Abstract for:Investigating the dynamics of animal production – the case of small holders in the Czech Republic

Agriculture and farming show the characteristics of the complex systems. Therefore, the decision making is subject to counterintuitive behaviour, policy resistance and trade-offs between short-term and long-term results. System dynamics apply to the problems of that kind. In our work in progress, we focus on animal production of smallholder farmers in the Czech Republic as they represent the group that is in a very weak market position. The simulations model could serve as a decision support tool, which helps with the predictability and understanding of the animal production system that is characterised by feedback effects, delays and inertia.

In the current phase, we focus on a beef cattle production, fixed capital characteristics and economic situation of farms. We stress the various requirements on the ageing chain representing the herd development, which was developed in cooperation with the stakeholders. That structure must allow the modelling of breeding and rearing, subsidies calculation and also the free capacity. Next phases will mainly focus on the other important types of animal production in the Czech Republic.