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Challenges to Sustainable Development in Family Farms: Global and Local Context

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 November 2021) | Viewed by 61985

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Bazyli Czyżewski

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Chief Guest Editor

Department of Macroeconomics and Agricultural Economics, Poznan University of Economics and Business, 61-875 Poznan, Poland
Interests: sustainable development economics, environmental economics, and agricultural economics concerning inter alia public goods, eco-efficiency, political rents, spatial effects, and input–output analyses

Dr. Sebastian Stępień

E-Mail Website
Assistant Guest Editor

Department of Macroeconomics and Agricultural Economics, Poznan University of Economics and Business, 61-875 Poznan, Poland
Interests: agricultural markets; sustainable development; small farms sector; risk management in agriculture

Dr. Łukasz Kryszak

E-Mail Website
Assistant Guest Editor

Department of Macroeconomics and Agricultural Economics, Poznan University of Economics and Business, 61-875 Poznan, Poland
Interests: farm incomes and finance; environmental economics; productivity analysis

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In 2019, FAO initiated a new program called ‘Family Decade 2019–2028—United Nations Decade of Family Farming’ (FAO 2019). This is a sign that the issues of the family farms sector will be the topic in the academic and public debate over the coming years. The premise for such thinking is the fact that family farms continue to be the primary source of food supply in both developed and developing countries. In addition, due to their multifunctional nature, they provide specific public goods for which public demand is growing. However, family farms face many socioeconomic and environmental problems, such as relatively low incomes and productivity of inputs, vulnerability to climate change or lack of succession that may hinder sustainable development of these farms. Furthermore, the problems of the family farming sector often have a peculiar character regarding different countries and world regions. Understanding this diversity, as well as individual points of view of family farming issues, is a particular contribution to the theory of agricultural economics and closes the gap in this regard.

This Special Issue of Sustainability is dedicated to all those whose area of interest includes issues of family farming and sustainable rural development. The aim is to publish high-quality research papers on the problems of family farms and the supporting policy from an economic, social, and environmental point of view. We invite articles containing international and interregional comparisons as well as more in-depth analysis of specific regions. Review articles are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Bazyli Czyżewski
Dr. Sebastian Stępień
Dr. Łukasz Krysza
Guest Editors

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Keywords

family farm
sustainable development
small-scale farming
climate change
agricultural incomes
social aspects
environmental issues
agricultural policy

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Published Papers (13 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 839 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Economic Implications of Smallholders’ Collaborative Groupings on Household Income and Adaptability to Climate Change in Nigeria

by Edamisan Stephen Ikuemonisan and Igbekele Amos Ajibefun

Sustainability 2021, 13(24), 13668; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132413668 - 10 Dec 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2448

Abstract

This study assessed the impact of smallholders’ collaborative groupings on farm household income and their decision to adapt management strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change within their farming areas. A sample of 225 households’ farms from the participating 15 LGAs in Ondo State were randomly selected. However, only 200 questionnaires were properly filled and returned. The study deployed both descriptive and inferential statistics (t-test and regression models) to achieve its objectives. The study found that only 20% of the households have strategies to ensure a smooth succession of the management in the family farm. The results of the probit regression analysis showed that the membership of collaborative groupings significantly and positively influenced the per capita household farm income and households’ decision to adapt management strategies to mitigate the effects of climate change. In addition, findings from the study also empirically validated that farmers who adapted to the climate earned a higher farm income than non-adapters. On the strength of these findings, the study recommends that more farmers should be encouraged to form collaborative groupings where they can also share in the numerous benefits of being in such a network, including the access to more information on adaptation to climate change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges to Sustainable Development in Family Farms: Global and Local Context)

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18 pages, 1595 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quantitative Analysis of Farmers Perception of the Constraints to Sunflower Production: A Transverse Study Approach Using Hierarchical Logistic Model (HLM)

by Ejovi Akpojevwe Abafe, Oluwaseun Samuel Oduniyi and Sibongile Sylvia Tekana

Sustainability 2021, 13(23), 13331; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313331 - 2 Dec 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 11163

Abstract

Sunflower production is an excellent choice for both local and national agribusiness with significant potential in smallholder farming systems due to low input costs, consistent yields, and a short planting window. However, farmers are faced with interrelated constraints in their sunflower production. This study was undertaken to examines the perceptions of the constraints to sunflower production as perceived by smallholder farmers in North West Province, South Africa. The research identifies some factors related to sunflower production constraints. Then, a stratified random sampling technique was used to select 172 sunflower farmers and they were asked to rate their response on these attributes on a 5-points Likert scale. Leveraging principal component analysis (PCA), we agglomerated and condense information from the original datasets of the constraint attributes into three main components (innovation, farm finance, and crop management practice). Because of the hierarchical structure of the dataset with farmers nested within their local municipalities, we use Hierarchical Logistic Modeling techniques to identify the factors that determine farmer’s perceived interest in innovation, farm finance, and crop management practices. Innovation and farm finance emerge to be critical elements for sustainable sunflower production. The findings indicate that age, education, household size, farm size, cooperative membership, and gender are strongly correlated with farmers’ perceived interest in innovation and farm finance characteristics. This study recommends that to promote these elements among smallholder farmers, it is necessary for governments at the local and national level to invest in extension service and education, cooperative organizations, research, and development in disentangling the age, gender, and farm size inequalities existing in the district sunflower production. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges to Sustainable Development in Family Farms: Global and Local Context)

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20 pages, 1904 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Elements of Social Sustainability among Austrian Hay Milk Farmers: Between Satisfaction and Stress

by Anja Scheurich, Alexandra Penicka, Stefan Hörtenhuber, Thomas Lindenthal, Elisabeth Quendler and Werner Zollitsch

Sustainability 2021, 13(23), 13010; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132313010 - 24 Nov 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2480

Abstract

Proponents of hay milk farming claim several benefits on an ecological and economic level, while little about the social aspects has been studied so far. The present study serves as a first exploration of certain aspects of social sustainability from the perspective of hay milk farmers. The results of an online survey of 284 Austrian hay milk farmers are presented. The statistical analyses included Fisher’s exact tests (contingency tables), Kendall’s rank correlations and a two-step cluster analysis. The sampled farms show positive attitudes toward the work in agriculture (e.g., contribution to the cultural landscape) and are mainly satisfied regarding several job aspects (e.g., occupational diversity), but to a great extent dissatisfied with others (e.g., social recognition, time resources). The critical stressors are the agricultural policy, the economic situation, too little time for partnership or family life as well as bureaucracy and work overload. Multiple medium associations between aspects of well-being are revealed. Obvious and meaningful relationships between farm characteristics and aspects of well-being are scarce. The cluster analysis does little to help explain the characteristics of well-being within the patterns of farms. It therefore seems that the perception of the investigated aspects of well-being on hay milk farms is mostly formed individually and is only associated with the farms’ characteristics to a certain degree. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges to Sustainable Development in Family Farms: Global and Local Context)

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16 pages, 998 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Are You Happy to Be a Farmer? Understanding Indicators Related to Agricultural Production and Influencing Factors: GAP-Şanlıurfa, Turkey

by Mustafa Hakkı Aydoğdu, Mehmet Cançelik, Mehmet Reşit Sevinç, Mehmet Ali Çullu, Kasım Yenigün, Nihat Küçük, Bahri Karlı, Şevket Ökten, Uğur Beyazgül, Hatice Parlakçı Doğan, Gönül Sevinç, Zeliha Şahin, Nusret Mutlu, Celal Kaya, Ayla Yenikale and Akif Yenikale

Sustainability 2021, 13(22), 12663; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132212663 - 16 Nov 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3444

Abstract

Recently, agricultural production areas and farmer numbers have been decreasing in Turkey, which has started to cause concern. This study aimed to analyze the satisfaction levels of farmers in different irrigation areas in the Southeastern Anatolia Project (GAP)-Şanlıurfa region, based on indicators related to agricultural production and influencing factors. The data were obtained through face-to-face surveys with farmers in 2020 and analyzed by logistic regression in STATA. According to the results, 43.3% of the farmers are happy to be farmers in the current situation, and 35.6% want their children to continue farming activities. It was determined that the area of irrigation, education level, income, and farming experience were statistically significant at different rates in terms of the happiness of the farmers. On the other hand, livestock, number of households, and land size were not statistically significant. While 27.5% of the participants were fully satisfied with the given public support, 15.7% were satisfied with the market selling prices of their products, and 43.5% stated that effective organizations are needed to live well. To ensure agricultural sustainability in the research area, there is a need for more agricultural support, effective extension services, and the development of rural tourism with the participation of the public and private sectors. This study was the first of its kind to be conducted in Turkey. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges to Sustainable Development in Family Farms: Global and Local Context)

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24 pages, 2984 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Land to the Tiller: The Sustainability of Family Farms

by Anthony M. Fuller, Siyuan Xu, Lee-Ann Sutherland and Fabiano Escher

Sustainability 2021, 13(20), 11452; https://doi.org/10.3390/su132011452 - 16 Oct 2021

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3683

Abstract

This paper on family farms is in the form of an historical review complemented by current and future perspectives from North America, China, Brazil and Europe. The literature review demonstrates the multiple discourses, concepts and methodologies which underpin contemporary understandings of the family farm. The authors argue that family-based farming units are ubiquitous in most agricultural systems and take on many different forms and functions, conditioned by the structure of agriculture in different locations and political systems. Our review accepts this diversity and seeks to identify some key elements that inform our understanding of the sustainability of family farming, now and in the future. The term ‘family’ is the differentiating variable and behooves a sociological approach. However, economists can view the family farm as an economic unit, a business and even a firm. Geographers see family farms consigned to the margins of good land areas, and political scientists have seen family farms as a class. What emerges is a semantic enigma. As an imaginary term, ‘family farming’ is useful as a positive, universally valued ideal; as a definable entity on the ground, however, it is difficult to classify and measure for comparative policy and research purposes. This ambiguity is utilized by governments to manage the increasing capitalization of farm units while projecting the image of wholesome production of food. The case studies demonstrate the diversity of ways in which family farming ideologies are being mobilized in contemporary agrarian change processes. The notion of ‘land to the tiller’ is resonant with historic injustices in Scotland and Brazil, where family-based agriculture is understood as the ‘natural’ order of agricultural production and actively supported as an historic ideal. In contrast, in the Chinese context, ‘land to the tiller’ is a political means of increasing capital penetration and economic sustainability. Evidence from China, Brazil and Scotland demonstrates the active role of governments, coupled with symbolic ideologies of farming, which suggest that the longevity (i.e., sustainability) of family farming will continue. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges to Sustainable Development in Family Farms: Global and Local Context)

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25 pages, 2857 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Size and Equity in Ownership Dynamics of Agricultural Landholdings in India Vis-à-Vis the World

by K. Kareemulla, Pandian Krishnan, S. Ravichandran, B. Ganesh Kumar, Sweety Sharma and Ramachandra Bhatta

Sustainability 2021, 13(18), 10225; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810225 - 13 Sep 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2498

Abstract

The increasing threat to sustainable agriculture is a major concern of planners worldwide. Human population growth together with increasing food requirements and competition for land use is leading to land scarcity for agricultural purposes. Farm size influences the extent of the adoption of mechanization and modern methods of farm management practices, which in turn results in increased productivity, production efficiency and agricultural income. We studied changes in macroeconomic factors such as dependency on agriculture, growth of the sector, the pattern of landholdings and tenure rights across major agriculturally important countries, as well as the priority of agriculture for the national economy (i.e., the share of agriculture in the national income) and its relationship to changes in farm size. The data on the percentage of area under farming, population growth, size of the agricultural workforce and other social dimensions from 24 countries of different geographical sizes were analysed. We used parameters such as the extent of changes in cropland, family-owned land, the agricultural workforce and their productivity, number of holdings and their distribution, women-headed holdings and finally total and per capita agricultural income, and measured the changes over time and space. The published data from national and international sources were used to establish the relationship between farm size and farm efficiency measured through the selected parameters. The results clearly establish that the size of farm holdings had an inverse relationship with the population dependent on agriculture, share of agriculture in national income and tenure rights. Australia had the largest average agricultural landholding (3243 ha), while India and Bangladesh had the lowest (1.3 and 0.3 ha, respectively). The inequality in the distribution of farmland ownership was greater in developed countries than in developing countries. Female farmland ownership was less than 20% in most developing countries and the relationship between the number of farm households and farm outcomes was found to have weakened over time. India, a developing as well as an agriculturally important country, was subjected to detailed analysis to understand the spatiotemporal dynamics of the size, distribution and ownership patterns of agricultural landholding. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges to Sustainable Development in Family Farms: Global and Local Context)

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17 pages, 574 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Food Insecurity and Related Factors among Farming Families in Takhar Region, Afghanistan

by Sayed Alim Samim, Zhiquan Hu, Sebastian Stepien, Sayed Younus Amini, Ramin Rayee, Kunyu Niu and George Mgendi

Sustainability 2021, 13(18), 10211; https://doi.org/10.3390/su131810211 - 13 Sep 2021

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 4839

Abstract

Improved food security remains a major challenge for policymakers in Afghanistan. The objective of this study is to investigate the prevalence and drivers of food insecurity among farming households in the Takhar region of Afghanistan. Household questionnaire survey datasets were obtained from 262 farmers via multi-stage sampling across four districts. The Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) was constructed to assess the prevalence of food insecurity, and an ordered probit econometric model was used to identify the factors influencing the prevalence rates in farming families. The findings indicate that 66.79% of the farming households were food insecure, whilst 30.53% were severely food insecure. After adjustment of socio-economic and demographic characteristics of families, the ordered probit results reveals that household head education, dependency ratio, farm income, access to non-agricultural income, livestock unit, group membership, borrowing, farm diseases, flood, and war significantly influenced farming households’ food insecurity in the study area. Our findings highlight the urgent requirement for policies and initiatives to support farmers to improve their overall food security. Such strategies should focus on introducing improved farming techniques, enhancing farmer education levels, livestock development programs, building and empowering farmers groups, creating credit access to households, and providing humanitarian food support. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges to Sustainable Development in Family Farms: Global and Local Context)

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19 pages, 1838 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Environmental-Economic Performance of a Poblano Family Milpa System: An Emergy Evaluation

by Miguel Angel Avalos-Rangel, Daniel E. Campbell, Delfino Reyes-López, Rolando Rueda-Luna, Ricardo Munguía-Pérez and Manuel Huerta-Lara

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9425; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169425 - 22 Aug 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2173

Abstract

The family milpa system (FMS) is of great importance to food security and the livelihoods of rural families in Mexico. However, the performance of the system can be compromised due to inappropriate agricultural practices. Therefore, a suitable evaluation strategy is required to identify the best management of resources. Nonetheless, at present, there is no holistic understanding around the nature–society interface that allows us to predict the global behavior of the FMS. Thus, this study assesses the global performance of a Poblano FMS through emergy-based indices. The emergy evaluation was carried out by accounting for the available energy of different qualities used in the system, which were subsequently converted to one kind of energy (solar emjoules). The percentage of renewable emergy (%Ren) used in the system was 72.16%. The emergy self-support ratio (ESR) showed that 74% of the emergy used came from free local resources. The emergy investment ratio (EIR) of 0.36 indicated that the emergy use was efficient. The emergy yield ratio (EYR) was 3.78, which in terms of net emergy (NE), was equivalent to a gain of 1.35 × 10¹⁶ sej ha⁻¹ y⁻¹. The environmental loading ratio (ELR) was 0.39, which indicated a low potential environmental impact. The emergy sustainability index (ESI) was high (9.80) compared to other agricultural systems. The performance of the FMS is superior compared to other agricultural systems, including ecologic and recycling systems. However, the use of resources is not optimum and needs to be improved to reach maximum empower. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges to Sustainable Development in Family Farms: Global and Local Context)

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12 pages, 275 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Socio-Economics Factors in Family Farms with Different Economic Sustainability Levels from Central and Eastern Europe

by Katarzyna Smędzik-Ambroży, Marta Guth, Adam Majchrzak, Andreea Cipriana Muntean and Silvia Ștefania Maican

Sustainability 2021, 13(15), 8262; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158262 - 23 Jul 2021

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1932

Abstract

Economic sustainability plays an important role in shaping conditions for economic growth and social development. The importance of answering the question about the level of sustainability of family farms results from the fact that the countries of Central and Eastern Europe, apart from exceptions (e.g., the Czech Republic and Slovakia), are characterized by a fragmented agrarian structure. Hence, the main goal of this article was to answer two questions: (1) whether the countries of Central and Eastern Europe differ in the level of economic sustainability of small family farms; and (2) whether the same socioeconomic factors impact similarly on the level of economic sustainability of small family farms from countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The study was based on surveys conducted in small family farms: in 2018 from Poland (672 farms) and in 2019 in four other countries (Lithuania; 999 farms, Romania; 834 farms, Serbia; 523 farms, Moldova; 530 farms). The publication includes a critical analysis of the literature, structure analysis and correlation analysis. The results show the occurrence of large differences between the economic sustainability of small family farms from the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The research indicates that the larger the area of a small-scale family farm, the greater its economic sustainability. The productivity of these farms increases with their economic sustainability. The results also prove a negative relationship between the age of the farmer and the economic sustainability of their farm in all analysed countries. These trends were found in all analysed countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The results of the analyses support the conclusion that agricultural policy instruments aimed at increasing the economic sustainability of small family farms should lead to: land consolidation, a decrease in the age of farm owners through generational changes, and a decrease in employment in agriculture, which would lead to a reduction in labour input in the agricultural sector. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges to Sustainable Development in Family Farms: Global and Local Context)

15 pages, 675 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Eco-Efficiency and Human Capital Efficiency: Example of Small- and Medium-Sized Family Farms in Selected European Countries

by Jan Polcyn

Sustainability 2021, 13(12), 6846; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13126846 - 17 Jun 2021

Cited by 34 | Viewed by 2588

Abstract

Small- and medium-sized family farms are places to live and sources of income for about half of the population. The aim of this analysis was to determine the relationship between eco-efficiency and human capital efficiency on small- and medium-sized family farms. The analysis was carried out using an economic measure (value of agricultural production per work hour calculated per hectare) and two synthetic measures (human capital and environmental measures). The synthetic measures were determined using the TOPSIS-CRITIC method by defining weights for variables used in the measures. The analysis covered five countries: Lithuania (960 farms), Moldavia (532 farms), Poland (696 farms), Romania (872 farms) and Serbia (524 farms). All of these countries are characterised by a high fragmentation of agricultural holdings. The analysis allowed us to formulate the following conclusions: eco-efficiency and human capital efficiency indices increased with area for small- and medium-sized family farms. An increase in the eco-efficiency index with an increase in farm area suggests that the smaller the farm area, the more extensive the agricultural production that was carried out. In addition, an increase in human capital efficiency with an increase in farm area indicates that there was inefficiency in the utilisation of human capital resources on the agricultural farms studied. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges to Sustainable Development in Family Farms: Global and Local Context)

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23 pages, 684 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Motivational Factors, Job Satisfaction, and Economic Performance in Romanian Small Farms

by Silvia Ștefania Maican, Andreea Cipriana Muntean, Carmen Adina Paștiu, Sebastian Stępień, Jan Polcyn, Iulian Bogdan Dobra, Mălina Dârja and Claudia Olimpia Moisă

Sustainability 2021, 13(11), 5832; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13115832 - 22 May 2021

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4774

Abstract

The agricultural sector ensures food security and is a major source of employment, income, and economic activity in rural areas. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) considers that family farms are the key to a sustainable future in Europe and Central Asia. In Romania, small farms represent the pillar on which Romanian society has been developed. Although the trend has been a reduction in the number of small farms and an increase in the number of large farms, the Government of Romania understands the importance of small farms and therefore supports them through policies involving direct payments, rural development instruments, special initiatives, and loans and outstanding obligations, among others, which focus on increasing their economic performance. The aim of our research was to determine the relationship between farmers’ motivation, their job satisfaction, and the farm economic performance in the case of small Romanian farms. The research sample consisted of 900 small farms (utilized agricultural area (UAA): under 20 ha; standard output (SO): under EUR 15,000). The data obtained after applying the questionnaires were analyzed using SPSS 20.0 and Amos 24.0. For the exploratory factor analysis, values of Bartlett’s test of sphericity, the Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin test, and Cronbach’s alpha coefficient were calculated for each dimension of the proposed model. The hypothesis that motivation, job satisfaction, and farm economic performance directly and positively influence each other was confirmed. An important finding was that the correlation coefficient between farmers’ motivation and farm economic performance was ρ = 0.78, while that for the relation between farmers’ job satisfaction and farm economic performance was ρ = 0.53, which was similar to the correlation coefficient calculated for the relationship between farmers’ motivation and farmers’ job satisfaction. This result allows us to conclude that the influence of farmers’ motivation factors on farm economic performance is stronger than the influence of job satisfaction in the case of Romanian farmers on small farms. This might explain why, although work in agriculture is considered to be worse than an office job and the people that work in agriculture are sometimes stigmatized and receive lower incomes, there are still very strong motivators for Romanian farmers to continue their work in agriculture. This is proven by the fact that Romania has the highest number of small farms in Europe, and this number is not decreasing. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges to Sustainable Development in Family Farms: Global and Local Context)

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16 pages, 5435 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Agricultural Waste Recycling Optimization of Family Farms Based on Environmental Management Accounting in Rural China

by Lulu Yang, Xu Xiao and Ke Gu

Sustainability 2021, 13(10), 5515; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13105515 - 14 May 2021

Cited by 19 | Viewed by 12512

Abstract

In the process of production and operation of family farms, a large amount of agricultural waste, such as livestock and poultry manure, has not been effectively treated in time, causing serious pollution to the environment. Moreover, livestock and poultry manure are the kind of resources that can be recycled to fertilize crops, which can benefit family farms both economically and environmentally. Adoption of manure biogas digesters by family farms can improve sustainability by not only decreasing input use and resource losses, but also reducing environmental pollution. Additionally, Material Flow Cost Accounting (MFCA) is considered to be the most representative environmental management accounting tool. MFCA can be expanded to account for and calculate environmental damages, so as to better reflect the economic and environmental sustainability of agricultural systems. According to the basic principles of material flow cost accounting and characteristics of family farms, we propose an agricultural-waste-recycling model for Chinese family farms that is based on the extended MFCA in this paper. We first investigate Chinese family farms in Hunan Province, and then optimize an agricultural-waste-recycling model by extended MFCA. Finally, based on our proposed model, we make a two-dimensional analysis on the internal resource cost and external environment damages for agricultural-waste recycling. Our analysis shows that visualization of monetization of resource losses can optimize manure recycling through better decision-making, which can increase the sustainability of family farms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges to Sustainable Development in Family Farms: Global and Local Context)

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30 pages, 446 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Socio-Economic Determinants of Small Family Farms’ Resilience in Selected Central and Eastern European Countries

by Michał Borychowski, Sebastian Stępień, Jan Polcyn, Aleksandra Tošović-Stevanović, Dragan Ćalović, Goran Lalić and Milena Žuža

Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10362; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410362 - 11 Dec 2020

Cited by 51 | Viewed by 5030

Abstract

We investigated the resilience of small-scale family farms because of the contemporary importance of both the farms’ resilience and the role of these farms in five countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The authors addressed a research gap concerning cross-sectional research on the resilience of farms by combining determinants from various fields. Thus, the primary goal of this article was to identify microeconomic and political factors and links to markets that affect the resilience of small-scale family farms in Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Serbia. Using a database of over 3500 farms, the resilience of the farms was calculated, and then the impact of selected factors on that resilience was determined. The research showed that the production scale was the key determinant of the resilience of farms. To achieve higher benefits, increasing the production should be combined with strengthening the market integration of agricultural producers. The position of the producer in the food supply chain determined the income situation of the farm (economic stability). This shaped the quality of life of the family members (social stability). Identifying the effects of those dependencies may provide recommendations for the policy of supporting small-scale family farms in the analysed countries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Challenges to Sustainable Development in Family Farms: Global and Local Context)

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