Impacts of Renewable Energy on European Farmers

This report presents results of the project Impacts of Renewable Energy on European Farmers. It focuses on the (potential) role that on-farm generation of Renewable Energy in the EU-27 may play both in realisation of national and EU environmental targets as in (re)vitalising agriculture and rural economy in different regions of the Union. Renewable Energy (RE) in this respect includes the energy generated on farms by using wind, PV, solar thermal, hydro, geothermal or biomass resources. Activities executed in the project include

+ an assessment of current and possible future production of RE on farms,

+ the analysis of national and EU RE policies and markets,

+ construction of national and EU balances for 2008 and 2020,

+ a survey held among 800 farmers in eight case regions located in Germany, Poland, Spain and Austria,
+ an analysis of perspectives and implications of RE development for farm incomes and non-RE farm production,

+ identification of existing barriers for further RE development and the role (Rural Development) policies can play in overcoming them, and

+ focus group meetings held with stakeholders in the case regions.