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

Anja Scheurich, Alexandra Penicka, Stefan Hörtenhuber, Thomas Lindenthal, Elisabeth Quendler and Werner Zollitsch
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Anja Scheurich: Division of Livestock Sciences, Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1180 Vienna, Austria
Alexandra Penicka: Centre for Global Change and Sustainability, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1190 Vienna, Austria
Stefan Hörtenhuber: Division of Livestock Sciences, Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1180 Vienna, Austria
Thomas Lindenthal: Centre for Global Change and Sustainability, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1190 Vienna, Austria
Elisabeth Quendler: Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1190 Vienna, Austria
Werner Zollitsch: Division of Livestock Sciences, Department of Sustainable Agricultural Systems, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, 1180 Vienna, Austria

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 23, 1-20

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.

Keywords: hay milk; dairy farming; social sustainability; well-being; online survey; farm structure (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 (3)

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