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Smallholder pig farming in Croatia: Destined to become extinct or worth saving?

In the course of becoming a new EU member state, Croatian pig production systems are being modernized in order to ensure product quality and competitiveness according to European standards. This process involves the modernization and intensification of larger pig farms and the termination of small pig farms. Small‐scale farming, especially for own consumption, is deeply rooted in Croatian rural culture. The aim of this paper is therefore to reflect on the social and cultural impacts of the farm modernization process on smallholder pig farming in Croatia. Using empirical data of a study on motivations to implement the EU pig welfare directives on Croatian pig farms, examples are taken to discuss future perspectives of smallholder pig farmers, their relationship with public administration officers and their motivation to implement the EU pig welfare directives. It is shown that a lack of communication efforts by public administration officers results in a lack of knowledge amongst small pig farmers concerning EU accession changes and pig production standards. Considering Croatia’s aims to create favorable conditions for social‐economic development in its most backward regions and to maintain traditional features of Croatian agriculture, the results are meant to elicit a scientific debate as to whether it would be reasonable to support smallholder pig farming in Croatia as a cultural heritage. In conclusion, a number of ways are considered of how to support smallholder pig farmers in Croatia in the future (e.g. organic agriculture, rural tourism, nature and landscape management, local food production schemes).  

Title of publication: Family farming under pressure. Reassessing options for liveability and permanence
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作者: Wiebke Wellbrocka , Boris Antunović , Simon J. Oostingc, Bettina B. Bocka
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年份: 2010
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国家: Croatia
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类别: Газетная статья
内容语言: English
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