Public Awareness Concerning the Multifunctionality of Cypriot Agriculture

Abstract

Agriculture's multifunctionality constitutes a core dimension in the design of rural development policies of the European Union, recently reformed through the introduction of Reg. EC/1305/2013. Within a generalized rural development context, agriculture plays numerous roles; in Cyprus three sectors other than the production of food and fiber are particularly affected: the environment, including the management of water reserves as water is the scarcest resource on the island and irrigation accounts for more than 70% of the total water consumption, rural amenities, through the protection of the agricultural cultural heritage and the livelihood of rural areas, and the continuation of the farming profession, which is endowed with non-use values. This study presents the findings of a survey regarding the degree to which Cypriots are interested in the aspects of life on the island which are affected by the multifunctional character of agriculture. Using Likert-scale questions, 300 respondents were interviewed concerning their opinions and attitudes towards four of these aspects: environmental quality, management of water resources, rural amenities and the maintenance of the farming profession. The analysis indicates that Cypriots are aware of the roles that agriculture plays. Then, in order to examine the validity of this conceptual framework of multifunctionality, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was employed. The results of the CFA revealed that Cypriots incorporate these four aspects within the same framework, thus understanding the distinct effects of multifunctionality on their everyday life. The results of this study can be used in the implementation of Reg. EC/1305/2013, as they reflect public preferences concerning the orientation of agriculture.