Transborder Farming - Virtual Land Consolidation for Improved Farming in Small-Scale Farming Systems

Conclusions in a positive view to Transborder Farming. Economy: Reduction of labor time and costs over 30 %, Efficient machinery use and increasing yields, Use of the best available technologies, Use of the best available know-how. Ecology: Reduction of soil compaction and resource use, Reduction of traffic, Reduction of soil erosion by slope adjusted cultivation, Building of ecologic cells, Participation in technological progress. Technology: Participation in technological progress, Use of site specific technologies in small-structured areas, Efficiency effects by joint machinery use, New challenges produce new (better) solutions. Sociology: Increase of corporate feeling, Benefits from specialized know-how one another, Better (stronger) market position. Conclusions in a critical view to Transborder Farming. Sociology: Decreasing autonomy of decision, Reservations against each other, Necessity of change in traditional thinking, Risk of paternalism of bigger farmers. Ecology: Risk of uncontrolled enlargement of field structures, Risk of decrease of biodiversity, Risk of soil damage by using bigger machines, Risk of higher soil erosion not considering the slope, Risk of increasing intensity in plant protection and fertilizing. Technology: High technological requirements (costs, know-how), Older machinery may become useless, Reservation against new technologies among the farmers, Slowdown of development of small autonomous vehicles. Landscape: Risk of decrease of attractive landscape structures, Risk of decrease of traditional landscape forms.      «

Conclusions in a positive view to Transborder Farming. Economy: Reduction of labor time and costs over 30 %, Efficient machinery use and increasing yields, Use of the best available technologies, Use of the best available know-how. Ecology: Reduction of soil compaction and resource use, Reduction of traffic, Reduction of soil erosion by slope adjusted cultivation, Building of ecologic cells, Participation in technological progress. Technology: Participation in technological progress, Us...     »