Farm Size Matters: A Spatially Explicit Ecological-Economic Framework for Biodiversity and Pest Management
Elia Moretti, Michel Loreau, Michael Benzaquen

TL;DR
This study develops a spatially explicit ecological-economic model to analyze how farm size influences the effectiveness of biodiversity and pest management strategies in European agriculture, emphasizing tailored policy implications.
Contribution
It introduces a novel model that integrates landscape structure, pesticide use, and farm size to assess ecological and economic outcomes in agriculture.
Findings
Small to medium farms benefit economically from reduced pesticide use and hedgerow restoration.
Large farms face challenges in achieving similar ecological and economic gains.
Farm size significantly influences the success of ecological restoration strategies.
Abstract
The intensification of European agriculture, characterized by increasing farm sizes, landscape simplification and reliance on synthetic pesticides, remains a key driver of biodiversity decline. While many studies have investigated this phenomenon, they often focus on isolated elements, resulting in a lack of holistic understanding and leaving policymakers and farmers with unclear priorities. This study addresses this gap by developing a spatially explicit ecological economic model designed to dissect the complex interplay between landscape structure and pesticide application, and their combined effects on natural enemy populations and farmers' economic returns. In particular, the model investigates how these relationships are modulated by farm size (a crucial aspect frequently overlooked in prior research). By calibrating on the European agricultural sector, we explore the ecological…
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Taxonomy
TopicsEconomic and Environmental Valuation · Land Use and Ecosystem Services · Agricultural Economics and Policy
MethodsFocus
