ISHS Acta Horticulturae 429: XIII International Symposium on Horticultural Economics
DEVELOPING AN ENVIRONMENTAL-ECONOMIC MODEL OF THE EUROPEAN APPLE INDUSTRY: ASSESSING THE IMPACTS OF CHANGE. |
| Authors: | F.S. Quin, A. Albin, M.J. McGregor |
| Keywords: | Disease resistance, Mathematical model, Goal programming, Environmental impact quotient |
| Abstract:
Apple production in the EU is typified by intensive production practices, involving high investment costs both during the orchard establishment period and during the operational life of the orchard. The market demands a high quality, blemish-free product, thus dictating an intensive pattern of pesticide use. This work has been prompted by a project entitled The Development of The European Apple Crop (DEAC), a collaborative project, funded by the CEC involving plant breeders, geneticists, and molecular biologists from all over Europe. The aim of the project is to improve the European apple crop by molecular aided breeding methods, to increase efficiency, and reduce the time scale in breeding for resistance and fruit quality. One of the key objectives of the project is to reduce the requirement for intensive pesticide use in the apple industry by breeding disease resistance into new apple varieties. This paper discusses the practicality of developing an economic/environmental mathematical model describing the impacts of the introduction of such projects. Through an examination of the regional variation of production patterns across Europe, a multi-objective goal programming model was developed as a means of identifying those key social, environmental, and economic impacts. | |
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