This study assesses the potential impact of future climate change on agricultural land rents in Germany using a Ricardian approach. In addition to including common explanatory variables, we focus on the effects of different indicators of soil characteristics when explaining land rental prices. The analysis is based on data from the official farm census 1999, weather data from the German National Meteorological Service and different soil data-bases at the county level. Different classifications of soil quality do not influence the results of our Ricardian analysis. The results of spatial error models indicate higher land rental prices for locations with more productive soils and higher mean annual temperatures. Also a lower land slope, a smaller share of rented land and (in some cases) less spring precipitation increase land rental prices. To estimate the effects of changing climatic conditions on future land rents, we draw on data from the regional climate model REMO for 2011-2040. Our models show an average land rent increase of 10-17% resulting from the expected changes in temperature and spring precipitation. According to our results future climate change will have an overall positive but spatially heterogeneous impact on the agricultural income in Germany.

Assuming that agglomeration effects do matter in organic farming we analyse (a) the difficulties due to data aggregation arising when trying to statistically verify neighbourhood effects and (b) whether results can be confirmed at different spatial resolutions. Explaining the spatial distribution of organic farming in southern Germany (2007) we compare results of spatial lag models at two measurement scales. The results suggest that essential factors determining the decision to convert from conventional to organic farming are found at different spatial resolutions. The results at the lower spatial resolution are not artificially generated through the aggregation process in this case, strengthening the relevance of previous studies.

This work summarizes the main findings of a workshop conducted at the Universitat Hohenheim in February 2014 with the aim to develop and discuss supporting measures for organic farmers who are willing to (continue to) rent agricultural land. Surprisingly, only a few organic-farming specific challenges could be identified in the German land rental market. As supporting measures for organic farmers the participants suggested (i) to adapt (e.g., the time frame of) governmental support such as agri-environmental payments, (ii) to develop a positive image of organic farming at the regional level (e.g., via information at the organic field) and (iii) to systematically improve the relationship between landlord and organic tenant.

This article analyses the current climate-dependent spatial distribution of corn and corn-cob-mix in Baden-Wurttemberg using 2007 data at the county and community level. We use OLS and spatial econometric models to estimate the effects of different climate and non-climate variables on the share of grain maize in UAA. Whereas the temperature effect is missed by means of OLS regression, the adequate spatial error model at the county level yields a highly significant positive effect of mean annual temperature. Additionally, it displays a temperature cut-off point after which corn share is less likely to rise due to temperature increase. These effects are supported by a non-spatial multinomial logit model at the community level. The latter further indicates that soil quality also plays a role. The positive effect of annual precipitation remains ambiguous.

Zentrales Ziel des Vorhabens war, wesentliche Aussagen und Ergebnisse des IAASTD Berichtes (International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science and Technology for Development – Abschluss-Berichte der Plenarversammlung in Johannesburg, April 2008, verfugbar unter: http://www.agassessment.org/index.cfm?Page=IAASTD%20Reports&ItemID=2713) im Hinblick auf nachhaltige Landnutzung und den okologischen Landbau kompakt und verstandlich aufzubereiten und so einen Beitrag zum Wissenstransfer zu leisten. Der weltweite Blickwinkel des Berichts des Weltagrarrates sollte beibehalten werden, jedoch spezifisch fur den deutschen Sprachraum nutzbar gemacht werden. Im Rahmen des Projektes waren die Fragestellungen fur den Okolandbau zusammenzufassen und Schlussfolgerungen zu liefern. Zielgruppe sind dabei die interessierte Offentlichkeit sowie Fachleute in Verbanden, Politik, Wissenschaft und Verwaltung die sich mit der Gestaltung von Politik fur eine nachhaltige Landwirtschaft und den okologischen Landbau auseinandersetzen. Es soll ebenfalls als Grundlage fur die Arbeiten des BMELV nutzbar sein.