Do Structures Matter in the Process of Sustainable Intensification? A Case Study of Agriculture in the European Union Countries

Jakub Staniszewski,Łukasz Kryszak

doi:10.3390/agriculture12030334

Jakub Staniszewski, Łukasz Kryszak

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture12030334

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Journal: Agriculture	Publication Date: Feb 25, 2022
Citations: 6	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: Poznań University of Economics and Business

Abstract

In this paper, we proposed a new approach to the sustainable intensification (SI) process in agriculture in the EU Member States. In contrast to previous studies, we measured SI on a sectoral level and emphasised its dynamic rather than static nature. On the basis of Eurostat data of 27 EU countries in the period of 2005–2018, we used the Malmquist–Luenberger index to evaluate improvement in environmentally and socially adjusted total factor productivity (TFP). In 42% of cases in our sample, we observed the SI process defined as TFP increase. Subsequently, we tested the impact of structural changes on the SI process. On the basis of the panel logit model, we conclude that, in the European Model of Agriculture, where basic environmental and social issues regarding agriculture are regulated, in order to become aligned with sustainable intensification, agricultural production should become concentrated in larger farms with less labour-intense production—units capable of investments in innovative, green technologies.

Highlights

According to the concept of sustainable intensification (SI) in agriculture, an increase in resource productivity in the sector should be achieved without harming the natural environment through the implementation of innovative production methods [1–3]
These practices have gained some attention in Europe, but their popularity varies according to the ecological regions of the continent, and, in general, Europe lags behind other regions in the adoption of conservation agriculture (CA) [5]
Fsuinmalluyp, iaf lwl aebsouvmemuepntailol ned arguments, we find it to be more likely for concentration to have generally positive impact on sustainable intensification, under the assumption that the farmer follows the good agricultural and environmental condition standards, ensured to some extent in the European Union (EU) by cross-compliance rules, which must be followed in order to obtain common agricultural policy (CAP) support

Summary

Introduction

According to the concept of sustainable intensification (SI) in agriculture, an increase in resource productivity in the sector should be achieved without harming the natural environment through the implementation of innovative production methods [1–3]. A commonly referred to example of implementing SI is conservation agriculture (CA), aimed at being popularised among smallholding farmers in developing countries by the guidebook “Save and Grow” [4]. These practices have gained some attention in Europe, but their popularity varies according to the ecological regions of the continent, and, in general, Europe lags behind other regions in the adoption of CA [5]. In the European Union context, as an example of a “SI-friendly” practice, precision agriculture is mentioned more often It is defined as “whole-farm management strategies using information technology, highlighting the potential improvements on production while reducing environmental impacts” [6] (p.11). We refer to this kind of practice instead, while it is widely believed that for investment in technologies, a proper scale of production is necessary [7,8]

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