This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.
Sustainable nitrogen (N) management in agriculture is one of the most important issues affecting the environmental performance of modern agriculture. It is actually well perceived that coordinated efforts and holistic approaches are required to regulate N use by farmers. The purpose of this study was to provide an initial examination of stakeholders’ views in Japan regarding N use in agriculture and challenges to increase its sustainability. The analysis was based on a questionnaire study of five types of stakeholders (farmers, advisors, researchers, suppliers, policy makers). By means of multivariate analysis techniques it was revealed that consensus was lacking either in the acknowledgment of the causes and effects of unsustainable N management or in the challenges that need to be addressed. N losses from farms and the effects of N use were perceived but not conceived equally by all stakeholders. Organic farming and mandatory measures were the most controversial challenges, while those involving awareness, training and advisory were the most popular. This study cannot provide safe conclusions that can be generalized in the Japanese context, but it indicates domains where further research is required and orientations for future policy design towards more sustainable N use.
Athanasios Ragkos; Kentaro Hayashi; João Serra; Hideaki Shibata; Efstratios Michalis; Sadao Eguchi; Azusa Oita; Claudia Cordovil. Contrasting Considerations among Agricultural Stakeholders in Japan on Sustainable Nitrogen Management. Sustainability 2021, 13, 4866 .
AMA StyleAthanasios Ragkos, Kentaro Hayashi, João Serra, Hideaki Shibata, Efstratios Michalis, Sadao Eguchi, Azusa Oita, Claudia Cordovil. Contrasting Considerations among Agricultural Stakeholders in Japan on Sustainable Nitrogen Management. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (9):4866.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAthanasios Ragkos; Kentaro Hayashi; João Serra; Hideaki Shibata; Efstratios Michalis; Sadao Eguchi; Azusa Oita; Claudia Cordovil. 2021. "Contrasting Considerations among Agricultural Stakeholders in Japan on Sustainable Nitrogen Management." Sustainability 13, no. 9: 4866.
Irrigation works aim to increase the efficiency of water use and economic benefits for farmers. This study adopts a broader view and investigates their potential to contribute to the achievement of other sustainability objectives. In particular, the paper employs a multi-objective programming (MOP) model, which examines the possibilities of simultaneously achieving four conflicting objectives with the upgrade of an irrigation network in a rural area in Greece. The four objectives are maximization of economic result (economic sustainability) and of employment (social sustainability) as well as the minimization of agrochemical use and irrigation water consumption (environmental sustainability). The compromise is sought through different cropping patterns either by restructuring existing crops (Scenario 1) or by also introducing new crops (Scenario 2). The results show that solutions in Scenario 2 perform much better in all dimensions of sustainability; however, large increases in economic performance and employment come with lower environmental gains. A Cost-Benefit Analysis shows that very few solutions yield positive Net Present Value and the investment could be halted if benefits relating to social and environmental sustainability are disregarded. Results are discussed in conjunction with the proposal of a new governance scheme, which could assume broader roles in supporting sustainable development.
Athanasios Ragkos; Vasileios Ambas. Examining the potential of an irrigation work to improve sustainability in a rural area. Water Supply 2021, 1 .
AMA StyleAthanasios Ragkos, Vasileios Ambas. Examining the potential of an irrigation work to improve sustainability in a rural area. Water Supply. 2021; ():1.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAthanasios Ragkos; Vasileios Ambas. 2021. "Examining the potential of an irrigation work to improve sustainability in a rural area." Water Supply , no. : 1.
In dairy farms, the feeding cost, which includes the expenses for purchased feed but also the expenses for feed production, constitutes a very large part of production cost (more than 60%), which indicates the economic importance of the feeding strategy. This study discerns three different feeding strategies: landless farms only purchasing feed from markets (“Purchasing”), farms for which home-grown feeds stand for more than 10% of feeding costs (“Producing”) and farms with less than 10% home-grown feeds (“Multi-purpose”). Based on technical and economic data from 47 dairy cow farms in Greece, alternative scenarios of development of the dairy sector are determined taking into account the dependence on on-farm feed production. Through a parametric programming model, the study provides insights regarding the optimal structure of the system under different scenarios (changing availability of variable capital, changes in milk prices). The results indicate that “Purchasing” farms are the preferred option when variable capital is abundant and milk prices are satisfactory, while “Producing” are the ones surviving with milk prices significantly lower than the actual ones in Greece and European Union. “Multi-purpose” farms perform worse than the other two and are sidelined in both scenarios, as they do not seem to be able to specialize in the dairy enterprise or in crop production and thus to minimize costs.
Athanasios Ragkos; Georgia Koutouzidou; Alexandros Theodoridis. Impact of Feeding Pattern on the Structure and the Economic Performance of Dairy Cow Sector. Dairy 2021, 2, 122 -134.
AMA StyleAthanasios Ragkos, Georgia Koutouzidou, Alexandros Theodoridis. Impact of Feeding Pattern on the Structure and the Economic Performance of Dairy Cow Sector. Dairy. 2021; 2 (1):122-134.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAthanasios Ragkos; Georgia Koutouzidou; Alexandros Theodoridis. 2021. "Impact of Feeding Pattern on the Structure and the Economic Performance of Dairy Cow Sector." Dairy 2, no. 1: 122-134.
Small ruminant production is predominantly linked to the use of natural pastures; however the intensification process in past decades has led to a gradual abandonment of grazing and the prevalence of intensive patterns. This paper contributes to the discussion about the economic performance of small ruminant farms relative to the use of pastures. Using data from a sample of Greek sheep and goat farms it is shown that grazing does not necessarily increase economic performance. If not organized carefully, farms which graze more do not reduce their feeding costs or they counterbalance this reduction with increases labor expenses. An efficiency analysis of the sample using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) shows that farms which graze less are generally more efficient than the ones which graze more. Furthermore, the input-oriented DEA model reveals that the same level of output could be achieved with less a reduction of hours grazing by 12.5% and 11.9%, respectively for farms which graze less than 1800 h and more than 1800 respectively. It is concluded that a higher level of organization is required to render grazing a practice with positive economic impact on farms, including infrastructure for better accessibility of pastures, more efficient rations and training. This applies also to the framework for pasture use in Greece, as the delivery of Integrated Grazing Management Plans is expected to provide guidance and stability to small ruminant farmers.
Artemis Papadopoulou; Athanasios Ragkos; Alexandros Theodoridis; Dimitrios Skordos; Zoi Parissi; Eleni Abraham. Evaluation of the Contribution of Pastures on the Economic Sustainability of Small Ruminant Farms in a Typical Greek Area. Agronomy 2020, 11, 63 .
AMA StyleArtemis Papadopoulou, Athanasios Ragkos, Alexandros Theodoridis, Dimitrios Skordos, Zoi Parissi, Eleni Abraham. Evaluation of the Contribution of Pastures on the Economic Sustainability of Small Ruminant Farms in a Typical Greek Area. Agronomy. 2020; 11 (1):63.
Chicago/Turabian StyleArtemis Papadopoulou; Athanasios Ragkos; Alexandros Theodoridis; Dimitrios Skordos; Zoi Parissi; Eleni Abraham. 2020. "Evaluation of the Contribution of Pastures on the Economic Sustainability of Small Ruminant Farms in a Typical Greek Area." Agronomy 11, no. 1: 63.
European sheep and goat farming faces diverse challenges at global or local scales and constitutes an important sector for many countries, playing important sociocultural, economic and environmental roles. A closer examination of the overall sustainability of the sector is necessary to assess the performance of different farm types in various geographical settings. This comparative study evaluates the use of a common sustainability assessment (SA) tool for the major European countries in the sheep and goat sector. In particular, the study reports the results of a SA using the Public Goods (PG) Tool, adapted within the Innovation for Sustainable Sheep and Goat Production in Europe (iSAGE) Horizon 2020 project, which includes questions accounting for 13 dimensions of a sheep and goat farm sustainability. In total, 206 farmers from Greece, Italy, Spain, Finland, United Kingdom, France and Turkey were interviewed, all of which were typical of specific types of a pan-European sheep and goat farm typologies elaborated within iSAGE. The study resulted in composite indicators of performance in each dimension for each country. Finland, Italy and the United Kingdom performed better than other countries, while Turkey and Greece performed below average in most categories. The results highlight challenges for each country but also at the European level, the latter mainly relating to generational renewal and an unwillingness to invest in the adoption of a more sustainable approach with long-term results.
Christina Paraskevopoulou; Alexandros Theodoridis; Marion Johnson; Athanasios Ragkos; Lisa Arguile; Laurence Smith; Dimitrios Vlachos; Georgios Arsenos. Sustainability Assessment of Goat and Sheep Farms: A Comparison between European Countries. Sustainability 2020, 12, 3099 .
AMA StyleChristina Paraskevopoulou, Alexandros Theodoridis, Marion Johnson, Athanasios Ragkos, Lisa Arguile, Laurence Smith, Dimitrios Vlachos, Georgios Arsenos. Sustainability Assessment of Goat and Sheep Farms: A Comparison between European Countries. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (8):3099.
Chicago/Turabian StyleChristina Paraskevopoulou; Alexandros Theodoridis; Marion Johnson; Athanasios Ragkos; Lisa Arguile; Laurence Smith; Dimitrios Vlachos; Georgios Arsenos. 2020. "Sustainability Assessment of Goat and Sheep Farms: A Comparison between European Countries." Sustainability 12, no. 8: 3099.
Sheep and goat transhumance is still practiced in all parts of Greece, as it is suitable for the particular conditions of the country’s mountainous areas. The purpose of this study was to present a set of alternative plans of development of the sector under the scenarios of extensification and premium product pricing. Alternative patterns of optimal organization were elaborated by means of mathematical programming, which is an established optimization method for problems including various activities under a set of constraints. The analysis used farm management data from a survey of transhumant farms in an area typical for transhumance, which was divided to three sub-areas according to the dynamics of vegetation succession. Farms in the three sub-areas were found to differ significantly in terms of economic performance, yields and labour use. The results of the analysis demonstrated how the valorization of labour combined with the availability of hired workers led to two different trajectories in the area. In addition, it showed that premium pricing of high-quality milk can have significant impact on the structure of the system. These findings yield important considerations regarding the organization of multifunctional production systems, which play important sociocultural and environmental roles in fragile territories.
Athanasios Ragkos; Stavriani Koutsou; Maria Karatassiou; Zoi M. Parissi. Scenarios of optimal organization of sheep and goat transhumance. Regional Environmental Change 2020, 20, 13 .
AMA StyleAthanasios Ragkos, Stavriani Koutsou, Maria Karatassiou, Zoi M. Parissi. Scenarios of optimal organization of sheep and goat transhumance. Regional Environmental Change. 2020; 20 (1):13.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAthanasios Ragkos; Stavriani Koutsou; Maria Karatassiou; Zoi M. Parissi. 2020. "Scenarios of optimal organization of sheep and goat transhumance." Regional Environmental Change 20, no. 1: 13.
Sheep and goat transhumance provides a wide range of ecosystem services (ES). Transhumance-specific dairy products could function as a nexus between the system and the public, incorporating ES which are not remunerated in markets, but in Greece, there are actually no such dairy products. Within this context, the objective of this paper was to present a case study regarding a comparative assessment of three different approaches (supply chains) in milk sales from transhumant farms. The first involved production of cheese on-farm and direct sales to consumers. In the second approach, farmers sold their milk to the same industry throughout the year, where it was mixed with milk from non-transhumant farms. The third approach concerned cheese produced solely from milk of transhumant flocks in a small dairy in the highlands. An assessment framework was developed examining the perceived quality; economic performance of farms; compatibility and; representativeness and contribution of each approach. Based on five in-depth interviews with farmers and dairies, it was found that a combination of the three approaches would be beneficial for farms—to decrease risks—and for the system as a whole, in order to convey the ‘agro-pastoral message’ to wider audiences and to increase the recognisability of transhumance. In addition, the analysis showed that the economic performance of each approach was related more to managerial issues and organizational requirements rather than to the achievement of higher prices and more added value in the first and third approach.
Athanasios Ragkos; Alexandros Theodoridis; Georgios Arsenos. Alternative Approaches of Summer Milk Sales from Transhumant Sheep and Goat Farms: A Case Study from Northern Greece. Sustainability 2019, 11, 5642 .
AMA StyleAthanasios Ragkos, Alexandros Theodoridis, Georgios Arsenos. Alternative Approaches of Summer Milk Sales from Transhumant Sheep and Goat Farms: A Case Study from Northern Greece. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (20):5642.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAthanasios Ragkos; Alexandros Theodoridis; Georgios Arsenos. 2019. "Alternative Approaches of Summer Milk Sales from Transhumant Sheep and Goat Farms: A Case Study from Northern Greece." Sustainability 11, no. 20: 5642.
Local breeds are endowed with numerous advantages in terms of adaptability to specific conditions and the sustainable utilization of resources. Nonetheless, their role is neglected when their multiple societal, economic, and environmental contributions are not properly acknowledged and interest is focused only on productivity issues. This paper explores the role of local breeds in local development as an efficient and effective strategy to ensure their long-term sustainability. The paper focuses on the reasons behind the underestimation of the values with which local breeds are endowed and discusses how economic development, policies, and market competition have rendered many of these breeds in danger of extinction. The chapter proposes an integrated development framework combining the notion of territorial development and social innovation and focusing on multifunctionality considerations and resilience and vulnerability aspects. Based on these, the potential role of ICT, new technologies, and innovations is assessed.
Athanasios Ragkos; Georgia Koutouzidou; Stavriani Koutsou; Dimitrios Roustemis. A New Development Paradigm for Local Animal Breeds and the Role of Information and Communication Technologies. Intensified Land and Water Use 2019, 3 -21.
AMA StyleAthanasios Ragkos, Georgia Koutouzidou, Stavriani Koutsou, Dimitrios Roustemis. A New Development Paradigm for Local Animal Breeds and the Role of Information and Communication Technologies. Intensified Land and Water Use. 2019; ():3-21.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAthanasios Ragkos; Georgia Koutouzidou; Stavriani Koutsou; Dimitrios Roustemis. 2019. "A New Development Paradigm for Local Animal Breeds and the Role of Information and Communication Technologies." Intensified Land and Water Use , no. : 3-21.
Athanasios Ragkos; Stavriani Koutsou; Alexandros Theodoridis; Theodoros Manousidis; Vasiliki Lagka. LABOR MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN FACING THE ECONOMIC CRISIS. EVIDENCE FROM GREEK LIVESTOCK FARMS. New Medit 2018, XVII, 59 -71.
AMA StyleAthanasios Ragkos, Stavriani Koutsou, Alexandros Theodoridis, Theodoros Manousidis, Vasiliki Lagka. LABOR MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN FACING THE ECONOMIC CRISIS. EVIDENCE FROM GREEK LIVESTOCK FARMS. New Medit. 2018; XVII (1):59-71.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAthanasios Ragkos; Stavriani Koutsou; Alexandros Theodoridis; Theodoros Manousidis; Vasiliki Lagka. 2018. "LABOR MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES IN FACING THE ECONOMIC CRISIS. EVIDENCE FROM GREEK LIVESTOCK FARMS." New Medit XVII, no. 1: 59-71.
Transhumant flocks graze the vegetation of medium and high elevation rangelands during late spring to autumn depending on the geographical area and climatic conditions. This study aimed to assess and interpret the impacts of transhumance decline on the land use/cover on Mountain Vermio, for the period 1985-2009. For many years, this area has received high stocking rates from transhumant livestock. However, during the last 30 years transhumance has been dramatically decreased. Land cover changes have been identified using a post classification comparison approach within a Geographical Information Systems environment. Moreover, the rate and the spatial differentiation of land use/cover were determined by means of the Dynamic Degree Index. According to the results, the acreage of grasslands and grazed open forests has decreased during the study period (3% and 83% respectively), while shrublands demonstrated an opposite trend with an increase of 25%. Furthermore, based on the Dynamic Degree Index, the greatest changes occurred in the conversion of grazed open forests and shrublands, compared to other land use/cover categories. This can be attributed to changes in sheep and goats populations grazing in the area, also related to the dispersion of flocks in local rangelands. Moreover, this article presents the results of a questionnaire survey on transhumant herders. These results, combined with the assessment of changes in the Dynamic Degree Index, reflect the difficulties that farmers face in terms of access to rangelands and their increased awareness regarding the environmental role of transhumance.
Paraskevi Sklavou; Maria Karatassiou; Zoi Parissi; Georgia Galidaki; Athanasios Ragkos; Anna Sidiropoulou. The Role of Transhumance on Land Use /Cover Changes in Mountain Vermio, Northern Greece: A GIS Based Approach. Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca 2017, 45, 589 -596.
AMA StyleParaskevi Sklavou, Maria Karatassiou, Zoi Parissi, Georgia Galidaki, Athanasios Ragkos, Anna Sidiropoulou. The Role of Transhumance on Land Use /Cover Changes in Mountain Vermio, Northern Greece: A GIS Based Approach. Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca. 2017; 45 (2):589-596.
Chicago/Turabian StyleParaskevi Sklavou; Maria Karatassiou; Zoi Parissi; Georgia Galidaki; Athanasios Ragkos; Anna Sidiropoulou. 2017. "The Role of Transhumance on Land Use /Cover Changes in Mountain Vermio, Northern Greece: A GIS Based Approach." Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca 45, no. 2: 589-596.
Precision agriculture (PA) constitutes a dynamic production method which is gaining attention in several parts of the world. Its environmental and economic sustainability has been examined in terms of its ability to reduce the adverse effects of agrochemical use—by regulating their application to the levels needed at the land parcel level—and of its contribution to higher incomes and profitability. At the social level, PA has been linked to collective action although little insight is available regarding the role of various actors and education. This study tackles PA through an assessment of the attitudes of farmers towards the elements of its sustainability and of their educational needs. The analysis of survey data of a sample of young farmers in Greece showed that the majority of respondents were not familiar with PA. Significant differences were found between the attitudes of knowledgeable and non-knowledgeable farmers, the former demonstrating better acknowledgement of the environmental, economic and social sustainability of PA. Important educational needs were also detected, with group and individual methods being the most preferred ones for education and information campaigns. The results of the analysis could be of use for the design of Common Agricultural Policy Pillar II measures for the promotion of PA targeting to specific audiences and actors.
Georgios Kountios; Athanasios Ragkos; Thomas Bournaris; Georgios Papadavid; Anastasios Michailidis. Educational needs and perceptions of the sustainability of precision agriculture: survey evidence from Greece. Precision Agriculture 2017, 19, 537 -554.
AMA StyleGeorgios Kountios, Athanasios Ragkos, Thomas Bournaris, Georgios Papadavid, Anastasios Michailidis. Educational needs and perceptions of the sustainability of precision agriculture: survey evidence from Greece. Precision Agriculture. 2017; 19 (3):537-554.
Chicago/Turabian StyleGeorgios Kountios; Athanasios Ragkos; Thomas Bournaris; Georgios Papadavid; Anastasios Michailidis. 2017. "Educational needs and perceptions of the sustainability of precision agriculture: survey evidence from Greece." Precision Agriculture 19, no. 3: 537-554.
Dairy farming in Greece constitutes a particular case of livestock farming, because of its highly entrepreneurial nature. The modern Greek dairy cattle farming is predominantly based in Northern Greece, where more than 80% of Greek cow milk is produced. Since the 2000's the dairy cattle sector is characterized by a rapid increase in the mean size of farms, which permits them to undertake investments in machinery and buildings and to have access to improved genetic material for the achievement of higher productivity. Nevertheless, this development renders dairy farms vulnerable to volatile economic conditions, as they are heavily dependent on capital endowments. The main purpose of this study is to examine the consequences of the economic crisis on the dairy cattle sector and the strategies undertaken by farmers to cope with it. The analysis is based on data from a questionnaire survey of farmers in Northern Greece. Strategies undertaken by dairy farmers in order to face the crisis and to ensure the survival of their businesses are recorded through a set of Likert-scale questions. Technical and economic data are also analyzed in order to examine the economic performance of farms, revealing that the sampled dairy farms are viable, with satisfactory economic results, with capital returns of 6.2% annually. Based on the Likert-scale data, dairy farmers adopt active strategies to face the crisis, by undertaking investments and augmenting their farm sizes, while they deem that the crisis does not have catastrophic results on the profitability of their farms. On the other hand, strategies which entail less expenses and/or diminished productivity are unpopular among dairy farmers. Finally, the vast majority of respondents claim to have seen negative consequences on their farms from the recent measures concerning the prolongation of the duration of fresh milk in retail markets: lower quality, increased vulnerability to international competition, shrinking dairy sector.
Athanasios Ragkos; Alexandros Theodoridis; Antonis Fachouridis; Christos Batzios. Dairy Farmers’ Strategies against the Crisis and the Economic Performance of Farms. Procedia Economics and Finance 2015, 33, 518 -527.
AMA StyleAthanasios Ragkos, Alexandros Theodoridis, Antonis Fachouridis, Christos Batzios. Dairy Farmers’ Strategies against the Crisis and the Economic Performance of Farms. Procedia Economics and Finance. 2015; 33 ():518-527.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAthanasios Ragkos; Alexandros Theodoridis; Antonis Fachouridis; Christos Batzios. 2015. "Dairy Farmers’ Strategies against the Crisis and the Economic Performance of Farms." Procedia Economics and Finance 33, no. : 518-527.
Stavriani Koutsou; Maria Partalidou; Athanasios Ragkos. Young farmers' social capital in Greece: Trust levels and collective actions. Journal of Rural Studies 2014, 34, 204 -211.
AMA StyleStavriani Koutsou, Maria Partalidou, Athanasios Ragkos. Young farmers' social capital in Greece: Trust levels and collective actions. Journal of Rural Studies. 2014; 34 ():204-211.
Chicago/Turabian StyleStavriani Koutsou; Maria Partalidou; Athanasios Ragkos. 2014. "Young farmers' social capital in Greece: Trust levels and collective actions." Journal of Rural Studies 34, no. : 204-211.