Search Results (581)

Rural e-commerce is treated as a lever for common prosperity, but its welfare effect turns non-monotonic across digital-development gradients, raising concerns about the widening urban–rural gap in sustainable regional development. We built a county-year panel of 2725 Chinese counties from 2014 to 2022, with Taobao village density as the treatment, land-based agricultural value conversion efficiency as the county-level mediator, and the Peking University digital financial inclusion digitization sub-index as the moderator. The estimations combine two-way fixed-effect regressions, continuous-interaction moderation, Hansen panel-threshold regression, Callaway–Sant’Anna difference-in-differences, Bartik shift-share instrumentation with Rotemberg-weight diagnostics, and multiple imputation by chained equations supplemented by propensity-score sensitivity checks. Taobao village density linearly depresses rural per-capita disposable income and produces a significant U-shape in the nightlight Gini with an in-sample turning point. The marginal effect on Sen welfare moves from approximately $+0.99$ log-units at low digitization to approximately $-0.95$ at high digitization, with the sign-reversal becoming statistically significant only above the 55th percentile of the moderator (Hansen threshold at the 85th percentile), so the trap is a tail regime rather than a generalized reversal; over the panel window, however, 80.5% of counties cross into the trap zone in at least one year. Approximately 28 percent of the welfare squeeze passes through the land-based ecological efficiency channel, with parallel mediators delivering 19–90 percent. The deepest squeeze appears in cash-crop counties that platform theory predicted to benefit most, where the welfare effect at high digitization is roughly $3.1$ times the staple-grain effect. We label this pattern the Digital Saturation Trap and argue that sustainable urban–rural policy should shift from uniform platform access toward differentiated platform governance in counties beyond the saturation threshold. Full article

The rapid digitalisation of the agri-food sector has generated unprecedented volumes of farm and value chain data, but also highly fragmented data ecosystems and asymmetric power relations between farmers, technology providers, and public authorities. In response, the European Union has developed a comprehensive data governance architecture—including the Data Governance Act, the Data Act, the GDPR and the EU Code of Conduct on Agricultural Data Sharing—and is building a Common European Agricultural Data Space (CEADS). This article examines that governance framework and explores its implications for the agri-food sector in Spain. Through a qualitative legal policy review, we map the regulatory landscape, analyse five major European and Spanish initiatives (CEADS/AgriDataSpace, AgData, Agdatahub, RegenAg-X, and DADS), and use Spain as a national case study. A multi-level actor model (meta-governance, data originators, transformation intermediaries, and data users) structures the comparative analysis. On this basis, six design principles for responsible agri-food data spaces are identified: clarity of use cases, inclusive multi-stakeholder governance, data life cycle mapping, privacy and sovereignty by design, a fair economic model, and regulatory compliance as a trust factor. The article identifies open research questions on anonymisation of georeferenced data, data sovereignty, and equitable value distribution, and outlines an agenda for future empirical and legal research. Full article

The primary objective of this study was to present and assess the effects of direct payments and other subsidies targeted at dairy farms under the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) guidelines implemented in 2014–2023 on their financial performance and changes in equity. To narrow the focus on the research problem, the scope of the analysis was limited to dairy farms from the five EU countries with the highest milk production. To achieve this objective, the study employed economic measures and indicators used to evaluate the resources and outcomes of agricultural activity. The empirical material used in the analysis consisted of farm-level accounting data collected within the European Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). The results indicate that direct payments and other subsidies had a very substantial impact on farm income in the analysed countries. The average share of direct payments in dairy farm income in 2014–2023 in the five analysed EU countries ranged from 19.7% in Italy to 88.4% in France. Without direct payments, the average dairy farm would have incurred financial losses from its activity during periods of unfavourable economic conditions on the milk market. The new model for distributing direct payments and other subsidies introduced in 2023, whose main modification compared with the previous system was a stronger alignment of direct payments with environmental objectives, did not result in substantial changes in either the level of payments or their impact on dairy farms’ financial performance. In 2023, the average payment per hectare of agricultural land in the analysed farms amounted to EUR 461.34, which was EUR 19.88 less than in 2022. Full article

The digital transformation of agriculture has generated vast heterogeneous datasets from sensors, machinery, and administrative systems; however, interoperability and data sovereignty remain critical challenges. This study presents an IDS-compliant Agricultural Data Space tailored to the Italian context, integrating regulatory frameworks (General Data Protection Regulation, Data Governance Act and Data Act) with the International Data Spaces (IDS) Reference Architecture Model. The study addresses key barriers to data sharing, including technical fragmentation, governance gaps, and economic incentives, by mapping Italian agricultural data flows onto the five-layer IDS model. Policy-based usage control is implemented through machine-enforceable Open Digital Rights Language policies, enabling farmer-centric data sovereignty. Three use cases, namely administrative Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) declarations, machine-generated data portability, and agri-food supply-chain traceability, demonstrate how structured and interoperable data exchange can reduce redundancy, mitigate vendor lock-in, and support sustainable agri-food systems. The findings highlight the feasibility of IDS-driven solutions in real-world agricultural ecosystems, emphasizing the need for sector-specific policy templates and scalable governance mechanisms. This work contributes to the development of the Common European Agricultural Data Space by bridging institutional, technical, and regulatory gaps. Full article

This study investigates consumer knowledge, perceptions, and purchasing behaviors regarding products with geographical indications and certifications in the Campania region. Traditional Agri-Food Product (PAT) is the regional label used in Italy to identify traditional products whose distribution is so limited that they do not qualify for PDO or PGI designation. In this view, this research examines the diffusion of such products, their economic and sustainability attributes, and alignment with modern objectives, including environmental impact reduction, rural development, and the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) 2023–2027. Using a structured questionnaire administered to a sample of 706 respondents, the study combines descriptive statistics and econometric analysis, trying to identify key factors influencing Willingness to Pay (WTP) for certified products and knowledge of certifications. Findings reveal that education, knowledge of certifications, and lifestyle factors positively affect WTP, highlighting opportunities for targeted marketing and awareness campaigns, also emphasizing critical issues in view of new trade scenarios (e.g., Mercosur agreement) and climate change. Full article

The European Union aims to achieve the target of 25% of land under organic farming by 2030. Italy reached the share of 18.7% in 2022, although significant regional differences persist. This study analyzes farms’ conversion response in the Lazio region (Italy) using a dynamic version of the AGRITALIM agro-economic supply model on a sample of 578 FADN farms. Addressing the limitations of static modeling frameworks that assume full conversion, this study aims to simulate individual farm conversion choices over time, by accounting for conversion and maintenance phases costs and price premiums. This framework tests the hypotheses that a dynamic modeling approach can highlight nuanced responses and that increases in Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments are able to increase organic conversion rates. Results show limited effects of increased economic support: the 2023–2027 CAP reform, characterized by higher support, leads to a 5.1% increase in the area under organic farming, while a 40% increase in financial support generates an expansion of 12%. Farm responses are highly heterogeneous: rural provinces, larger and arable farms are more responsive, while smaller farms and livestock are less likely to convert. These findings highlight the need for integrated policy strategies combining financial support, reduced costs, technical assistance, and improved market access. The methodological approach adopted in this study provides a useful tool for supporting the design of targeted and effective policy interventions. Full article

This article analyses budgetary expenditures on agriculture and rural development in Poland in 2004–2025, i.e., after Poland’s accession to the European Union (EU). The study examines the size, real dynamics, and structure of total agricultural budget expenditures, including both national budgetary funds and EU funds allocated through the instruments of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The analysis assesses the importance of EU budget funds for the level and structure of public expenditures on agriculture and rural development in Poland and attempts to determine the relationship between national and EU funds. The study employed time series analysis, structural analysis, and an analysis of the interdependence of variables (i.e., correlation and multiple regression). It was found that during the 22 years of EU membership, budgetary expenditures on agriculture, agricultural markets, and rural development in Poland were strongly determined by the volume of European funds, which accounted for the sharp increase in Poland’s agricultural budget compared with the pre-accession period. Compared with 2003 levels, expenditure rose by an average of 162% in nominal terms and 129% in real terms. EU funds also acted as a stabilising factor for the size of this budget throughout the analysed period. The proportion of European funds in Poland’s agricultural budget (PAB) rose sharply in the early years of Poland’s EU membership (2004–2011), increasing from 20.1% to 48.7%. However, it remained relatively stable in subsequent years, averaging 47.8%. Nevertheless, the appreciation of the Polish zloty against the euro caused the real value of these expenditures to decline, a trend that became apparent from 2017 onwards. This resulted in the need to increase expenditures from the national budget and led to national funds assuming a greater share of the financial burden of supporting agriculture. Between 2017 and 2025, the share of EU funds in the PAB fell from 43% to 33.1% (averaging 40.3%). The structure of expenditures within the CAP evolved over time as a result of changes in CAP priorities, although farmers’ income support as well as assistance for the modernization and improvement of the competitiveness of Polish agriculture remained key objectives. Full article

The Linpan in western Sichuan is a composite rural landscape of “household-water-forest-field” on the Chengdu Plain. Under the interference of human activities, problems such as landscape fragmentation and ecological function degradation have become increasingly serious, threatening regional ecological security. The specific components involved in the “study on ecological risk sequence” include landscape disturbance degree, landscape vulnerability degree, landscape connectivity, and human activity intensity. Given the lack of long-term ecological risk research on the Linpan landscape in Chongzhou City to support conservation decisions, this study takes it as the object. Based on five phases of land use data from 2003 to 2023, a landscape ecological risk assessment model was constructed. This model is a deterministic and nonlinear comprehensive evaluation model. The determinism is reflected in the fact that, based on specific influencing factors, a unique and definite result can be obtained through a fixed indicator system and calculation method. The nonlinearity is reflected in the fact that the comprehensive risk index does not involve a simple linear superposition of the various factors; instead, the evaluation result is obtained by integrating the factors through nonlinear approaches such as weighted coupling. Using ArcGIS and spatial analysis methods, based on a temporal resolution of 5 years and a spatial resolution of 30 m, the spatiotemporal evolution characteristics were revealed. The results show that: (1) From 2003 to 2023, the Linpan landscape pattern in Chongzhou City underwent significant evolution, characterized by “reduction in agricultural land, expansion of construction land, and slight recovery of ecological land”. Landscape fragmentation intensified, connectivity decreased, but overall aggregation remained stable. (2) The evolution of the landscape pattern drove the ecological risk to show a stable pattern of “low in the northwest and high in the southeast”. The global Moran’s I value decreased from 0.887 to 0.832, indicating that risk aggregation intensified in the early period and was alleviated in the later period. (3) Landscape disturbance degree is the key factor dominating the change in the comprehensive ecological risk index. Compared with similar studies, this research shares the commonality of urbanization-driven fragmentation exacerbation risk, but also exhibits the uniqueness of Linpan structural resilience and conservation policies promoting a reduction in high-risk areas. This study can provide a scientific basis for Linpan protection, land use optimization, and ecological security pattern construction in Chongzhou City. Full article

This study evaluates the productive efficiency in the agrifood sector of 21 rural Bulgarian districts as a proxy for territorial competitiveness. Output-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was performed using district-level data from 2022 to 2024. The analysis incorporates five inputs related to labor, land, and capital and three economic outputs from agriculture and food processing. Results indicate substantial variation in efficiency among rural districts. Twelve districts form the efficiency frontier, with effective resource use and diverse structures; nine are inefficient due to scale or organizational/technological constraints. Bootstrap bias correction revealed standard DEA underestimates efficiency gaps. Frontier districts include large plains, mountainous regions and smaller, specialized systems, indicating diverse paths to competitiveness. A composite Territorial Competitiveness Index (TCI) showed frontier status does not guarantee efficiency, often due to underused manufacturing capital. Cluster analysis identified four performance groups needing different policy support, ranging from near-frontier territories that need knowledge transfer to deeply underperforming districts that require restructuring. No geographic clustering of efficiency was found, pointing to structural and institutional, rather than geographic, drivers. These results highlight the need for territorially tailored rural policies within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and offer an empirical basis for diagnosing regional agrifood efficiency gaps. Full article

This study investigates European citizens’ perspectives on farmers’ roles, highlighting gender, age, education, political orientation, community size, social class, and attitudes towards the EU. This study was developed using 21,002 interviews with European Citizens from all 27 EU countries. A quantitative data analysis methodology was used from the European Eurobarometer 97.1 survey. Seven models were formulated and tested. It is shown that men prioritise economic growth and food stability, while women emphasise environmental protection and animal welfare. Younger individuals focus on rural job creation, whereas older citizens value food security. Higher education levels correlate with environmental and animal welfare concerns. Right-leaning citizens favour economic development, whereas left-leaning individuals prioritise ecological issues. Larger communities emphasise economic growth, while smaller ones focus on environmental preservation. Social class influences priorities, with higher classes concerned about sustainability and lower classes about job creation. Pessimistic views about the EU correlate with food safety concerns, while optimistic views align with environmental and animal welfare priorities. These findings suggest that aligning agricultural and food policies with citizens’ diverse needs can foster a more sustainable and resilient European food system. Full article

In Europe, the most valuable grasslands are semi-natural ecosystems maintained by long-term extensive human management, particularly pastoralism, and therefore do not represent climax vegetation. According to the Natura 2000 habitat interpretation manual (EUR-28), key habitats include xerothermic grasslands of Festuco-Brometalia (code 6210*) on calcareous soils and sandy grasslands of Koelerion glaucae (code 6120*) on poor substrates. Only 10–15% of their area in the EU has favorable conservation status. The main threat is secondary succession and encroachment (83.94%), caused by abandonment of traditional management (81.75%). Without mowing or grazing, dominant grasses replace rare species, followed by shrubs and trees. Other pressures include intensive agriculture (75.18%), habitat loss and fragmentation (69.34%), climate change (37.96%), invasive species (23.36%) and urbanization (14.60%). Multiple threats often co-occur, so cumulative percentages exceed 100%. The most effective conservation method is restoring or maintaining extensive grazing, particularly with local sheep and goat breeds. Grazing limits succession, increases structural diversity and promotes seed dispersal, creating a mosaic of microhabitats that enhances biodiversity. Effective protection requires landscape-scale actions, limiting urban development, and long-term support for farmers under the Common Agricultural Policy. Increasing public awareness of the ecological and cultural value of these ecosystems is also essential. Full article

This paper examines how rural development support was associated with changes in Lithuania’s agri-food sector between 2000 and 2025 across successive Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) programming periods. Integrating complementary theoretical perspectives, the study assesses whether policy interventions were linked to structural transformation, market upgrading, partial innovation deepening, and sustainability-oriented change, or whether they primarily reinforced existing agri-food development paths. Methodologically, the research employs a quantitative, longitudinal, descriptive–analytical design, combining time-series analysis with comparative policy-cycle analysis. By tracing both incremental adjustments and more pronounced structural shifts over the 2000–2025 period, the paper provides an evidence-based assessment of how rural development support aligned with sectoral change. The findings suggest that the observed trajectory is most consistent with modernization, consolidation, and market upgrading, while innovation-led transformation appears more uneven and concentrated in downstream processing than in primary agriculture. The results contribute to debates on the calibration of rural development instruments and offer implications for future policy design in small open economies undergoing agri-food restructuring. Full article

Madeira’s agricultural sector is characterised by pronounced structural heterogeneity, land fragmentation, and increasing socio-economic and environmental pressures. However, comprehensive typological and spatial analyses remain limited, particularly in small island contexts. This study addresses this gap by providing a typological and spatial analysis of the agrarian structure in the Autonomous Region of Madeira, Portugal, using 2019 Agricultural Census data. An integrated framework combining Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Partitioning Around Medoids (PAM) clustering, and Random Forest validation—representing a novel approach in agrarian typology studies—is employed to identify three agricultural models: Intensive Subtropical Agriculture (24.1% of parishes), characterised by small holdings and high labour intensity; Extensive Traditional Agriculture (64.8%), featuring moderate farm size and diversified cropping; and Pasture-based Agriculture (11.1%), dominated by larger farms and low labour input. The results confirm significant structural trade-offs, including a strong inverse relationship between farm size and labour intensity (r = −0.653) and a negative correlation between specialisation and crop diversity (r = −0.673). Spatially, the models exhibit clear territorial differentiation, with subtropical systems concentrated in southern coastal areas and traditional systems prevailing in northern and interior regions. These findings support the hypothesis of a hybrid agrarian transition. Despite relying on cross-sectional data, the results provide a robust basis for targeted and place-based policy design within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) framework. Full article

Agriculture faces climate change, price volatility, and policy uncertainty. Because traditional agricultural insurance instruments often prove insufficient to address these risks, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has introduced additional risk-management instruments such as mutual funds. The paper applies the Business Model Stress Testing framework to assess the robustness and adaptability of a mutual fund business model. The sustainability of the mutual model depends on building trust, enabling legislation, ensuring transparent governance, diversifying funding sources, agri-tech and alignment with support measures are the most critical factors. Within the current institutional framework, the lack of cooperative tradition and management capacities, the application of mutuals is hardly feasible for Croatia. Instead of a collective risk-sharing instruments approach, the paper suggests supporting the cooperation of stakeholders from different risk layers in harnessing digital technology and AI in developing enhanced agricultural risk management. Even though such an approach could be fuzzy too, it could bring impact faster and even contribute to the relevancy of the mutual model. The paper contributes to the literature on sustainable business model innovation in agriculture that enhances farm resilience in high-risk environments. This exercise might have policy implications for transition economies seeking to operationalize innovative tools in climate risk management and rural development. Full article