Modeling economic-environmental decision making for agricultural land use in Argentinean Pampas

This research evaluates the economic and environmental impacts of land allocation to crops and extensive livestock production in the Argentine Pampas using compromise programming. Two economic indicators (gross margin, direct costs) and five environmental indicators (organic carbon input to soil, nu...

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Autores principales: Cabrini, Silvina Marí­a, Calcaterra, Carlos Pablo
Formato: Artículo
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2018
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X15300743
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/2275
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2015.12.016
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author Cabrini, Silvina Marí­a
Calcaterra, Carlos Pablo
author_browse Cabrini, Silvina Marí­a
Calcaterra, Carlos Pablo
author_facet Cabrini, Silvina Marí­a
Calcaterra, Carlos Pablo
author_sort Cabrini, Silvina Marí­a
collection INTA Digital
description This research evaluates the economic and environmental impacts of land allocation to crops and extensive livestock production in the Argentine Pampas using compromise programming. Two economic indicators (gross margin, direct costs) and five environmental indicators (organic carbon input to soil, nutrient balances, agrochemicals impact and soil erosion) are considered. The tradeoff between economic and environmental objectives is assessed and the preferred land allocation schemes determined by the multicriteria model are compared to the current land use in the region of Pergamino, North of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Results indicate that it is important to consider not only the environmental-economic tradeoff in farming, but also the conflict across different environmental criteria in order to determine whether it is reasonable to stimulate activities which improve some environmental indicators at the expense of getting less desirable values in others. For instance, an increase of productivity in agriculture enhances soil organic carbon content but it may increase the risk of contamination with agrochemicals and nutrients. Results are consistent with the notion that extensive crop-livestock production systems are more balanced than continuous crop farming. According to model results, optimal land assignment is a combination of crop and livestock activities (62 and 38% of land, respectively) which is associated with lower agrochemical use, greater organic carbon input to soil, better soil protection from erosion and more efficient nutrient cycling. This land assignment presents a decrease of 20% in the economic gross margin compared to the continuous agriculture scheme that maximizes the economic result. The comparison between current land use and the optimal land assignment based on model results show that farmers assign a smaller fraction of land to extensive livestock production (2–4%), than in the most balanced compromise solution (38%). Results also suggest that it would be appropriate to encourage farmers to reduce the area of land assigned to full-season soybeans.
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institution Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA -Argentina)
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spelling INTA22752018-04-19T12:12:49Z Modeling economic-environmental decision making for agricultural land use in Argentinean Pampas Cabrini, Silvina Marí­a Calcaterra, Carlos Pablo Gestión de Tierras Agricolas Utilización de la Tierra Toma de Decisiones Análisis Económico Medio Ambiente Agricultural Land Management Land Use Decision Making Economic Analysis Environment Región Pampeana This research evaluates the economic and environmental impacts of land allocation to crops and extensive livestock production in the Argentine Pampas using compromise programming. Two economic indicators (gross margin, direct costs) and five environmental indicators (organic carbon input to soil, nutrient balances, agrochemicals impact and soil erosion) are considered. The tradeoff between economic and environmental objectives is assessed and the preferred land allocation schemes determined by the multicriteria model are compared to the current land use in the region of Pergamino, North of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Results indicate that it is important to consider not only the environmental-economic tradeoff in farming, but also the conflict across different environmental criteria in order to determine whether it is reasonable to stimulate activities which improve some environmental indicators at the expense of getting less desirable values in others. For instance, an increase of productivity in agriculture enhances soil organic carbon content but it may increase the risk of contamination with agrochemicals and nutrients. Results are consistent with the notion that extensive crop-livestock production systems are more balanced than continuous crop farming. According to model results, optimal land assignment is a combination of crop and livestock activities (62 and 38% of land, respectively) which is associated with lower agrochemical use, greater organic carbon input to soil, better soil protection from erosion and more efficient nutrient cycling. This land assignment presents a decrease of 20% in the economic gross margin compared to the continuous agriculture scheme that maximizes the economic result. The comparison between current land use and the optimal land assignment based on model results show that farmers assign a smaller fraction of land to extensive livestock production (2–4%), than in the most balanced compromise solution (38%). Results also suggest that it would be appropriate to encourage farmers to reduce the area of land assigned to full-season soybeans. EEA Pergamino Fil: Cabrini, Silvina Marí­a. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino; Argentina Fil: Calcaterra, Carlos Pablo. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Centro Regional Buenos Aires Norte; Argentina 2018-04-19T12:11:30Z 2018-04-19T12:11:30Z 2016-03 info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X15300743 http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/2275 0308-521X https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2015.12.016 eng info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess application/pdf Agricultural Systems 143 : 183-194 (March 2016)
spellingShingle Gestión de Tierras Agricolas
Utilización de la Tierra
Toma de Decisiones
Análisis Económico
Medio Ambiente
Agricultural Land Management
Land Use
Decision Making
Economic Analysis
Environment
Región Pampeana
Cabrini, Silvina Marí­a
Calcaterra, Carlos Pablo
Modeling economic-environmental decision making for agricultural land use in Argentinean Pampas
title Modeling economic-environmental decision making for agricultural land use in Argentinean Pampas
title_full Modeling economic-environmental decision making for agricultural land use in Argentinean Pampas
title_fullStr Modeling economic-environmental decision making for agricultural land use in Argentinean Pampas
title_full_unstemmed Modeling economic-environmental decision making for agricultural land use in Argentinean Pampas
title_short Modeling economic-environmental decision making for agricultural land use in Argentinean Pampas
title_sort modeling economic environmental decision making for agricultural land use in argentinean pampas
topic Gestión de Tierras Agricolas
Utilización de la Tierra
Toma de Decisiones
Análisis Económico
Medio Ambiente
Agricultural Land Management
Land Use
Decision Making
Economic Analysis
Environment
Región Pampeana
url https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308521X15300743
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/2275
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agsy.2015.12.016
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AT calcaterracarlospablo modelingeconomicenvironmentaldecisionmakingforagriculturallanduseinargentineanpampas