Voices of AgEnRes - Interview with Vivian W Huang
In our latest Voices of AgEnRes blog post, we feature Vivian from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Learn
about the challenges, strategies, and the anticipated impact of WP3 on farmers and agricultural communities as Vivian
shares her insights on improving farming efficiency and resilience, aiming for a sustainable future in
agriculture!
Interviewer: Could you briefly introduce yourself, your organisation, and the role of your organisation in the AgEnRes project?
Vivian: I'm Vivian, working at the Department of Economics at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala, Sweden. I'm leading Work Package 3 in the AgEnRes project. In this WP, we conduct ex-post analysis of fossil energy dependence in agriculture to increase resilience against input price fluctuations at different scales.
Interviewer: What are the main challenges that you foresee in achieving the project's goals, and how do you plan to address them from the perspective of your work package?
Vivian: The main challenges I foresee are data availability at the EU level and the time required for data application. To mitigate these risks, we plan to start with national FADN data for some countries and then aim to obtain the EU-level data as soon as possible.
Interviewer: How do you see the outcomes of this project benefiting farmers and agricultural communities?
Vivian: From the perspective of WP3, we will classify farmers based on fossil fuel use efficiency and fertiliser use efficiency in relation to farming performance, focusing on efficiency and productivity. Our goal is to improve farming performance and reduce dependence on fossil-based inputs, helping farmers mitigate the risks associated with price fluctuations of fossil fuels and fertilisers.
Interviewer: Are there any exciting developments or milestones that you're looking forward to as the project progresses?
Vivian: Yes, our team in WP3 aims high, and we aspire to produce high-quality research papers and provide policy advice to the EU Commission.
Interviewer: Finally, what message would you like to convey to stakeholders and the wider community about the importance of AgEnRes?
Vivian: Current agricultural production in the EU heavily relies on fossil-based inputs, and price fluctuations of fuel and mineral fertilisers threaten farmers' incomes and the affordability of food for consumers. It's crucial to enhance farming performance to improve farmers' incomes while reducing the use of fossil fuels and fertilisers.
Interviewer: Thank you very much, Vivian.
Vivian: Thank you.
