“Paradoxical” Dissatisfaction among Post-Socialist Farmers with the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy: A Study of Farmers’ Subjectivities in Rural Poland

2021 ◽  
pp. 088832542110367
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Bilewicz ◽  
Natalia Mamonova ◽  
Konrad Burdyka
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Agricultural Policy ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Common Agricultural Policy ◽  
Central And Eastern Europe ◽  
Self Esteem ◽  
The Media ◽  
Direct Payments ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Empirical Material

Farmers in post-socialist Central and Eastern Europe are the major beneficiaries of the European Union’s (EU) Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), at least in monetary terms. Why, then, are they dissatisfied with the CAP? This study aims to understand farmers’ subjectivities (i.e., judgments shaped by personal opinions and feelings) regarding CAP and compares these subjectivities to the actual impact of CAP in rural areas. It is based on empirical research in the Błaszki commune in central Poland, where the farmers’ movement Agrounia originated. The study has found that in addition to its benefits, CAP created a number of new problems, such as socio-economic differentiation and related tensions in rural communities, misuse of the CAP’s direct payments, disappearance of rural (peasant) lifestyle, and environmental degradation. The empirical material has also revealed the fragile position of Polish farmers in the domestic market, which affects their dignity and self-esteem. Agrounia seeks to address the latter issue, yet it faces the problems of farmer mobilization and negative representation in the media. This article contributes to the discussions about the applicability of CAP in the post-socialist context, the impact of farmers’ subjectivities on their practices, and the farmers’ mobilization and social movements in post-socialist countries.

scholarly journals An Evaluation of the Impact of Media Campaign Against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the Rural Communities of Enugu State, Nigeria

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (14) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Joseph Oluchukwu Wogu ◽  
Chinenye Amonyeze ◽  
Raphael Oluwasina Babatola Folorunsho ◽  
Henry E. Aloh
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Female Genital Mutilation ◽  
Media Campaign ◽  
Genital Mutilation ◽  
The Media ◽  
Enugu State ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Female Genital

This paper investigates the impact of media campaign against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the rural areas of Enugu State. One hundred and sixty three women attending the antenatal clinics in six rural communities and twenty-four heads of Women groups were selected as sample for this cross-sectional survey. Structured questionnaire and interview were used to collect data while analysis of the data was done with SPSS version 20.0. The results reveal among others that the media campaign against FGM in Enugu state is ineffective. It further reveals that cultural values (51%), poor network reception (23%), epileptic power supply (18%), inaccessible media, and the nature of the content of the campaign are responsible for the ineffectiveness. Given the findings, the researchers recommends the modernization of the media and the contents of its FGM campaign for rural reach/accessibility, the development of pro-Igbo cultural programmes against FGM practice, and the use of visual methods to establish/prove the relationship between FGM, infections/diseases and maternal deaths. Further empirical research on FGM – maternal health care in Enugu State is recommended.

scholarly journals Economic impact of several variants of additional direct payments for the years 2005 and 2006 on Czech agriculture

2012 ◽  
Vol 51 (No. 3) ◽  
pp. 93-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Střeleček ◽  
J. Lososová
Keyword(s):  
Economic Impact ◽  
Agricultural Policy ◽  
Common Agricultural Policy ◽  
Additional Payments ◽  
Agricultural Enterprises ◽  
Direct Payments ◽  
Production Areas ◽  
The Impact

This paper follows previous papers published by the authors. All the papers are concerned with standard direct payments, the system of administration of direct payments approved for 2004 and their impact on the economy of agricultural enterprises farming in different production areas. The impact of different ways of using additional payments for the years 2005 and 2006 are compared in this report. Attention is mostly paid to ways of the maximum adaptation to the Reform of Common Agricultural Policy.

scholarly journals The planned reform of the Common Agricultural Policy with particular reference to the direct support system

2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (No. 8) ◽  
pp. 381-390
Author(s):  
Adrian Sadłowski
Keyword(s):  
Support System ◽  
Agricultural Policy ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Common Agricultural Policy ◽  
Legal Framework ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Member States ◽  
Direct Support ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Impact

Having evaluated the situation in agriculture and rural areas, and having assessed the significance of new external and internal conditions, the European Commission has decided to reform the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union. This article presents the essence of the part of the reform plan which affects the direct support system. The author of the article also examines the impact of the reform on the system’s capacity to achieve the set goals, and on its efficiency. The research showed that the new legal framework proposed by the Commission would not directly improve the efficiency of the system, but the increased decision-making authority it grants to Member States provides an opportunity to reduce administrative outlays on the functioning of the scheme. Likewise, the effectiveness of a reformed direct support system in achieving the set goals will largely depend on decisions made by Member States, i.e. on the appropriate choice of instruments, and the accuracy of their form, as well as the equitable distribution of the available funds.

scholarly journals The role of small farms for sustainable rural development

2021 ◽  
Vol LXII (2) ◽  
pp. 32-45
Author(s):  
Bojura Fidanska ◽  
◽  
Nina Koteva ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Family Business ◽  
Agricultural Policy ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Common Agricultural Policy ◽  
Small Farms ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Impact

The study examines the role of small farms in the development of entrepreneurship and family business, which contribute to the sustainable development of rural areas in Bulgaria. The aim of the article is to outline the socio-economic importance of small farms on the sustainable development of rural areas, to reveal structural changes and to assess the impact of the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy. The strengths of small farms for rural development and their needs are highlighted. The difficulties faced by producers in starting a family business are outlined. The results of the study clearly show that small farms are of great social, economic and environmental importance for rural areas. The lack of a definition of “family farm” in the national legislation hinders the process of integration of small farms in economic terms, which in turn affects the sustainability of rural areas. A preliminary assessment of the impact of the implementation of the Common Agricultural Policy on small farms has been made.

scholarly journals INFLUENCE OF THE COMMON AGRICULTURAL POLICY ON THE RESILIENCE OF POLISH HORTICULTURE

2019 ◽  
Vol XXI (4) ◽  
pp. 308-316
Author(s):  
Anna Agata Martikainen
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Policy ◽  
Common Agricultural Policy ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Focus Group Research ◽  
Group Research ◽  
Financial Framework ◽  
The Common ◽  
Direct Payments ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Resilience Capabilities

The goal of the research is to assess the impact of the Common Agricultural Policy on the three dimensions of resilience of farming sectors: robustness, adaptability and transformability. The chosen subject of the research was Polish horticulture and the examined period was the financial framework 2014-2020. The research was based on qualitative data analysis, including policy documents analysis and the focus group research. The results showed that the level of instruments and the CAP is more focused on robustness than on the level of goals, where there is more balance between robustness and adaptability. On both a goal and instruments level, transformability is the least supported from all three resilience capabilities. Taking the challenges of the horticulture sector into account, the CAP does not sufficiently answer the economic challenges of the sector. Overall, robustness, although supported by the CAP, could be supported much more effectively, if the implementation of instruments were more intensified in the sector. Better implementation requires the improvement of educational activities. Social education is not sufficiently implemented to meet the needs of the sector. In addition, the CAP, on a moderate level, in the case of both goals and instruments, supports other characteristics of adaptability. For the horticulture farming sector, which is one of the least benefiting from direct payments, the support of adaptability and transformability seems to be vital for its development.

scholarly journals Direct Payments and Sustainable Agricultural Development—The Example of Poland

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (23) ◽  
pp. 13090
Author(s):  
Adrian Sadłowski ◽  
Wioletta Wrzaszcz ◽  
Katarzyna Smędzik-Ambroży ◽  
Anna Matras-Bolibok ◽  
Anna Budzyńska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Policy ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Common Agricultural Policy ◽  
Policy Reform ◽  
Regional Distribution ◽  
Plant Production ◽  
Direct Payments ◽  
Agricultural Policy Reform ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Common Agricultural Policy Reform

This paper aims to explore the importance of the direct-payments scheme as a tool for supporting the sustainable development of agriculture in Poland, and to assess the effects of the 2015 Common Agricultural Policy reform in this context. In particular, the study attempts to investigate the impact of different fund-allocation criteria on the regional distribution of direct payments. The research employs a simulation method in the form of variant analysis (the “what if” model)—a mathematical method with elements of statistical description, based on the complete dataset. For the purposes of one of the variants, a multi-criteria composite indicator was constructed, including stimulants and destimulants of the level of environmental sustainability of agricultural plant production. The analysis was conducted at the NUTS 2 level (voivodeships). The timeframe of the study covered the period 2010–2019. The data published by Statistics Poland and the Agency for the Restructuring and Modernisation of Agriculture were used as the source material. The analysis indicated that the 2015 Common Agricultural Policy reform redistributed public funds away from sustainable agricultural management principles. Applying some basic sustainability criteria in order to internalise environmental externalities would lead to a radical redistribution of first-pillar Common Agricultural Policy payments. The paper concludes that a real greening of the European Union’s agricultural policy is a task still to be accomplished.

scholarly journals A Technical Efficiency Analysis of Financial Subsidies Allocated by the Cap in Romanian Farms Using Stochastic Frontier Analysis

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 494-505
Author(s):  
Nicola Galluzzo
Keyword(s):  
Technical Efficiency ◽  
Agricultural Policy ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Common Agricultural Policy ◽  
Stochastic Frontier Analysis ◽  
Stochastic Frontier ◽  
Frontier Analysis ◽  
Decoupled Payments ◽  
The Common ◽  
The Impact

AbstractThe Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) has undergone radical changes as a consequence of international agreements. Through a parametric approach based on Stochastic Frontier Analysis, it has been possible to estimate the impact of financial subsidies allocated under the Common Agricultural Policy for the period from 2007 to 2017 in the framework of the first and second pillars to Romanian farms that are part of the FADN dataset. The findings have revealed the positive effect of financial subsidies allocated to disadvantaged rural areas in increasing technical efficiency, and a modest impact of decoupled payments disbursed under the first pillar of the CAP on the Romanian farms investigated.

scholarly journals Agricultural policy and rural development

2010 ◽  
Vol 4 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 105-112 ◽  
Author(s):  
János Lazányi
Keyword(s):  
Animal Welfare ◽  
Agricultural Policy ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Common Agricultural Policy ◽  
The European Union ◽  
The Common ◽  
Direct Payments ◽  
The Eu ◽  
European Agriculture ◽  
Oriented System

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a cornerstone of EU policy relating to rural areas. Initially, it aimed to provide a harmonised framework for maintaining adequate supplies, increasing productivity and ensuring that both consumers and producers received a fair deal in the market. These priorities have shifted to environmental and animal welfare concerns, as well as food safety and security aspects. As a consequence, the CAP has gradually moved from a production-based structure of subsidies to a market-oriented system, integrating standards for food, environment and biodiversity, as well as animal welfare. In 2010, the EU launched an extensive debate on the future of the CAP, as the European Union needs a better tailored, reformed Common Agricultural Policy to answer the challenges of food, growth and jobs in rural areas. The European agriculture must address the expectations of rural society and demands of the market concerning public goods, the environment and climate change. This raises questions of whether the CAP payments in the past have been effective in achieving their objectives and whether direct payments should be continued for supporting agricultural environmental issues.

Die europäische Agrarpolitik vor dem Hintergrund der Osterweiterung

2003 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Reimar von Alvensleben ◽  
Bernhard Brümmer ◽  
Ulrich Koester ◽  
Klaus Frohberg
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Policy ◽  
Consumer Welfare ◽  
World Market ◽  
Market Mechanism ◽  
Niche Markets ◽  
Member States ◽  
Regional Food ◽  
Direct Payments ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

AbstractReimar von Alvensleben asks in his article whether the “Agrarwende” in Germany could be a model for Europe. He argues that the new agricultural policy (the so-called “Agrarwende”), which has been proclaimed and implemented after the German BSE crisis 2000/2001, adds new problems to the already existing problems of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The strategy of improving international competitiveness of German agriculture by promoting the niche markets for organic food, animal-friendly produced food and regional food is unrealistic and thus neglecting the problem of improving the competitiveness of 85−90% of German agriculture. The criterion of ecological efficiency (How to achieve ecological goals at lowest costs?) is totally neglected in agricultural environmental policy. The strategy of implementing environmental and animal welfare standards by the market mechanism will not lead to reasonable results because of perception distortions of the consumers. As a consequence of distorted perception of food risks by politicians, cost of risk prevention are too high and/or safety and health standards in other less spectaculous areas are too low. For these reasons he concludes that the “Agrarwende” in Germany cannot be regarded as a model for Europe, especially not for Eastern Europe.Bernhard Brümmer and Ulrich Koester write in their paper that the Eastern Enlargement of the EU will have significant implications for governance of the CAP. The evolution of the CAP has led to a permanent increase in the intensity of regulation, although the rate of external protection has declined. Past experience - mainly revealed by the European Court of Auditors - has evidenced many irregularities and even fraud as a by-product of the CAP. Governance problems are due to badly designed policies, which demand control of even individual farms and give the member countries, administrative regions (which are supposed to implement the policies on the local scale) and the individual farms themselves incentives to breach the rules. In their view governance problems will certainly increase in the enlarged EU. The new member countries have a weaker administrative capacity and are subject to more corruption than the present EU countries. Adequate policy reaction should lead to fundamental changes of the CAP.Klaus Frohberg argues that in its Mid Term Review the EU-commission proposes a change in the most important instruments of the CAP. Direct payments and intervention prices belong to this group. In his paper the impact of these changes is discussed. Direct payments shall become decoupled from production and be summarised into a single payment to farmers. In addition, the right of these transfers shall be made tradable independent of a simultaneous exchange of land. With regard to the intervention prices they shall be reduced as to approach world market levels. Assuming that the Member States will confirm the proposals the CAP is expected to improve considerably. Allocation and transfer efficiency will increase, consumer welfare will go slightly up, taxpayers will be little if at all affected and the EU can defend its position in the negotiations of the ongoing WTO round. These advantages accrue to the current as well as to the new Member States. In spite of the improvements the CAP still needs to be enhanced in some areas such as the market organisation of sugar and milk.

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