Characteristics of Models of Farms in the European Union

Hanna Klikocka,Aneta Zakrzewska,Piotr Chojnacki

doi:10.3390/su13094772

Abstract

The article describes and sets the definition of different farm models under the categories of being family, small, and large-scale commercial farms. The distinction was based on the structure of the workforce and the relationship between agricultural income and the minimum wage. Family farms were dominated by the farming family providing the labour and their income per capita exceeded the net minimum wage in the country. The larger commercial farms feature a predominance of hired labour. Based on surveys, it was found that in 2016 in the EU-28 there were 10,467,000 farms (EU-13—57.3%, EU-15—42.7%). They carried out agricultural activities on an area of 173,338,000 ha (EU-13—28.5%, EU-15—71.5%). Countries of the EU-28 generated a standard output (SO) amounting to EUR 364,118,827,100 (EU-13—17.2% and EU-15—82.8%). After the delimitation, it was shown that small farming (70.8%) was the predominant form of management in the European Union (EU-13—88.2% and EU-15—79.8%) compared to family farming (18.4%) (EU-13—10.5% and EU-15—29%). In most EU countries the largest share of land resources pertains to small farms (35.6%) and family farms (38.6%) (UAA—utilised agricultural area of farms).

Highlights

Models of Farms in the EuropeanAgriculture is a primary division of the economy
It should be assumed that small farms, despite their large number, are of little economic significance and their impact on the development of agriculture and agrarian transformations consisted mainly of their land being taken over by family farms and large-scale farms and their workforce by nonagricultural sectors
In the European Union nearly 10.5 million farms are in operation (Table 2)

Summary

Introduction

Agriculture is a primary division of the economy. It is present in all economic and political systems and accompanies people in all regions and climatic zones. Regarding the economic activity of agriculture, the larger commercial farms feature a predominance of hired labour. It was found that in 2016 in the EU-28 there were 10,467,000 farms next to human-induced factors and phenomena determine the conditions created by the forces of nature [1]. Agriculture has developed for thousands of years, evolving towards two main models of farms: family farms and large-scale farms ( known as large-area farms) [2]. The larger commercial farms feature a predominance of hired labour

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion