PRUNING TO ENERGY: A CASE STUDY ON SOCIAL AND ECOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF A VALUE CHAIN

摘要

A pruning to energy (PtE) value chain was established along the lower fringe of the Alb mountains andrnis utilized by fruit tree smallholders of meanwhile 33 small towns in the Southwest of Germany (Baden-rnWürttemberg). Additional participants are expected. The smallholders, farmers and the public of the region ownrn～15,000 ha of an extensive fruit tree – grassland with about 70 high stemmed trees/ha. PtE sustains the maintenancernof a landscape, which is highly esteemed as a cultural heritage. In a situation, where fruit production is notrneconomical alone, the combined benefits for heritage, social life, nature conservation and energetic use of pruningsrnlead to an overall sustainable land use supported by all stakeholders. The focus presented is on the interaction ofrnmutual benefits, which lead to an overall win-win situation economically tipped by PtE. A tentative calculation ofrnSocial Return on Investment (SROI) resulted in benefits of between 2.58 € and 23.81 € per 1 € of investment basedrnon different scenarios. The values were strongly dependent on the labour cost. A calculation on society breakevenrngave a “compensation” wage of ～22 €/hour for the pruning work of smallholders.