Understanding the Relationships between Extensive Livestock Systems, Land-Cover Changes, and CAP Support in Less-Favored Mediterranean Areas

Laurence Delattre, Marta Debolini, Jean Christophe Paoli, Claude Napoleone, Michel Moulery, Lara Leonelli and Pierre Santucci
Additional contact information
Marta Debolini: UMR 1114 EMMAH INRAE-AU, 84914 Avignon, France
Jean Christophe Paoli: UR 0045 LRDE INRAE, 20250 Corte, France
Claude Napoleone: UR Ecodeveloppement INRAE, 84914 Avignon, France
Michel Moulery: UR Ecodeveloppement INRAE, 84914 Avignon, France
Lara Leonelli: UMR 6134 SPE CNRS, Université de Corse, 20250 Corte, France
Pierre Santucci: UR 0045 LRDE INRAE, 20250 Corte, France

Land, 2020, vol. 9, issue 12, 1-20

Abstract: Farm abandonment and over-extensification trends in less-favored livestock breeding areas in the Mediterranean have led to socio-environmental issues that are difficult to assess and address, due to the characteristics of these areas (e.g., poor data availability and reliability). In a study case that presents many of the characteristics common to these areas, we combine qualitative and quantitative approaches to assess (i) the relationship between livestock production and land-cover change and (ii) the drivers of farmer decisions, concerning the types of livestock they breed. We show that the Common Agricultural Policy’s objective of open-landscape preservation cannot be achieved through the observed livestock management practices, with the most heavily CAP subsidy-dependent activities (e.g., suckler-cow breeding) having one of the weakest contributions to this objective. We also econometrically show that suckler-cow breeding is more likely to be adopted as a complementary or main activity in farms facing a labor scarcity and land abundance context. These results complement the literature and contribute to the discussion regarding the design of CAP support for less-favored Mediterranean areas.

Keywords: Mediterranean mountainous landscape; farmer choice drivers; extensive livestock systems; Common Agricultural Policy; land-use change; less favored areas (LFA) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

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Related works:
Working Paper: Understanding the Relationships between Extensive Livestock Systems, Land-Cover Changes, and CAP Support in Less-Favored Mediterranean Areas (2020)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:9:y:2020:i:12:p:518-:d:461892

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