Purpose: This study analyses how weather shocks influence agricultural entrepreneurs’ risk perception and how they manage these risks. It explores what risks agricultural entrepreneurs perceive as important, and how they face climate change and related weather shock risks compared to the multiple risks of the enterprise. Design/methodology: This paper uses qualitative data from several sources: eight semi-structured interviews with experts in agriculture, three focus groups with experts and entrepreneurs, and 32 semi-structured interviews with agricultural entrepreneurs. Findings: not published yet Originality and value: This study contributes to the literature about risk management by small- and medium-sized agricultural enterprises: it studies factors that shape perceptions about weather shocks and about climate change and how these perceptions affect actions to manage related risks, and it identifies factors that motivate agricultural entrepreneurs to adapt to climate change and changing weather shock risks. Practical implications can lay the foundation for concrete actions and policies to improve the resilience and sustainability of the sector, by adjusting risk management strategies, collaboration, knowledge sharing, and climate adaptation policy support.
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This paper reviews the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the global travel industry, drawing on a survey of businesses in the youth travel sector. It reviews the current and likely future impact of the crisis on different sectors of youth travel, and assesses the prospects for recovery
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Abstract: Climate change is related with weather extremes, which may cause damages to infrastructure used by freight transport services. Heavy rainfall may lead to flooding and damage to railway lines, roads and inland waterways. Extreme drought may lead to extremely low water levels, which prevent safe navigation by inland barges. Wet and dry periods may alternate, leaving little time to repair damages. In some Western and Middle-European countries, barges have a large share in freight transport. If a main waterway is out of service, then alternatives are called for. Volume- and price-wise, trucking is not a viable alternative. Could railways be that alternative? The paper was written after the unusually long dry summer period in Europe in 2022. It deals with the question: If the Rhine, a major European waterway becomes locally inaccessible, could railways (temporarily) play a larger role in freight transport? It is a continuation of our earlier research. It contains a case study, the data of which was fed into a simulation model. The model deals with technical details like service specification route length, energy consumption and emissions. The study points to interesting rail services to keep Europe’s freight on the move. Their realization may be complex especially in terms of logistics and infrastructure, but is there an alternative?
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