Seasonal alpine grazing trends in Switzerland: Economic importance and impact on biotic communities

Seasonal alpine grazing is organised around the migration of livestock between alpine pastures in the summer season and lower permanently settled regions the rest of the year. Seasonal alpine grazing fulfils important functions for the environment, agriculture and regional economy, as well as for society. The Swiss Agricultural Sectoral Information and Forecasting System (SILAS) is used to forecast pasture-management trends as well as analyse their economic impact on Swiss agriculture and biotic communities. Model results show the great economic importance of alpine grazing for the farms in the mountain region, where roughly one-third of total factor income is linked to summering. The income contribution of alpine grazing can also be interpreted as the reward for the provision of public goods which are directly or indirectly linked to alpine grazing. Despite the high income contribution for farmers in the permanently settled mountain area, model results show that transhumance payments do not prevent a decrease in the number of summered animals. This is mainly due to the abolition of the alpine milk quota in Switzerland, which reduces the competitiveness of milk production in the alpine area. A decline in the number of grazing animals affects the maintenance of open landscape and the existence and variety of species. The effects can be beneficial for the high nature values associated with established agricultural practices, if the same area will continue to be grazed, but less intensively than before. The effects can be also unfavourable if fewer areas will be grazed, but with the same or a higher intensity as before.

► Model results show the great economic importance of alpine grazing for the farms in the Swiss mountain region.
► Roughly one-third of total factor income of farms in the permanently settled mountain area is linked to alpine grazing.
► Alpine-grazing trends are dependent both on general structural development in agriculture and on the profitability of summering.
► A decline in alpine grazing affects the existence and variety of species and can be either beneficial or unfavourable.
► To ensure that a decline in alpine grazing results in a positive environmental effect policy makers need to change the direct payment system.