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Project

F.R.A.N.Z. - Future Resources, Agriculture & Nature Conservation



Flower strips provide food, refuges and nesting sites for many animal species.
© Thünen-Institut/Thomas Schmidt
Flower strips provide food, refuges and nesting sites for many animal species.

The joint project F.R.A.N.Z. develops and tests practically and economically sustainable measures for more biodiversity in agricultural landscapes. The accompanying research addresses ecological and socio-economic questions.

Background and Objective

Biological diversity is an important basis for an intact ecosystem and thus also for agriculture. With the increasing worldwide demand for agricultural products, arable farming has become more intensive. This is a reason for the reduction of species diversity in agricultural landscapes. The definition of protection areas and various agri-environmental measures could not stop this trend to date. The joint project F.R.A.N.Z. commences at this point in developing concepts, combining high impact natural protection measures and efficient farming techniques.

For this purpose, environmental workers and farmers are together testing environmentally protective measures which are simultaneously practically and economically viable on ten typical demonstration farms. The successfully implemented measures will be communicated outside of the network of demonstration farms and be distributed widely. In order to convince as many farmers as possible about the measures, suitable rules and promotional framework conditions must be created. Here too, F.R.A.N.Z. plays a role and sets impulses for agricultural and environmental policy.

The joint F.R.A.N.Z.  project is being carried out under the auspices of the Michael Otto Foundation for Environmental Protection together with the German Farmers Association. The Thünen Institutes of Rural Studies and also of Farm Economics are committed to exploring the social economic aspects, the Thünen Institute of Biodiversity, the University of Göttingen and the Michael Otto Institute in NABU address the ecological questions.

The project is supported with a wide range of funding. The German Ministries of Agriculture and of the Environment are the project patrons.

Target Group

Ministries for Agriculture and for the Environment, farmers, advisors, environmental officials, agricultural administration, the EU Commission

Approach

In the partial project “Socio Economic Accompanying Research, “ the Thünen Institute of Rural Studies and the Thünen Institute of Farm Economics together have the goal of identifying efficient biodiversity measures and developing suitable advisory and promotional concepts.

Concretely, the core questions to be answered are:

  • What reasons are decisive for or against the use of biodiversity measures from a farm economic perspective?
  • What is the economic, farm structure and ecological status quo on the demonstration farms? What are the regional and promotional framework conditions?
  • Which socio economic impact do the biodiversity measures have on the demonstration farms and in how far are the results transferable to other farms in the region?

The ten demonstration farms throughout Germany are arable farms as well as grassland farms. The distributions within Germany and the various farm focuses mirror the regional particularities and the various challenges at the crossroads of agriculture and natural protection. In order to be able to transfer the measures to other farms throughout Germany, typical farms are drawn in for each type of region.

Each farm implements multiple measures, which increase living space for typical wild animal and plant types of the agricultural landscape, but which are easy to integrate into the farm processes. Here the ecological effects on selected animals and plant species, such as field rabbits, partridges, wild bees and arable weed societies (partial project “Organic accompanying research”) as well as the socio economic impact on the participating farms.

 

Data and Methods

The farm economic statistics of the demonstration farms serve as a data basis for all economic studies. These were collected with the help of guided interviews. Deeper impact analyses and scenario calculations are done with the single farm simulation model COMPAS.

For investigations of all other factors and framework conditions, data is collected in discussion practitioners and through the analysis of existing literature and documents. Here, both farm and advisory and administrative actors are surveyed in the framework of guided interviews, group discussions and workshops.

 

Preliminary Results

In the first year we expect the following results:

  • Study/survey results on hindrances in the implementation of biodiversity measures in agricultural practice (June 2017)
  • Conclusion of the survey of the economic status quo on the demonstration farms (November 2017).

Links and Downloads

http://www.franz-projekt.de/website/english-summary

https://www.thuenen.de/en/institutsuebergreifende-projekte/franz/

Involved external Thünen-Partners

Funding Body

  • Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank
    (national, privat)

Duration

11.2016 - 12.2025

More Information

Project funding number: 817 759
Funding program: Innovationsförderung
Project status: ongoing

Publications to the project

  1. 0

    Bosse A, Plaas E (2024) Anpassungsmöglichkeiten an Extremwetterlagen durch die Umsetzung von Biodiversitätsmaßnahmen am Beispiel von extremer Trockenheit : F.R.A.N.Z.-Projektbericht. Braunschweig: Thünen-Institut für Betriebswirtschaft, i, 14 p

    https://literatur.thuenen.de/digbib_extern/dn068195.pdf

  2. 1

    Reiter K, Peitz C, Röder N (2024) Die Umsetzung der Grünen Architektur der Gemeinsamen Agrarpolitik in Deutschland : Bessere Förderbedingungen für die Biodiversität in der Agrarlandschaft? Naturschutz Landschaftsplanung 56(1):26-37, DOI:10.1399/NuL.2024.01.02

    https://literatur.thuenen.de/digbib_extern/dn067468.pdf

  3. 2

    Huber R, Bartkowski B, Brown C, El Benni N, Feil J-H, Grohmann P, Joormann I, Leonhardt H, Mitter H, Müller B (2024) Farm typologies for understanding farm systems and improving agricultural policy. Agric Syst 213:103800, DOI:10.1016/j.agsy.2023.103800

    https://literatur.thuenen.de/digbib_extern/dn067238.pdf

  4. 3

    Budde-von Beust M, Krämer C, Röder N (2023) Analyse der F.R.A.N.Z.-Maßnahmen hinsichtlich ihrer Sekundärwirkung auf ausgewählte Ressourcen : F.R.A.N.Z.-Projektbericht. Braunschweig: Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut, 50 p, DOI:10.3220/MX1692860895000

    https://literatur.thuenen.de/digbib_extern/dn066693.pdf

  5. 4

    Budde-von Beust M (2023) Bisherige Rahmenbedingungen und Potentiale für die Umsetzung von F.R.A.N.Z.-Massnahmen. In: Umweltstiftung Michael Otto (ed) F.R.A.N.Z. Zwischenbilanz 2023 : aktuelle Erkenntnisse aus dem F.R.A.N.Z.-Projekt. Hamburg: Umweltstiftung Michael Otto, pp 38-40

    https://literatur.thuenen.de/digbib_extern/dn066212.pdf

  6. 5

    Reiter K (2023) Chancen für mehr Biodiversität im Ackerbau in der Förderperiode ab 2023? In: Umweltstiftung Michael Otto (ed) F.R.A.N.Z. Zwischenbilanz 2023 : aktuelle Erkenntnisse aus dem F.R.A.N.Z.-Projekt. Hamburg: Umweltstiftung Michael Otto, pp 41-45

    https://literatur.thuenen.de/digbib_extern/dn066213.pdf

  7. 6

    Reiter K, Röder N (2023) F.R.A.N.Z. im Kontext der Klima- und Umweltarchitektur der GAP ab 2023 : F.R.A.N.Z.-Bericht. Braunschweig: Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut, IV, 26 p

    https://literatur.thuenen.de/digbib_extern/dn066064.pdf

  8. 7

    Hölting L, Busse M, Bülow S, Engler JO, Hagemann N, Joormann I, Kernecker ML, Larondelle N, Sturm A, Turkelboom F, Wätzold F, Cord AF (2022) Co-design: Working with farmers in Europe to halt the loss of biological diversity [online]. Ecol Solut Evid 3(3):e12169, zu finden in <https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/2688-8319.12169> [zitiert am 22.11.2022], DOI:10.1002/2688-8319.12169

    https://literatur.thuenen.de/digbib_extern/dn065614.pdf

  9. 8

    Bosse A, Stupak N, Sanders J (2022) Kosten biodiversitätsfördernder Maßnahmen im F.R.A.N.Z.-Projekt und deren Bestimmungsfaktoren : F.R.A.N.Z. Projektbericht. Braunschweig: Thünen-Institut für Betriebswirtschaft, 36 p

    https://literatur.thuenen.de/digbib_extern/dn064796.pdf

  10. 9

    Budde-von Beust M (2022) Mögliche Potenziale zur Regionalisierung von F.R.A.N.Z.-Maßnahmen. Braunschweig: Thünen-Institut für Lebensverhältnisse in ländlichen Räumen, 76 p

    https://literatur.thuenen.de/digbib_extern/dn065028.pdf

  11. 10

    Stupak N, Sanders J (2022) Umsetzung von F.R.A.N.Z.-Maßnahmen: Einschätzung der Transaktionskosten öffentlicher Hand : F.R.A.N.Z. Bericht. Braunschweig: Thünen-Institut für Betriebswirtschaft, 31 p

    https://literatur.thuenen.de/digbib_extern/dn064968.pdf

  12. 11

    Stupak N, Sanders J (2021) Auswirkungen biodiversitätsfördernder Maßnahmen auf andere Umweltgüter : F.R.A.N.Z.-Bericht. Braunschweig: Thünen-Institut für Betriebswirtschaft, 24 p

    https://literatur.thuenen.de/digbib_extern/dn063344.pdf

  13. 12

    Budde-von Beust M (2020) Darstellung der regionalen und strukturellen Rahmenbedingungen der F.R.A.N.Z.-Betriebe. Braunschweig: Thünen-Institut für Ländliche Räume, 50 p

    https://literatur.thuenen.de/digbib_extern/dn063308.pdf

  14. 13

    Joormann I, Schmidt TG (2020) Landwirtebefragung und Expertendiskussionen zur Akzeptanz von Biodiversitätsmaßnahmen. Schr Gesellsch Wirtsch Sozialwiss Landbaues 55:407-409

  15. 14

    Stupak N, Sanders J (2020) Umsetzung von F.R.A.N.Z.-Maßnahmen: Einschätzung der Transaktionskosten öffentlicher Hand : F.R.A.N.Z. Bericht. Braunschweig: Thünen-Institut für Betriebswirtschaft, 31 p

    https://literatur.thuenen.de/digbib_extern/dn064967.pdf

  16. 15

    Budde-von Beust M, Joormann I, Schmidt TG (2019) Ordnungs- und förderrechtliche Rahmenbedingungen für die Umsetzung von Agrarumweltmaßnahmen in den Bundesländern. Braunschweig: Thünen-Institut für Ländliche Räume, 114 p

    https://literatur.thuenen.de/digbib_extern/dn063307.pdf

  17. 16

    Schmidt TG, Joormann I (2018) Mehr Biodiversität in der Landwirtschaft - Bericht aus dem Verbundprojekt F.R.A.N.Z.. Landinfo(3):21-23

  18. 17

    Joormann I, Schmidt TG (2017) F.R.A.N.Z.-Studie – Hindernisse und Perspektiven für mehr Biodiversität in der Agrarlandschaft. Braunschweig: Johann Heinrich von Thünen-Institut, 67 p, Thünen Working Paper 75, DOI:10.3220/WP1503042751000

    https://literatur.thuenen.de/digbib_extern/dn058946.pdf

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