Evaluation of external environmental impacts of crop production

Two main goals have been set for this book: on the one hand, a technology-specific combined evaluation of all the external environmental impacts of arable crop production (soil, water and air pollution, human health, biodiversity and landscape) at the level of individual farms, and on the other, improvement of the valuation methodology used for assessing impacts on biodiversity. Five methods of empirical investigation (qualitative valuation, deliberative monetary valuation, contingent valuation, choice experiment and impact-pathway analysis) served as a foundation for our research work. Valuations of the external impacts of the organic farm and the farm utilising intensive agricultural technologies may be indicative of the value of a future larger-scale (national, European) application of the methods here used. The results obtained may serve as a guideline for the refinement of agricultural policies, and subsidies in particular.