Assessing seed and breeding interventions for organic farming using a multiagent value chain approach

Eva Winter (), Christian Grovermann (), Monika M. Messmer () and Joachim Aurbacher ()
Additional contact information
Eva Winter: Institute of Farm and Agribusiness Management, Justus-Liebig University of Giessen
Christian Grovermann: Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL)
Monika M. Messmer: Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL)
Joachim Aurbacher: Institute of Farm and Agribusiness Management, Justus-Liebig University of Giessen

Agricultural and Food Economics, 2023, vol. 11, issue 1, 1-27

Abstract: Abstract According to the EU’s organic regulation, the use of organic seed is generally binding in organic farming. Because of an organic seed shortage, derogations to use nonorganic seed can be obtained. By 2036, the EU plans to phase out these derogations and achieve 100% organic seed use. Previous attempts at achieving this, though, have failed. Ensuring organic seed supply is of particular EU-wide importance to meet EU policy goals, such as the farm-to-fork strategy. To assess the impact of measures to smooth this transition, we developed the VAL-MAS model (VALue chain Multi-Agent System). VAL-MAS is a multiagent model based on a heterogeneous agent population and mathematical programming that can provide insights into the performance of different seed system interventions. We selected organic fresh market carrots in Germany for their importance in the national and European organic sector as an example case. Our model suggests that the end of the derogation system poses a challenge to the seed value chain in terms of seed supply and farm incomes. The most effective mitigation solution is an investment in improved pest control during seed multiplication, accompanied by a stepwise phasing out of derogations for the use of nonorganic seed.

Keywords: Simulation; Mathematical programming; Agent-based modelling; Seed and breeding value chain; Organic seed; Ex ante policy evaluation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
http://link.springer.com/10.1186/s40100-023-00262-x Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:agfoec:v:11:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1186_s40100-023-00262-x

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.springer. ... nomics/journal/40100

DOI: 10.1186/s40100-023-00262-x

Access Statistics for this article

Agricultural and Food Economics is currently edited by Alessandro Banterle, Liesbeth Dries, Andrea Marchini and Carlo Russo

More articles in Agricultural and Food Economics from Springer, Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA) Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().