Market impacts of Farm to Fork: Reducing agricultural input usage
Jayson Beckman, Maros Ivanic, Jeremy Jelliffe
Abstract
Abstract Legislation has been proposed that would change the European Union (EU) agricultural supply chain, including targeted reductions in the use of agricultural inputs. Our results indicate that reducing those inputs (fertilizer, pesticides, land, and antimicrobials) could lead to a reduction in the EU agricultural production by 12%, less competitiveness in export markets, and negative impacts to consumer budgets and societal welfare. If the EU were to implement technological improvements, the impacts would be lessened; however, the necessary improvement in technology will require additional investment in research and development. Based on historical trends, these improvements are projected to take up to 27 years.