Sustainability and production costs in the global farming sector. Comparative analysis and methodologies

This report synthesises the findings from the workshop on “Sustainability and Production Costs in the Global Farming Sector: Comparative Analysis and Methodologies” organised jointly by the IPTS-JRC and the Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development in Brussels on 21-22 June 2011.

The report constitutes a comprehensive technical overview of the state of production costs calculations for a range of strategic agricultural sectors at global level, and a consideration of the prospects for effective international comparison. Particular attention was given to the methodologies and approaches for data collection and processing, factor market structure and policy inter-linkages, sectoral coverage, horizontal technical issues, and the implications for global agricultural markets. An important part of the report represents policy-relevant conclusions and recommendations towards conducting an effective international comparative analysis of production costs.