3

Environmental, Economic and Social Impacts of NAE Agriculture and AKST

Coordinating Lead Authors:
Peter Lutman (UK); John Marsh (UK)

Lead Authors:
Rebecca Burt (USA), Joanna Chataway (UK), Janet Cotter (UK), Béatrice Darcy-Vrillon (France), Guy Debailleul (France), Andrea Grundy (UK), Mary Hendrickson (USA), Kenneth Hinga (USA), Brian Johnson (UK), Helena Kahiluoto (Finland), Uford Madden (USA), Mara Miele (Italy), Miloslava Navrátilová (Czech Republic) and Tanja Schuler (Germany)

Contributing Authors:
Riina Antikainen (Finland), Dave Bjorneberg (USA), Henrik Bruun (Finland), Randy L. Davis (USA), William Heffernan (USA), Susanne Johansson (Sweden), Richard Langlais (Canada), Veli-Matti Loiske (Sweden), Luciano Mateos (Spain), Jyrki Niemi (Finland), Fred Saunders (Australia), Paresh Shah (UK), Gerard Porter (UK), Timo Sipiläinen (Finland), Joyce Tait (UK), K.J. Thomson (UK), Francesco Vanni (Italy), Markku Yli-Halla (Finland)

Review Editors:
Barbara Dinham (UK), Maria Fonte (Italy), Michael Schechtman (USA), Dariusz Szwed (Poland)

Key Messages

3.1 Environmental Impacts of Agriculture and AKST within NAE 81
  3.1.1 Environmental consequences of changes in crop production 82
    3.1.1.1 Environmental effects of soil management 82
    3.1.1.2 Environmental consequences of pesticides and other agricultural chemical use 84
    3.1.1.3 Environmental consequences of increased field drainage 84
    3.1.1.4 Environmental consequences of irrigation 85
    3.1.1.5 Environmental consequences of the adoption of genetically engineered crops 85
    3.1.1.6 Environmental consequences of increased mechanization 86
    3.1.1.7 Environmental consequences of changes in farm size and structure 87
    3.1.1.8 Environmental consequences of growing more bioenergy crops 87

 

  3.1.2 Environmental consequences of changes in animal production 87
    3.1.2.1 Environmental impacts of differing animal husbandry systems 87
    3.1.2.2 Environmental effects of manures produced by animal production 88
    3.1.2.3 Animal husbandry and methane 88
    3.1.2.4 Environmental consequences of the use of veterinary medicines 88
  3.1.3 Environmental impacts of a larger aquaculture sector 88
  3.1.4 Environmental consequences of changes in forest management 90
  3.1.5 Overall environmental consequences of changes in the agricultural industry 90
    3.1.5.1 Overall environmental consequences of increased intensity of agriculture 90
    3.1.5.2 Environmental consequences of the increase in food miles 92
3.2 Economic Impacts of Agriculture and AKST within NAE 92
  3.2.1 Economic context linking advances in AKST to production 92
  3.2.2 Impact of AKST on supply and demand 93
  3.2.3 Impacts of advances in AKST on the growth of output and on farm businesses 94
  3.2.4 Impacts of AKST driven growth in output on processors and distributors 95
  3.2.5 Impacts on market power 95
  3.2.6 Structural change induced by AKST 97
  3.2.7 Impacts on trade of changes in production driven by AKST 98
  3.2.8 External economic impacts of the application of AKST 99
3.3 Social Impacts of Agriculture and AKST within NAE 99
  3.3.1 Impacts of changes in agriculture on community well-being 100
  3.3.2 Consumer concerns about the food system 100
  3.3.3 Social impact of increased mechanization 101
  3.3.4 Migration from rural areas 101
  3.3.5 Equity (benefits, control and access to resources) 102
    3.3.5.1 Equity in terms of economic benefits and value added 102
    3.3.5.2 Equity in access to resources 103
    3.3.5.3 Equity in control and influence 103
    3.3.5.4 Rise of alternative food systems 104
  3.3.6 Distancing consumers from production 104
  3.3.7 Nutritional consequences of NAE food systems 104
3.4 Impacts of NAE AKST through International Trade 104

79