Reducing feed-food competition with direct payments? An ex-ante assessment of economic and environmental impacts

Abstract Worldwide, feed-food competition for arable land is of rising concern. Swiss agricultural policy wants to promote grass-based cattle feeding through a voluntary direct payment program that currently being revised. The current version the requires minimum share 75–85 per cent feed in yearly rations ruminants. revision suggests financial compensation using concentrates with limited crude protein (CP) content at different levels (18 cent, 12 or 0 CP) without limiting amount concentrates. In multimodel approach, we investigated adoption rate new program, and its effect on environmental indicators national scale Switzerland. We found less strict requirements are regarding concentrate feeds, more farmers will adopt protein-reduced feeding. further that, compared revised could have opposite none intended effects indicators. Only banning use altogether moves direction farms participating program. This study shows ex-ante evaluations important expose ineffectual measures improve their design before introducing programs.