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

Katarzyna Smędzik-Ambroży, Marta Guth, Adam Majchrzak, Andreea Cipriana Muntean and Silvia Ștefania Maican
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Katarzyna Smędzik-Ambroży: Institute of Economics, Poznań University of Economics and Business, 61-875 Poznań, Poland
Marta Guth: Institute of Economics, Poznań University of Economics and Business, 61-875 Poznań, Poland
Adam Majchrzak: Institute of Economics, Poznań University of Economics and Business, 61-875 Poznań, Poland
Andreea Cipriana Muntean: Faculty of Economic Sciences, “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia, 510009 Alba Iulia, Romania
Silvia Ștefania Maican: Faculty of Economic Sciences, “1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia, 510009 Alba Iulia, Romania

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 15, 1-12

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.

Keywords: economic sustainability; agriculture; Central and Eastern Europe; socioeconomic factors of sustainability; small scale family farms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:15:p:8262-:d:600273

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