Actual European conditions for
agriculture and rural development
 Agriculture has lost much of its previous roles in the
development of rural areas (production protection).
 However it is still considered to be the best way of
ensuring a lasting connection between the population
and the land.
 Multifunctional concept of agriculture (EU) seems to be
a legitimizing argument for contributing to the socioeconomic development of rural areas and for
responding to “new” consumer concerns.
MULTIFUNCTIONALITY and Outputs of a
Multifunctional Agriculture
Three elements of Multifunctionality:
 Production
 Territorial
 Social
Outputs of a Multifunctional Agriculture
commodity outputs
(COs)
private goods
non-commodity outputs
(NCOs)
private goods
public goods
Examples of multifunctional
outputs:
Commodity outputs
 Food and fibre
 Transformation of
products
 Rural tourism
 Care activities on farms
 Other marketable
products
Non commodity outputs
 Food security and safety
 Rural landscape
 Rural way of
living/traditions
 Biological diversity
 Soil conservation
 Health and other non
commodity products
(silence)
Sustainable rural development at farm level:
moving to multifunctionality
Broadening:
Deepening:
(rural area)
(Agro-food supply chain)
• agro-tourism
• landscape
management
• short supply chains
Farm
• high quality production and
regional products
• diversification
•new on-farm
activities
Regrounding (Mobilisation of
resources):
• new forms of cost reduction
Source: van der Ploeg,
2003
• organic farming
• off-farm income
Aim of my research
The Main Aim of my PhD research will be to analyse the impact of
multifunctional agriculture on the rural development in one
selected region in Slovakia. Specifically it will be examined the
economic and social contribution of farms to the development
of country villages.
Economic contribution: How Multifunctional Agriculture influence the
farm‘s economic level and rural economic development (e.g.
income, net profit, costs, prices, share of added value to farmer, nº
of goods offered, nº of tourists, etc.)?
Social contribution: How Multifunctional Agriculture influence
community/rural survival (nº of local groups, rate of migration, nº of
inhabitants, on-farm employment, new employment opportunities,
etc.)?
The research will take place in the region Spiš
How to determine the socio-economic
impact of multifunctional farm?
The S-E impact will be determined through On Farm
Effects and External Effects, which are illustrated in the
Table.
Commodity
Noncommodity
On Farm Effects
Higher added value
Higher income
Higher on-farm
employment
External Effects
Higher quality of goods
Higher n. of tourists
New employment opportunities
Better quality of work
Better valorisation of
household labour
(women, young people)
Rural settlement
Amenities
Improvement of natural and
social capital
Hypothesis (examples)
The higher the level of farm household general and
/or agricultural education, the greater the
propensity to Multifunctionality.
The “better” use of available local natural, social
and cultural resources, the higher level of
Multifunctionality.
The more effective use of financial support of EU
funds and/or national and local subsidies, the
higher level of Multifunctionality.
Collection of data and methods of
analysis
A.
a)
b)
B.
a)
b)
Qualitative analysis
Case studies of small groups of selected farmers to
examine the process of shifting to Multifunctionality (MF).
Dialogues with local experts to gain impression of local
effects of changing MF and potential for changing.
Quantitative analysis
A study of 100 farmers with questionnaire; focus on a)
degree of MF, b) household and farm characteristics and
c) hypothesis to be tested (e.g. quality of goods, use of
local resources, etc.).
Use of secondary local statistics, where useful.
Thank you very much for
your attention!