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Ökologischer Betrieb
© BLE, Bonn/Thomas Stephan
Ökologischer Betrieb
Institute of

BW Farm Economics

Beef and Sheep

The production of beef in Germany is closely linked to milk production, as a good 85 percent of the animals finished in the country come from dairy herds and only 15 percent from so-called suckler cows, in which the cows are not milked but instead raise a calf. In sheep farming, so-called “coupled products”, such as landscape maintenance, also play an economically important role. In the analysis and evaluation of economic questions, we therefore often include indicators that go beyond the core production.

Beef and sheep meat production in Germany has been in continuous decline for years, while at the same time consumption seems to have settled at stable levels. Cattle stocks are continuously decreasing due to the average increasing milk yield per cow. With about 1.1 million tonnes of annual production in 2021, German beef production ranks second in Europe behind France. Subsidies for beef production and export have been largely eliminated, but beef production in the EU still enjoys external protection in the form of an import tariff of about 60 percent.

Sheep farming in Germany plays a subordinate role economically. However, it makes an important regional contribution to the diversity of agricultural landscapes, e.g. in the maintenance of open cultural landscapes.

In this context, we are working on the following questions: „

  • How do political and legal framework conditions affect the competitiveness and production of beef and sheep meat?
  • What influence do agricultural and trade policy measures have on beef and sheep meat production and how can farms adapt?
  • How have costs, revenues and productivity developed in the past, what were the driving forces and in which direction will production develop in the future?
  • What increases in production and productivity can be expected in the future at which locations in the world?
  • How can the environmental balance and animal welfare be improved without jeopardising profitability?

It is obvious that most of these questions can only be answered in an EU-wide or global context. Therefore, most of the work is also taking place within the framework of the agri benchmark Beef and Sheep Network, which is coordinated by the institute.

Ongoing Projects

Economics of beef and lamb production as well as grassland use

Beef and sheep production in Germany: business or side products?

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Economics of beef and lamb production as well as grassland use

Future of sheep farming in Germany

Sheep farmers make an important contribution to the preservation and maintenance of landscapes and at the same time produce valuable food and wool. But what is the current state of sheep farming? What types of sheep farms are there in Germany? What are the perspectives and challenges? These questions will be addressed in the project.

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Future of sheep farming in Germany

GHG mitigation in cattle farming - how much is possible where?

Cattle farming for meat production is an important global cause of greenhouse gases in agriculture. However, sources, reduction potential and associated costs vary considerably. We compare across countries.

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GHG mitigation in cattle farming - how much is possible where?

How is beef produced

International comparative analysis of beef production within the agri benchmark Beef and Sheep Network

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How is beef produced

InnoRind

Wie sieht die zukunftsfähige Rinderhaltung in Deutschland unter Berücksichtigung von Tierwohl, Umweltwirkungen und gesellschaftlicher Akzeptanz aus? Welche Änderungen lassen sich in der Aufzucht von Kälbern und auch in der Haltung von Mast- und Milchrindern umsetzen? Antworten auf diese Fragen sollen neun Beispielbetriebe im Rahmen des Projektes InnoRind liefern. 

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InnoRind

On-going evaluation of five RDP in Germany from 2014 to 2020: Effects on animal welfare

In cooperation with the Thünen-Institute of Rural Studies, the Thünen-Institue of International Forestry and Forest Economics and entera, the Thünen-Institute of Farm Economics evaluates the Rural Development Programs (RDP) of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony / Bremen.

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On-going evaluation of five RDP in Germany from 2014 to 2020: Effects on animal welfare

Finished Projects

All cattle for Jakarta?

The Indonesian beef supply chain is very dynamic and characterised by huge structural differences in production, live cattle trade, processing and retail.

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All cattle for Jakarta?

Can sustainable production of beef, palm oil and soy bean be profitable?

The production of beef, palmoil and soybean competes on land which has been covered by rainforest and other natural vegetation.

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Can sustainable production of beef, palm oil and soy bean be profitable?

Cost structures in beef production

Is there an opportunity to estimate national cost share structures in beef finishing? Production costs for beef finishing are determined by several components. Their influence can vary a lot between the different countries. However it is difficult to find consistent data between different countries to be able to compare the costs for beef finishing. Nevertheless these data are the basis for example Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) market models.

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Cost structures in beef production

Costs of mitigating greenhouse gas emssiones in in crop and beef production

Crop and cattle production contribute to the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. What are the economic impacts of GHG-mitigation in agricultural farms?

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Costs of mitigating greenhouse gas emssiones in in crop and beef production

Environmental and animal protection - too expensive for producers?

To which extent are EU and non-EU producers affected by legal regulations and how does this impact on their competitiveness?

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Environmental and animal protection  - too expensive for producers?

More beef import from the US to the EU soon?

The USA and Canada are major beef producers and exporters. Given the beef price differential to the EU, both countries have an interest to export beef to the EU.

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More beef import from the US to the EU soon?

On-going evaluation of seven RDP in Germany from 2007 to 2013: Effects on animal welfare

In cooperation with the Thünen-Institute of Rural Studies, we evaluate the Rural Development Programs (RDP) of North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony / Bremen and Hamburg.

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On-going evaluation of seven RDP in Germany from 2007 to 2013: Effects on animal welfare

Terms of Trade Crop and Beef Production

Do prices follow costs?

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Terms of Trade Crop and Beef Production

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