Report from the Sub-committee on Production, Economics and Employment.

1. Introduction

On 15 May 1997, the Folketing (the Danish Parliament) unanimously passed a parliamentary resolution urging the government to appoint a committee with independent expertise to analyse all the consequences of totally or partially phasing out the use of pesticides in agriculture and to examine alternative methods of preventing and controlling plant diseases, pests and weeds.

The committee was to assess the consequences for production, the economy, legislation, health and the environment, and employment.

The results of the committee’s work were to be used in the coming work on a new pesticide action plan.

Appointment of main committee and sub-committees

In the mandate of 4 July 1997, the Minister of Environment and Energy stipulated that a main committee be appointed with expert members from research, the agricultural industries, the "green" organisations, consumer organisations, the foodstuffs and agrochemical industries, the trade unions and relevant ministries. Its members were to cover the specialist areas of agriculture, economics, legislation, employment, health, the environment and ecology.

In addition, four sub-committees were appointed. Their task was to facilitate the main committee's final reporting by drafting specialist background reports.

The main committee had the task of coordinating and discussing the sub-committees' work and of preparing the final report for the Minister.

The sub-committees were to cover the following areas:

1. agriculture
2. production, economics and employment
3. environment and health
4. legislation

As points of reference for their work, the sub-committees were to use both the optimum production from the standpoint of operating economy and the production achieved by the agricultural industries to date. They were to assess the consequences for production, the economy, legislation, health, employment and the environment.

In their work, the sub-committees were to evaluate scenarios for total and partial phasing out of pesticides and examine the consequences of restructuring for organic farming, taking into account activities already in progress concerning such restructuring.

An analysis of restructuring for organic farming is given in a separate report in which factors relating to cultivation are discussed, together with economic, employment and environmental factors.

The mandate for the Sub-committee on Production, Economics and Employment

The mandate

On the basis of the above-mentioned cultivation systems and the other existing framework conditions for production, the sub-committee was to evaluate:

1. the consequences of the different cultivation systems for agricultural production and earnings, including the cost to the agricultural sector of restructuring production
2. the economic parameters relating to the environment, such as costs for cleaning up drinking water and soil
3. the economic consequences for derivative industries such as dairies, abattoirs, the chemical industry and producers of alternative agents and methods
4. the economic consequences for the consumers.

The sub-committee was to identify any areas in which a partial or total phase-out would cause particular problems and suggest how these problems could be solved, e.g. through research and development. In its evaluation of the consequences for employment, the sub-committee was to include the impact on employment both in agriculture itself and in the derivative industries.

Composition of the sub-committee

Professor Niels Kærgård, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural College Chairman)
Mikael Skou Andersen, Reader, University of Aarhus
Alex Dubgård, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural College
Johannes Christensen, Research Director, Danish Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Economics (SJFI)
Søren E. Frandsen, Research Director, Danish Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Economics
Els Wynen, Visiting Reseacher, Danish Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Economics
Jan Holm Ingemann, Reader, University of Aalborg
Forskningsleder Valdemar Smith, Danish Institute for Studies in Research and Research Policy, Århus.
Lars Gårn Hansen, Senior Scientist, Institute of Local Government Studies – Denmark (AKF)
Christian Ege Jørgensen, Head of Secretariat, The Ecological Council
Jørgen Birk Mortensen, Reader, University of Copenhagen
Niels Peter Skrubbeltrang, Chief Consultant, Agricultural Advisory Service.

In addition, Claus Vangsgård, M.Sc., Association of Danish Waterworks, participated in some of the sub-committee’s meetings.

The sub-committee held 19 meetings.

The Danish Environmental Protection Agency provided secretariat assistance, drawing on expertise from the Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences.

The following persons were attached to the secretariat:

Lise Nistrup Jørgensen, Senior Scientist, Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences
Erik Steen Kristensen, Chief Scientist, Danish Research Centre for Organic Farming
Anne Marie Linderstrøm, Principal, Danish Environmental Protection Agency
Kaj Juhl Madsen, PhD., Agronomist, Environmental Protection Agency.

The sub-committee’s report was edited by Aage Walter-Jørgensen, Danish Institute of Agricultural and Fisheries Economics.