EUROSTAT
Directorate E: Sectoral and regional statistics
Unit E-1: Farms, agro-environment and rural development /
Luxembourg, 24March 2011
ESTAT/E1/JS/LB/AMK
CPSA/AE/098
Room document
Original: EN
(Available in EN)
WORKING GROUP"AGRICULTURE and ENVIRONMENT"
of the Standing Committee for
Agricultural Statistics
to be held in Luxembourg,
JeanMonnet building – Room M1
on 29 and 30 March 2011, 9:30 a.m.
Chaired by: M. Ernens
Draft AGENDA
ITEM 4. Agri-environmental data needs
The results of the DireDate project clearly show that a large amount of data are needed to feed the agri-environmental indicators (AEI) and other agri-environmental reporting requirements. This document aims at describing the different types of data, possible sources and scenarios for the future.
1. Data types
We can differentiate roughly between statistics, other data and coefficients and other parameters.
With statisticswe here mean data that are collected according to agreed common methodologies, with harmonised definitions, with a certain quality and reliability, with the aim of creating long time series that allow analyses showing trends. The strength of statistics is that if the standards are set at an international level, they give a possibility to create comparable and coherent indicators and analyses across borders and time. The weakness is that they do not always give the necessary flexibility that allows taking into account national or regional peculiarities. Statistics need not be based on statistical surveys, they can also be drawn from administrative registers and other sources that fulfil certain criteria.
Other data can also be used in the domain, as supporting information or as the basis for the calculations, depending on the needs and requirements. If the indicator is such that only the local or national trends are important and no international comparison is needed, the data need not necessarily be harmonised, it is enough that they reflect the local situation in a satisfactory fashion. The strength of this kind of information is that local or national data sources can be used, the decisions can be quickly and without lengthy discussions. The weakness is that the local information sources can have a tendency to be easier changed over time, leading to less control over changes and risk of non comparability between localities. It is also more difficult to use the data on an international level, as the user should be fully aware of what data has been used in for example each NUTS2 region. Examples of "Other data" could be the sowing and harvesting days or the weight of the cattle, or areas under agri-environmental commitments.
Coefficients and other parameters are often the result of scientific or desk-top research, using either agreed international methodologies or local ones, based on underlying data that can be statistics or come from ad-hoc data collection. These coefficients are often describing something that cannot be easily measured or that would be too cumbersome to collect reliable information. The coefficients are especially important in the agri-environmental domain, as they allow to model quite complex issues as the NH4 emissions or the nitrogen load by using manure. The strength of the coefficients is that they create an efficient way of analysing complex issues by combining scientific research and statistics, without overburdening the reader with information and methodological issues. Local conditions and peculiarities can be taken into account, as well as expert opinions and estimations. Their weakness is that it is very difficult for users to understand the applied methodology, and if they are based on methodologies that are not harmonised, the results of the calculations will often not be internationally comparable.
2. DireDate data requirements conclusions
The DireDate project has identified a number of data required, ranging from normal crop statistics data to methane emission factors. From these suggestions, Eurostat has made an initial grouping, aiming at making the discussion easier, focussing on statistics and other data. As the DireDate results are not yet finalised, some of the requirements have not yet been properly translated into clear characteristics with proper titles, dimension and units. In addition, the data presented here relate mainly to the first set of indicators as indicated in the DireDate reports and include only partly the so called "Ideal world" data requirements for the AEI. This means that in addition to the data mentioned here, other might also be required.
We should neither forget that there are other needs relating to these data that have not been part of the DireDate project but should not be overlooked in the discussions. One very important aspect relates to the emerging needs of the "greening component" in the Common Agricultural Policy presently being set up for the period 2013 onwards.
In the following overview the building blocks do not contain the coefficients and parameters, only the data that Eurostat considers that should be collected as European statistics. Please note that the building blocks are created in different way than the ones in the DireDate, with the aim of identifying the data that should be collected together, in the same survey.
2.1 Crop related data needs
Building blocks:
2.1.1 Arable and permanent cropsArea / Available in crop statistics and FSS
Yield / Available in crop statistics
Irrigated areas / Available in SAPM for major crops, formerly part of FSS
2.1.2 Temporary, permanent grassland and rough grazing production
Area / Available in crop statistics and FSS
Yield / Not available
Irrigated areas / Available in SAPM, formerly part of FSS
2.1.3 Input to crop production
N and P input per crop / Not available
N and P fertilised area
Pesticide use per crop / Will be available
Water use per crop / Not available
2.1.4 Additional data needed related to crop production
Winter crops
Catch crops / Available older FSS and in SAPM,
Crop residues returned to field
Crop residues burnt / Not available
Tillage practices / Available in SAPM only
The crop areas and yield are collected annually for most crops in crop statistics, but the yield and total production is not available for the different types of grasslands, a quite serious lack of information for the AEI. Nitrogen fixing crops are included in crop statistics, but would potentially need to be broken down further with regard to grass/legume mixtures.
For the other data requirements, there are presently no harmonised European statistics and no other data are neither available at EU level, except for pesticides where the first set of 5-year period data should be available in 2015. In the FSS information on irrigated areas were collected at certain intervals and certain data are included in the one-off Survey on Production Methods (SAPM).
The amount of water used for irrigation can also be modelled on agro-meteorological information and similar parameters, as showed in the pilot studies carried out in 16 countries in 2008-9, and can in this case be considered as "Other data".
Table 2.1.4 The type of crops suggested by DireDate
Wheat / Rice / Silage maizeRye / Other cereals / Clover and mixtures
Barley / Peas / Lucerne
Spring barley / Beans / Temporary grassland
Oats / Potatoes / Permanent grassland
Grain maize / Sugar beet / Common pasture, heathland, rough grazings
Sorghum / Fodder beet / (Fruit trees) - orchards
Triticale / Other root crops / Olives
Other oil seeds / Rape / Vineyards
Industrial crops (flax, hemp, cotton, tobacco, hops) / Sunflower seed / Other permanent crops
Officinal herbs, aromatic plants / Soya bean
2.2 Livestock related data needs
2.2.1 Average livestock numbersDairy cattle
Beef cattle
Calves
Young cattle
Other cattle
Sows, incl. piglets
Fattening pigs
Boars
Other pigs
Sheep
Goats
Laying hens
Broilers
Ducks
Turkey
Other poultry / Available at specific data in livestock production statistics or FSS. Not available as average number present during the year in Eurostat statistics.
Horses / Available partly in FSS, but only for farms. Most horses outside FSS coverage.
Other animals / Not available, locally important
2.2.2 Grazing/time on pasture
Dairy cattle
Beef cattle
Young cattle
Calves
Sheep
Goats / Available only partly in SAPM
Horses
Other grazing livestock / Not available
2.2.3 Feeding situation: confined, grazing, pasture conditions
Dairy cattle
Other cattle
Sheep / Not available
Presently, both the FSS andanimal production statistics are collecting the number of animals on a specific reference day. This is not very useful for environmental analyses, as potential seasonal changes are hidden.
In addition to the number of animals, the weight, average weight gain, feeding situation: confined, grazing, pasture conditions, milk production, fat content in milk, and average amount of work performed per day is needed for the cattle, and the females that give birth in a year, wool growth and number of offspring is needed for sheep. However, Eurostat does not consider that information on these would be needed on a European level, and is not certain that actual statistical data are needed for all categories.
2.3 Nutrients
2.3.1 Nutrient input: kg nutrient per country per yearUse of ammonium nitrate, calcium ammonium nitrate, anhydrous ammonia, ammonium phosphate urea, urea-ammonium nitrate solution, other N fertilizers;
P fertilizers (all types), national level / Not available in statistics
2.3.2 Nutrient input: kg nutrient per ha per year
Use of ammonium nitrate, calcium ammonium nitrate, anhydrous ammonia, ammonium phosphate urea, urea-ammonium nitrate solution, other N fertilizers;
P fertilizers (all types), per ha / Not available in statistics
2.3.3 Nutrient input: kg nutrient per ha per year
N from mineral fertilizers, animal manures, composts and sludge / Not available in statistics
P from mineral fertilizers, animal manures, composts and sludge
2.3.4 Manure flow
Manure imported to the region / Not available
Manure exported from the region / Not available
2.3.5 Feed input
Total feed uptake / Not available
Purchased feed / Not available
2.3.6 Fertiliser application techniques
Immediate incorporation of urea / Not available
Data on nutrient input is available only from other sources than statistics in a reasonably harmonised way, mainly from industry sources and FAO. The available data do not meet the user requirements, which are broader than what is presently described in the DireDate report.
2.4 Manure application technique
2.4.1 Manure application techniquesManure band spread on grassland and arable land
Band spread with incorporation <1 day on bare arable land
Band spread with - incorporation <2hrs on bare arable land
Broadcast with incorporation <1 day on Arable land
Broadcast with - incorporation <2hrs on Arable land
Broadcast - no incorporation on grassland and arable land
Deep injection on grassland and arable land
Shallow injection on grassland and arable land
Surface spreading on grassland and arable land
Reduced ammonia application on grassland and arable land / Partly available in SAPM
2.4.2 Manure spreading time
Autumn spread manure
Spring spread manure
Manure spread year round / Not available
The data collected in the SAPM are creating a good start for the work in this domain, but need to be further developed.
2.5 Housing
2.5.1 Percentage of livestock in specific housingPoultry housing:
Aviary house
Battery cages
Battery cages with drying
Free range
Liquid (slurry + urine)
Farmyard manure (solid) / Partly available in SAPM
Pig housing:
Liquid (slurry + urine
Liquid with scrubbers/biofilters
Farmyard manure (solid) / Partly available in SAPM
Cattle housing:
Liquid (slurry + urine
Liquid with scrubbers/biofilters
loose housing partially slatted floor
loose housing partially slatted floor with scrubbers/biofilters
loose housing with fully-slatted floor
loose housing with fully-slatted floor with scrubbers/biofilters
tied housing partially slatted floor
tied housing partially slatted floor with scrubbers/biofilters
tied housing with fully-slatted floor
tied housing with fully-slatted floor with scrubbers/biofilters
Farmyard manure (solid) / Partly available in SAPM
Other animal housing
Farmyard manure (solid) / Not available
The data collected in the SAPM are creating a good start for the work in this domain, but need to be further developed.
2.6 Manure storage
2.6.1 Percentage of manure stored in system2.6.1.1 Cattle manure:
Liquid with anaerobic digestion with supplements
Liquid with anaerobic digestion without supplements
Slurry stored in covered tanks
Slurry stored in lagoons
Slurry stored in open tanks
Slurry stored in underfloor pits
Solid manure composted
Solid manure incinerated
Solid manure stored in manure heaps / Partly available in SAPM
2.6.1.2 Pig manure:
Liquid with anaerobic digestion with supplements
Liquid with anaerobic digestion without supplements
Slurry stored in covered tanks
Slurry stored in lagoons
Slurry stored in open tanks
Slurry stored in underfloor pits
Solid manure composted
Solid manure incinerated
Solid manure stored in manure heaps / Partly available in SAPM
2.6.1.3 Poultry manure:
Liquid with anaerobic digestion with supplements
Liquid with anaerobic digestion without supplements
Slurry stored in covered tanks
Slurry stored in lagoons
Slurry stored in open tanks
Slurry stored in underfloor pits
Solid manure composted
Solid manure incinerated
Solid manure stored in manure heaps / Partly available in SAPM
2.6.1.4 Other animal manure
Solid manure composted
Solid manure incinerated
Solid manure stored in manure heaps / Not available
Some of these data are collected in the Survey on Agricultural Production Methods, and have partly been collected earlier in the FSS, but a continuation will be needed.
In addition to this information, there is a need to collect more information on the storage capacity, i.e. the how many months' production of manure the storage facilities can hold. This building block needs to be further developed.
The building blocks in 2.4, 2.5, and 2.6 should ideally be collected together, creating one big block.
2.7 Irrigation
2.7.1 IrrigationIrrigable area / Available in FSS
Irrigation equipment and systems / Available in SAPM, formerly in FSS
Source of irrigation water / Available in SAPM, formerly in FSS
2.7.2 Irrigation water
Water volume / Available for the farm in SAPM
Information on irrigation features have been collected regularly in the FSS and later in the SAPM (please see also 2.1.1 and 2.1.2). It is important that the data are collected also in the future.
Water volumes are reported in SAPM at farm level, in most countries based on a modelling approach. It could be foreseen that these models could be used also in the future to assess the annual amount of irrigation water use, potentially on a regional scale.
2.8 Energy use
2.8.1 Energy useOil products
Natural gas
Electricity
Derived heat
Renewable energy / Not available
Direct use of energy, broken down by fuel type ((oil, natural gas, coal, electricity, derived heat, renewable energy) and type of farming needs to be collected regularly. In addition, the indirect energy use in the form of different inputs (fertilisers, machines, buildings, feed, etc.) is also needed, but these data can be estimated from data coming from other statistics or other sources.
3. Data collection scenarios
3.1DireDate scenarios
The DireDate project has identified 3 scenarios for future data collection
1.Proceed as stipulated in Regulation 1166/2008 with FSS in 2010, 2013 and 2016, and SAPM in 2010. In addition, data related to the consumption of fertilizers, pesticides, and energy, and on animal feeding, irrigation, housing, and manure storage and application techniques management in intermediate years would have tobe collected in other existing and new surveys.
This proposal would continue the current surveys, but would need quite some efforts in creating the new surveys or amending the legislation for other surveys, especially as no renewal of the SAPM is so far scheduled. The main strength is that the FSS regulation would stay as it is, the weakness is that the new surveys would not be linked to the micro data of the FSS. It is potentially possible to add some of the SAPM variables to FSS, but this is possible for the 2016 FSS at the earliest.
2.Re-combine the FSS and SAPM characteristics supplemented with questions derived from the building blocks so that two new lists of variables result.One of these should address the operational and tactical farm management aspects and should be carried out once in ~3 years. The other should address the farm structural management aspects and should be carried out once in ~5years. This proposal would require changesto the FSS basic regulation, for which a decision has been taken that this will be done for earliest the FSS 2016.
This suggestion has the potential of a common and harmonized collection of key farm data for accurate characterization of the agri-environmental interactions, and would give a good access to the data to analysts.
Itwould not necessary lower the data collection burden, especially as the FSS is supposed to meet certain reliability standards at regional level, implying quite a big sample size. This solution would also mean that variables that are not of structural character would be added to a structure survey, which would potentially create problems when carrying it out, causing lower quality data.
3.Combine key aspects of FSS and SAPM with key questions on animal feeding into a highly condensed new questionnaire to be carried out once in around each3 years. In addition, derive key data related to farm inputs and management from the annual surveys of the FADN and sales data of market organizations.
Evidently, this proposal has a lower farm data collection burden, but will require coordinated efforts by institutions across the EU for establishing harmonized relationships between data of the FSS-SAPM and data derived from FADN, to be able to derive accurate data for agri-environmental policy reporting and AEIs.