strategies are tested, which could be implemented on large scale through the existing agricultural advisory system of China, at comparatively low cost. Building on the household dataset, the effects of the three N strategies under constant and changing yield levels on PCF and GM were determined for every individual farm household. The N fixed rate strategy realized the highest improvement potential in PCF and GM in WW; while the N coefficient strategy performed best in SM. The analysis furthermore revealed that improved N management has a significant positive effect on PCF, but only a marginal and insignificant effect on GM. On the other side, a potential 10 % yield loss would have only a marginal effect on PCF, but a detrimental effect on farmers’income. It will be of vital importance to avoid any yield reductions and respective severe financial losses, when promoting and implementing advanced fertilization strategies. Therefore, it is furthermore recommended to increase the price of fertilizer, improve the agricultural extensions system, and recognize farmers’ fertilizer related decision-making processes as key research areas. The presented thesis gives valuable contributions to the development of environmentally and economically more sustainable crop production systems in the NCP. The thesis concludes that an adjustment in the agricultural advisory system is required, supported by more interdisciplinary research, which is able to address the inherent complexity of realizing more sustainable crop production in China.
Gesamtbetriebliche Analyse von Weidebetrieben und Weidesystemen in der Milchviehhaltung in unterschiedlichen Regionen Süddeutschlands
(2014) Kiefer, Lukas Robert; Bahrs, Enno
Grassland use and particularly pasture milk production is considered a highly sustainable milk production method which renders many ecosystem services for society (such as greater biodiversity, maintenance of rural cultural regions, climate protection due to higher carbon storage capacity of grassland, better animal appropriateness by regular grazing) as opposed to permanent indoor housing with its high portion of concentrate feed. Nevertheless, the share of pasture farming in overall milk production falls behind production by increasing permanent indoor housing in Germany. Therefore, it appears appropriate to analyze the necessary business environment for pasture farming with consideration of selected ecosystem services actually provided and to sketch suitable recommendations for consultation of farmers. Against this background, the research project “Business analysis and optimization of pasture-based farms and pasture systems in dairy farming in different regions of South Germany” was designed. The research project evaluated production technology, labor economics, business success, greenhouse gas emissions and specific ecosystem services of more than 80 specialized pasture milk producers through three economic years (2008/09-2010/11) and was dedicated to analysing economic and ecological competitiveness of pasture milk production at specific locations. As a result the most profitable pasture farms of the sample regarding management income and hourly rate can compete with the most profitable farms that practice permanent indoor housing; thus, they demonstrate potential economic strength of pasture farms at suitable locations. Decisive determinants of economically successful pasture management include organic farming (higher milk prices and financial compensation), high amounts of milk from forage, sufficient milk yield of the individual cow (>6,000 kg), and a great portion of pasture grass in the feed as well as high work efficiency via seasonal calving, all-day grazing and short-lawn pasture. High profitability and low greenhouse gas emissions can be achieved simultaneously through high efficiency of production. Some farms can even make “greenhouse gas avoidance gains” when production costs and proportionate emissions decrease at the same time thanks to reduced feed demand per kg milk. There is still a substantial need for research in the field of greenhouse gas balancing, particularly regarding evaluation of the manifold ecosystem services of pasture milk production. Many pasture-based farms are compensated for the above-mentioned services via the 2nd pillar of Common Agricultural Policy, but such services remain unconsidered in greenhouse gas balancing so far. It is for this reason that pasture-based farms with low productivity as well as organic farms perform poorly compared to more intensive farming with high productivity if they are measured by the established formulas of greenhouse gas balancing. Consideration of ecosystem services in the framework of greenhouse gas balancing would be possible via economic allocation of emissions between milk, meat, and subsidies of the 2nd pillar of Common Agricultural Policy, however. Based on our sample, this approach would result in an approximation of the carbon footprints per kg milk produced by extensive and intensive or organic and conventional farms, respectively. Nevertheless, a fundamental antagonism still persists between high production efficiency, which is desirable from the point of view of climate protection on the one hand and ecosystem services attainable by extensive production on the other hand. Like other milk production systems, profitable pasture milk production associated with lowest possible greenhouse gas emissions requires first of all competent training and consultation of farmers, which meets the requirements of the respective production method. Policy could improve the relevant framework conditions. Successful pasture milk producers are margin optimizers whose economic success depends above all on higher producer prices (organic milk, pasture milk), cost minimizing milk production based on pasture as the cheapest feed for many farms as well as funding of the ecosystem services which are desired by society. Farm growth and increases in milk yield are harder to achieve for pasture milk producers because consolidated areas are missing or more concentrate feed would be necessary. According to the results of the investigated sample, stronger support of the unique image of pasture milk (which does not necessarily mean monetary funding in this context) as well as increased know-how in the field of pasture milk production is desirable in order to establish or develop the numerous very positive approaches of pasture use in grassland regions that were analyzed in our investigation. The latest EU agrarian reform as well as new EAFRD regulations offer some good starting points in this regard.
Konfliktkostenmanagement – Wirtschaftlichkeitskontrolle im Konflikt- und Kommunikationsmanagement
(2014) Audi, Manuel; Brettschneider, Frank
Conflict management is a method of limiting the negative effects of conflict while increasing the positive ones. Conflict cost management has not yet been considered as a major task of the conflict management process. The dissertation bridges this gap by developing a theoretical model which aims to ensure a systematical management of direct and indirect conflict costs. The conflict cost management model is being integrated into the conflict and communication management process. The model can be incorporated in the organizational management process as an independent approach to identify, measure and control conflict costs. Furthermore the model can be used to manage the profitability of different interventions aiming to prevent and/or to treat existing or potential conflicts.
Opportunities and constraints for agrofuels in developing countries : case studies on economic viability and employment effects of Jatropha production
(2010) Grass, Martin; Zeller, Manfred
This dissertation was motivated by controversial statements of politicians and lobby groups for and against first-generation agrofuel production. Therefore this thesis contributes to a more realistic view on opportunities and constraints for agrofuel production based on first-generation technologies. The findings are based on an intensive literature review covering the following topics: current production trends of ethanol and agrodiesel, their potential for fossil energy substitution and greenhouse gas reduction including related costs, rural development and poverty alleviation. This more general overview on agrofuels was deepened by own research on Jatropha seed production in India and Madagascar. In this context the economic viability of Jatropha seed production and possible income effects for households living in the vicinity of a Jatropha plantation were analyzed. For this special agrofuel feedstock the findings allowed shedding some light on important aspects of the much broader topic concerning the production of agrofuels. To cover the above mentioned topics this dissertation is structured around three research papers. The first paper identifies and discusses the opportunities and constraints of first-generation agrofuel production in developed and developing countries and is based on an intensive literature review. Therefore this paper contrasts arguments used by politicians to justify agrofuel support measures like energy security, greenhouse gas reduction potential, income generation and possible rural development with new scientific findings on each argument. Furthermore data on worldwide trends in ethanol and agrodiesel production were presented. The second paper focuses on one possible option to lower competition between food and agrofuel production at least partially. This option is seen in the production of Jatropha seeds on marginal land not suitable for food production. In this context an Indian case study revealed the economic viability of Jatropha seed production on marginal land. The database for this study includes data derived from literature as well as experimental field data provided by the ?International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics?. The third paper addresses possible income effects for rural households offering their labour force to a Jatropha plantation in central Madagascar. The econometric impact assessment is based on a socio-economic household survey undertaken by the author in 2009. To account for possible selection bias the propensity score matching approach was used to estimate the average treatment effect on the treated by comparing the average income of Jatropha plantation households and control households. The findings for 336 households reveal positive income effects for households working at the Jatropha plantation. The dissertation concludes that more investments in research are needed to gain a potential win-win situation for rural households, investors and the environment especially for the case of developing countries. The results lead to the conclusion, that smallholder based Jatropha seed production should not be promoted in developing countries. Therefore this dissertation concludes further that it would be far better for developing countries to let international investors set up Jatropha plantations, hence in this case the economic risk is borne by the foreign investors. Furthermore abundant labour in rural areas could find employment opportunities with such plantations and therefore would be able to generate some income for their families. Nevertheless the implementation of Jatropha projects financed by international investor?s needs regulations set up by national governments. Those regulations should cover each aspect within the entire value chain of Jatropha agrofuel production and should be embedded in a national energy and rural development policy. Furthermore institutional frameworks such as land tenure security and labour rights have to be enforced. Setting up aforementioned regulations and institutional frameworks can prevent possible constraints such as, land grabbing, exploitation of rural labourers, loss of biodiversity and competition between Jatropha seed and food production e.g. for scarce water, which could occur due to foreign investment in local Jatropha (and other agrofuel feedstocks) cultivation in the worst case.
Zur Methodik entscheidungslogisch korrekter Wirtschaftlichkeitsuntersuchungen der öffentlichen Hand
(2023) Mayer, Mark Alexander; Troßmann, Ernst
For the public sector, the principle of economic efficiency must be considered when making investment decisions. It has been shown that public investments affect a variety of objectives. In contrast to private decision makers, the public sector must not solely consider financial objectives. To comply with the principle of economic efficiency as an adequate basis for decision making, economic studies must take into account these diverse objectives of public investments. The published Guidelines, ordinances, and laws on economic analysis do not meet this requirement, nor do economic cost-benefit-analyses. To develop a decision-logical methodology for economic analysis a distinction is made between choice decisions that relate to alternative projects and program decisions that relate to alternative project bundles (programs). The financial objective is interpreted in a special way: it is seen as an opportunistic objective. Rather than an origin benefit, it represents the missing or additional benefit of a displaced or additional investment. This relationship is made explicit in investment program decisions. In choice decisions it must be estimated. A utility analytical approach is used to solve the decision problem on choice decisions. Therefore, nonfinancial objectives are processed directly, while the financial objective is processed by an isolated dynamic investment model. To enable a consistent consideration of temporally differentiated effects, a decision-logically design of a dynamic utility analysis was developed. To consider the financial objective, an investment model was chosen that adequately captures comprehensive effects of investment activity on the financial situation of the public decision making unit: the generalized market interest method according to Troßmann. First, it was made usable for public investments. Then the method was adapted, so it can use different reference points in time. This enables a differentiation of the planning period, which can be used to build appropriate models in the case of long-term investments. Because alternative approaches for integrating the financial and the nonfinancial objectives in one utility analysis are not acceptable, only an omni criterial dynamic utility analysis can be recommended for making public choice decisions. In its basic structure, linear programming models are used for public program decisions. The target function maximizes the utility indicator, which is created using a dynamic utility analysis. The constraints ensure that for all periods investment budgets are complied with. The model was designed to support decisions about the beginning of the project, which on the one hand better corresponds to the practice of medium-term budget planning and on the other hand significantly increases the possibilities in the composition of the optimal investment program even within tight financial budgets. Various implementation conditions require the use of a mixed integer planning model, for which it was shown that an optimal solution can be found after a short computation time even for very extensive models. All in all, this results in two decision-logical modelling proposals for investment decisions in the public sector, which were illustrated by a comprehensive case study. If cleverly combined, they can also be used to deal with the entire investment planning task in the public sector. Combining these well-known methods in business administration into a fundamentally new approach offers starting points for further research. The next step towards results, that are utilizable would be the integration of uncertainty.