3FOOD

Third Industrial Revolution Consulting Group
Öeko-Öeko Study of Luxembourg Organic and Conventional Farming 160
The study compared the ecological performances and the social costs of organic and
conventional farms in Luxembourg and to analyse the cost-effectiveness of payments to organic
farms in Luxemburg from an agro-environmental perspective. Results show that organic farms
cause substantially lower environmental impacts than their conventional counterparts.
There is a higher nitrogen (N) eutrophication potential from conventional farms and a
higher N-efficiency on organic farms (on average 189% in comparison to conventional
farms)
Organic farms have a lower energy need (on average 43% of conventional farms) and a
higher energy efficiency than conventional farms (on average 150% in comparison to
conventional farms)
There are lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on organic farms and organic farms have a
higher GHG efficiency compared to conventional farms (on average 139%)
Organic farms have also a higher fodder autarky than conventional farms; conventional
farms have lower fodder autarky, especially protein fodder autarky and especially on dairy
farms (52%)
Organic farms have on average more diverse crop rotation (7.8 elements compared to 6 on
the conventional farms)
There was a higher biodiversity on organic farms: 28% more species on organic fields and
28% more species on intensive permanent grassland
The habitat diversity is on average twice as high on organic farms than on conventional
farms
The species number was even on organic farms with low weed cover significantly higher
The number of red list species was nearly twice as high on organic farms than on
conventional farms (4.6 compared to 2.7)
However, these additional environmental benefits do not go along with higher public
payments. On average, organic farms have a somewhat lower income (85% in comparison to
conventional farms) and a somewhat lower expense (74% in comparison to conventional
farms). Public payments were on average at the same level for both organic and conventional
160 Schrader, Christian, FiBL), Adrian Müller (FiBL), Steffi Zimmer (IBLA), Raymond Aendekerk (IBLA), Rocco Lioy
(CONVIS), Romain Reding (CONVIS), Steve Turmes (CONVIS), Gerard Conter (SER), Simone Adam (SER), Richard
Dahlem (n&ë) und Georges Moes (n&ë) (2013) Vergleichende ökonomisch-ökologische Analyse von biologisch
und konventionell wirtschaftenden Betrieben in Luxemburg („öko-öko“),Ein Projekt von IBLA und FiBL /Schweiz,
in enger Zusammenarbeit mit natur & ëmwelt, Service d’Economie Rurale und CONVIS, Im Rahmen des
„Aktionsplanes biologische Landwirtschaft Luxemburg” mit finanzieller Unterstützung durch das Ministère de
l`Agriculture, de la Viticulture et du Développement Rural – Administration des Services Techniques de
l`Agriculture, ASTA.
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