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This paper is entitled « Contracts For Regulating Environmental Damage From Farming: A Principal- Agent Approach » and explores the use of agency theory in the procurement of environmental public goods. The voluntary participation basis of many European agri-environmental schemes, combined with heterogeneity in the farm population and policy makers' lack of information about individual farms, poses a contract design problem. In particular, undifferentiated payment contracts and contracts that are amenable to « cheating » by farmers can lead to inefficiencies. Agency theory can assist in the design of contracts to overcome this situation. This paper presents a simple theoretical two-producer model, together with a simulated numerical example, to demonstrate the potential advantages of using agency theory in this manner. The results indicate how over-payment to farmers can be reduced. The increasing policy and funding importance of agri-environmental objectives suggest that further research in this field is merited. ; L'article étudie l'emploi de la théorie de l'agence dans les procédures administratives touchant à la fourniture de biens publics, ici l'environnement. La conception des contrats entre l'administration et les agriculteurs se heurte à trois facteurs: le principe de participation volontaire des agriculteurs qui caractérise un certain nombre de programmes agri-environnementaux européens, l'hétérogénéité de la population agricole, et le manque d'information disponible sur les exploitations individuelles. Deux types de contrats en particulier posent problème : ceux qui ne distinguent pas les différences entre agriculteurs et ceux qui permettent aux agriculteurs de " tricher ". La théorie de l'agence aide à formuler des contrats qui contournent ces difficultés. Les auteurs présentent ici un modèle théorique simple représentant deux types d'agriculteurs et une simulation à partir d'un exemple numérique. L'intérêt potentiel d'une telle application de la théorie de l'agence est mis en évidence. En particulier, les résultats indiquent la possibilité de diminuer l'attribution de subventions excessives aux agriculteurs. L'importance grandissante accordée aux objectifs agri-environnementaux dans l'élaboration des politiques montre la nécessité de poursuivre des recherches dans ce sens.

This paper is entitled « Contracts For Regulating Environmental Damage From Farming: A Principal- Agent Approach » and explores the use of agency theory in the procurement of environmental public goods. The voluntary participation basis of many European agri-environmental schemes, combined with heterogeneity in the farm population and policy makers' lack of information about individual farms, poses a contract design problem. In particular, undifferentiated payment contracts and contracts that are amenable to « cheating » by farmers can lead to inefficiencies. Agency theory can assist in the design of contracts to overcome this situation. This paper presents a simple theoretical two-producer model, together with a simulated numerical example, to demonstrate the potential advantages of using agency theory in this manner. The results indicate how over-payment to farmers can be reduced. The increasing policy and funding importance of agri-environmental objectives suggest that further research in this field is merited. ; L'article étudie l'emploi de la théorie de l'agence dans les procédures administratives touchant à la fourniture de biens publics, ici l'environnement. La conception des contrats entre l'administration et les agriculteurs se heurte à trois facteurs: le principe de participation volontaire des agriculteurs qui caractérise un certain nombre de programmes agri-environnementaux européens, l'hétérogénéité de la population agricole, et le manque d'information disponible sur les exploitations individuelles. Deux types de contrats en particulier posent problème : ceux qui ne distinguent pas les différences entre agriculteurs et ceux qui permettent aux agriculteurs de " tricher ". La théorie de l'agence aide à formuler des contrats qui contournent ces difficultés. Les auteurs présentent ici un modèle théorique simple représentant deux types d'agriculteurs et une simulation à partir d'un exemple numérique. L'intérêt potentiel d'une telle application de la théorie de l'agence est mis en évidence. En ...

This project examined how measures proposed through the Suckler Beef Climate Group may impact on the smart greenhouse gas inventory for agriculture. The emissions associated with Scottish suckler beef production in the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory for agriculture was estimated and then the extent of emission reductions from various interventions assessed.

Whilst the Scottish Government were considering the recommendations from the Suckler Beef Climate Group final report this paper provided advice on some of the wider issues that future Scottish Government support schemes need to consider across the wider agriculture sector

Advice provided to the Suckler Beef Climate Group Programme Board at inception. The report focuses on the issues that need to be addressed in taking the Suckler Beef Climate Group's recommendations forward into a deliverable support scheme that delivers against Scottish Government objectives

The Cattle Tracing System (CTS)1 run by the British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) holds data on the births, movements between businesses (i.e. farms, marts and abattoirs) and deaths of all cattle within Great Britain. Although collected primarily for livestock traceability purposes, CTS data are also a source of rich information on how the national herd is structured and performs. Data extracted from CTS by the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) for Scottish cattle were made available to SRUC via EPIC (Scotland's Centre of Expertise on animal disease outbreaks: Epidemiology, Population health and Infectious disease Control). The evolution of this unique methodological approach is embedded within the Rural Industries work package (WP2.4) of the 2016-2021 Scottish Government Strategic Research Programme5, and this work extends this ongoing analysis. This analytical framework of the population of Scottish cattle systems provides greater insights than data derived from relatively small sample sizes, or national datasets that do not account for the dynamic nature of the industry. Animal level data were aggregated through agricultural holding to business look-up tables to analyse the structure and performance of herds at both a business and national level over time. For example, in terms of breed, age and 'role' (bull, cow, replacement heifer, steer etc.) plus calving rates, on-farm mortality rates and slaughter age. Analysis was conducted using R programming language, at different levels of aggregation: animal, breed, farm holding, farm business, farming system and Scotland. The methodological approach demonstrates the added value that can be derived from administrative datasets through looking at the data through a new lens. The approach enables farm-level technical efficiency metrics to be assessed that have the potential to be used: (a) to help administer and monitor any future support scheme based on cattle efficiency metrics; (b) to improve the methods used in the GHG smart inventory; and (c) to help benchmarking at a farm level. At a national level the metrics used to assess herd performance provide a baseline for current 'baseline' Scottish suckler herd performance. Whilst these can provide insights nationally they mask significant variance between individual herds, herd size groupings and production systems. Therefore throughout this report headline summary data are provided alongside subsequent presentation of the variance that exists between (a) individual herd performance; (b) production system, and; (c) herd sizes.

Farming enterprises throughout the European Union have traditionally been treated very differently by the state compared with their nonagricultural counterparts. Agricultural activities have been governed by a separate set of policy objectives, political institutions, and support agencies. However, this agricultural 'exceptionalism' is being steadily eroded as markets are partially liberalised, farmers are encouraged to pursue new forms of economic activity, and as government institutions are reformed. Farmers are being encouraged to see themselves as 'entrepreneurs' to face fundamentally changed markets. There is, therefore, renewed attention to the existing levels of generic business skills within the farming sector and to the nature and effectiveness of business advice and support frameworks in enhancing these skills. The paper investigates the extent to which farmers have experienced different patterns of business support use and perceive themselves as having different generic skills needs in comparison with other rural microbusinesses and considers the attractiveness of different models of delivering business advice to the sector. A review is undertaken of the evolution of rural business support in England together with an analysis of data from a survey of almost 1800 rural microbusinesses in the northeast of England. It is concluded that there are a number of significant challenges facing the adjustment of the farm sector towards a more entrepreneurial model of business development arising from the sector's legacy of separation and exceptionalism within the support framework. In order to help encourage the development of generic business skills an 'intermediary' model of business advice is advocated, in which an intermediary agency acts as a bridge between farms and generic business support providers.

While multiple ecosystem service benefits are increasingly emphasised in policy as an outcome for land management, most conservation management and legislation is currently focused on conserving specific species and habitats. These management interventions may provide multiple co-benefits for other ecosystem services but more information is needed on where these synergies occur in order to realise these benefits. In this paper, we use expert data obtained from structured interviews with key stakeholders to examine the perceived impacts of 11 species-specific conservation schemes on wider ecosystem services in Scotland, UK. With some exceptions, impacts were perceived to be mostly positive or neutral, suggesting that there are many potential opportunities when looking to manage for the delivery of multiple ecosystem services. Unsurprisingly, 'wild species diversity' and 'environmental settings' are the ecosystem services perceived to benefit the most from species conservation management. Despite the clear benefits of aligning biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service objectives, many challenges remain and future policy and associated management will need to tackle issues of scale as well as the distribution of costs and benefits.

The study supported the work of the Scottish Government's Suckler Beef Climate Group, chaired by Jim Walker by assessing the potential for carbon emission reductions on 'Average' Scottish suckler beef farms through the adoption of a range of technical improvements and carbon mitigation measures. The study used SRUC's AgReCalc carbon foot printing tool. (ii) In this analysis, work was focused on the Breeder-Finisher units as this farming system encompasses the complete beef production chain from breeding through to slaughter. Details of the main assumptions, data sources and references are included in this report. (iii) The results of the farming system modelling exercise indicate that by implementing a series of measures, in sequence, there is the potential for Rearer Finisher units to cut carbon emissions by up to 37.6% from the defined baseline level. (iv) In the sequential or "stacked" scenarios below, the measures which generated the greatest reductions in carbon emissions included: o Reducing age at slaughter to 18 months, o Reducing age at first calving from 3yrs to 2yrs, o Improving grassland management, o Use of nitrification inhibitors in artificial fertiliser.

In Scotland, at the time of the EU referendum, a majority of people saw their future as remaining within the European Union and 62 per cent voted to do so. Following the result Scotland has an opportunity to make new plans and to create a fresh vision for the future that will not only benefit urban dwellers but also rural communities across the country. This poses particular challenges for policymakers, and many of these challenges are specific to Scotland and need consideration from both the devolved Scottish Government and Westminster. Scottish agriculture and its wider rural economy has some unique features, including its greater remoteness and environmental challenges, larger extent of fragile farming systems with high value for nature, and its historical crofting traditions.

In Scotland, at the time of the EU referendum, a majority of people saw their future as remaining within the European Union and 62 per cent voted to do so. Following the result Scotland has an opportunity to make new plans and to create a fresh vision for the future that will not only benefit urban dwellers but also rural communities across the country. This poses particular challenges for policymakers, and many of these challenges are specific to Scotland and need consideration from both the devolved Scottish Government and Westminster. Scottish agriculture and its wider rural economy has some unique features, including its greater remoteness and environmental challenges, larger extent of fragile farming systems with high value for nature, and its historical crofting traditions.