Files
Abstract
This paper firstly aims at proposing and applying a methodology to reconstruct the agricultural GHG
emissions and the consequent Carbon Footprint at the farm level. This allows investigating how the
emission performance of Italian farms evolves over time also distinguishing among different typologies of
farms and territories. Secondly, the paper attempts to put forward some hypotheses explaining the
observed heterogeneous evolution of the farm-level CF. In particular, the attention focuses on the possible
role of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) here intended both as the 2005 reform of its first pillar and
those second pillar’s measures targeted to activities and practices that have a direct impact on the CF. The
empirical analysis concerns a balanced panel of Italian FADN (Farm Accountancy Data Network) farms
observed over years 2003-2007. This period covers the 2003/2005 reform of the first pillar of the CAP as well
as the full application of the second pillar’s measures for the 2000-2007 programming period. A tentative
estimation of the farm-level CF and its link to the farm-level delivery of CAP payments is thus provided.
Results, although interesting and encouraging, deliver unclear and ambiguous evidence on the role of both
aspects of the CAP on the observed CF performance and evolution. Several improvements seem needed to
achieve more conclusive evidence putting forward appropriate theoretical concepts, models and
econometric approaches to make this assessment more sound and robust, in order to inform the debate and
the decisions about the proper policies to mitigate agricultural GHG emission.