As reform of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy approaches, dozens of research scientists from European institutions have compiled this overview of multi-functionality impact assessment, which includes surveys on societal demands in different parts of Europe.

These are the final results and reflections of the project MEA-Scope. This project with the full title Micro-economic instruments for impact assessment of multifunctional agriculture to implement the model of European Agriculture was a pioneering project. It was among the first which were funded in the new activity Scientific Support to Policies of the th 6 Research Framework Programme. Policy decisions especially at the European level are never easy. What policy-makers decide will potentially affect the lives of millions of people for many years. This makes reaching informed decisions crucial, and scientific research can help illuminate their policy choices. MEA-Scope was one of two projects which addressed the research p- orities for European Rural areas which were identified in an EC workshop on Multifunctionality in Agriculture in 2001. Scientific Support to Policies in the Research Framework Programme is facing the challenge to identify in the discussions between policy makers and the research community those topics which can be addressed in a m- term strategic research programme. When the research topic was published Multifunctionality of Agriculture was among the concepts with many - search questions open. It was considered that positivistic approaches into technology aspects of agriculture, forestry and other rural activities based on natural resources and land use are needed, as well as more normative research with regard to trade, food quality and safety, animal welfare, en- ronment, rural development and cultural issues.

Provides an overview on concepts and approaches of multifunctionality impact assessment, including surveys on societal demand in different parts of Europe Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Autorentext
Klaus Müller ist Sozial- und Wirtschaftswissenschaftler und zurzeit Gastprofessor am Osteuropa-Institut der Freien Universität Berlin.

Inhalt
Multifunctional Concepts, Societal Demand and Impact Assessment.- The Operational Framework of the MEA-Scope Project.- Agricultural Activities, Rural Areas and Natural Environment: Drawing Up the Frontiers of the Multifunctionality Concept.- Multifunctionality Concepts: A Critical Assessment of the Framework Approaches.- Societal Demand for Commodity and Non-commodity Outputs A Regional Perspective.- TOP-MARD Problematique, Structure and Progress The Case of Norway.- Modelling of Policy Induced Structural Change and Adaptation of Agricultural Practices.- The MEA-Scope Modelling Approach.- A Scenario-Wise Analysis of Economic and Environmental Impacts in the MEA-Scope Case Study Regions.- Recreating Context in Spatial Modelling of Agricultural Landscapes.- Spatial Characteristics of Land Use Patterns in Mugello (Central Italy) and Policy Impacts on Their Environmental Outputs.- Linking Scales, Policy Issues and Impacts.- Scaling from Farm to Landscape.- Analysing Exemplary Policy Issues Using the MEA-Scope Framework.- Implementing the Indicators of the MEA-Scope Multifunctionality Impact Assessment Approach: A Gap Between Supply and Demand of NCOs?.- Regional and Local Case Study Stories of a Europe in Change.- Environmental Impacts of Pillar I and II with Specific Respect to Designated Areas Results from the MEA-Scope Case Study in Germany.- Validation of an Agent-Based, Spatio-Temporal Model for Farming in the River Gudenå Landscape. Results from the MEA-Scope Case Study in Denmark.- Impacts of Three Direct Payment Options on Farm Structure, Economic Performance and Production Pattern: Results from the MEA-Scope Case Study in Italy.- Possibilities for the Development of Mixed Crop-Beef Farming in the Ko?cian Region Based on Natural Fodder Resources.Results from the MEA-Scope Case Study in Poland.- Multifunctional Farming and Survival Strategies in the Borsodi Floodplain.