Ackerbau und Spezialkulturen im Berggebiet: Potenziale und Barrieren zwischen Klimawandel und Förderpolitik

Summary

This study examines the drivers and barriers for cultivating arable and specialty crops for human nutrition in Alpine mountain regions (Switzerland, Austria, South Tyrol). Based on qualitative interviews with farmers and experts, it finds that while climate change, dietary shifts, and policy reforms create new opportunities for plant-based agriculture in mountain zones, the subsidy system remains focused on livestock farming. Key enablers include farmers' intrinsic motivation, cooperation, and retro-innovation creating viable niches and preserving agrobiodiversity. Barriers include lack of advisory know-how, insufficient processing infrastructure, knowledge loss, and asymmetric subsidy policies. Three feedback loops show how these factors interact to stabilize the current system. The study concludes that arable and specialty crops can complement pasture-based livestock farming and strengthen farm resilience, but realizing this potential requires targeted development of advisory services, processing structures, and policy instruments.

Source

bskyAckerbau und Spezialkulturen im Berggebiet: Potenziale und Barrieren zwischen Klimawandel und Förderpolitikdoi.org