Pia Piroschka Otte (p), Natalia Maehle (p)

Maria Greve

Healthy soils are the basis of our food production. However, in recent years soil quality has been declining due to various reasons such as increased use of synthetic fertilizers and overproduction. In Norway only 3% of the country is arable land, which means that a comprehensive soil protection strategy is needed to ensure local food production.
Sequestering more carbon in soils appears to be a highly promising soil management practice (SMP) to address these challenges. Carbon sequestration in soils has been shown to have multiple ‘win-win’ benefits on soil productivity leading to increased crop yields combined with a high potential of GHG emission reduction.
Previous research has shown that policy uncertainty and regulations can lead to lower acceptance of carbon sequestering SMPs among farmers. Furthermore, there is a need for long-term policies with a more holistic focus than just emission reduction. However, governments often follow different environmental targets and design environmental policies in isolation which can lead to contradictions. Hence, it is necessary to pursue a more holistic approach to policy design that considers various environmental targets and conflicting impacts and can support the development of local carbon sequestration schemes.
This study presents the first stage of a larger research project on developing Sustainable Business Models (SBMs) for carbon sequestering SMPs in Norway. It analyses Norwegian environmental policies relevant to carbon sequestration in soils and conducts a desk study of international carbon farming policy documents to investigate their relevance for Norway. As a result, this study identifies key principles for a prospective policy and legislative framework for carbon farming which will serve as part of value creation in the SBM.

Lihi Lahat, Chen Sharony (p), Nir Sharon

Pia Piroschka Otte

The primary question addressed in the current study is how perceptions of the quality of social services affect people's well-being. Since a central goal of social services is to enhance people's well-being, exploring the connection between the two is an intriguing question that has not been sufficiently discussed. However, drawing inspiration from the policy feedback literature and new insights from other disciplines that challenge one-way causality, we explored whether there is an effect in the opposite direction. Thus, the second question is: Does people's well-being affect their perceptions regarding the quality of services? To investigate these questions, we employed a quantitative method based on a multi-level analysis of the 2016 European Quality of Life Survey, which includes 33 European countries and approximately 37,000 respondents aged 18 and over.

Preliminary findings indicate that while the connection is relevant in both directions, the influence of the perception of service quality on well-being is more prominent. Furthermore, welfare regimes and the type of services impact the relationship between perceptions of service quality and well-being. The study offers both empirical and theoretical contributions to the policy feedback literature. Moreover, it has practical implications for policymakers, enabling them to prioritize the most influential social services.

Domingos I. M. Amorim, Alexandre N Almeida (p), Francisco Jose da Silva Tabosa

Chen Sharony

This paper aims to evaluate the impact of Brazil's Law No. 13,467, ratified in July 2017, with the objective of fostering employment opportunities by modernizing labor relations and improving workers' salary conditions. The study employs entropy balancing methods and quantile analysis using regional data from 2017 and 2018, focusing exclusively on private-sector workers. The results reveal adverse effects of the Labor Reform on hourly wages across all quantiles at the national level. Regional variations in the impact of the Labor Reform are also observed, with more distinct effects in the South and Southeast regions compared to other areas. This variability can be attributed to regional diversity in economic and social contexts, indicating that changes in labor legislation became more evident in regions with specific salary structures and employment dynamics. Additionally, the study shows that heads of households in the South and Southeast regions experienced the most significant impact on their hourly wages in the upper quantiles post-labor reform, while those in the Northeast were affected in the median. In the Central-West, characterized by low worker participation in the formal job market, no statistically robust effects were observed.

Maria Greve (p), Anne-Sophie Halbertsma , Mirella Schrijvers

Alexandre N Almeida

This study explores the relationship between regional entrepreneurship and the rise of far-right populism in Europe. By integrating the "discontent" literature with entrepreneurship research, this paper aims to understand the link between entrepreneurship and populism, thereby offering a novel perspective on the socio-political impact of high-growth entrepreneurship. Initial findings indicate a significant negative correlation between high-growth entrepreneurship and right-wing populist support, suggesting that regions with higher levels of entrepreneurship tend to support moderate political parties, which may reflect a stronger backing for the institutional system. This relationship is examined through various measures of productive entrepreneurship and vote shares across different elections. The study delves into the underlying mechanisms of this relationship, considering factors like inequality, sector composition, and social values. These insights could guide policymakers in crafting strategies that promote entrepreneurship, potentially mitigating populist sentiments.