In the world, more than 80 per cent of farms are family farms – in total more than 500 million economic and social entities. In Europe 25 million people, 172 million hectares of agricultural land and 12 million farms are involved in EU agricultural production. A vast majority of these...

The aim of the paper is to characterise Polish individual farms in terms of compliance of their characteristics with definition of the family farm that is used in socio-economic sciences. The main source of the analysed data were surveys conducted in intervals of several years (most recently in 2011) in...

The article presents the issue of agrarian structure of family farming in Poland and trends and determinants of changes in the agrarian structure. Its purpose is to define the fundamental options of political choices in terms of agrarian changes. Currently there are no conditions for radical changes in this range...

The concept of “High Nature Value farming” developed in the early 1990s from a growing recognition that the conservation of biodiversity in Europe depends on the continuation of low-intensity farming systems across large areas of countryside (see Beaufoy et al., 1994; Bignal et al., 1994; Bignal & McCracken, 1996; 2000)....

Thea aim of the study was to present the situation of rural women in Poland compared to other European countries. Investigations included their career, educational and social aspirations, and the possibilities of supporting female economic activity on the rural labour market. It was found that rural women have varied career,...

Family farming is the most common operational farming model in Europe – representing 97 % of the European Union’s (EU) 12 million farms. Thus it is of great importance in the EU. It covers a diverse range of situations, including farms of all sizes. While there are obvious differences across...

12 million farms, 172 million hectares of agricultural land, 25 million people involved in agricultural production – these are some of the key data for the EU farming sector in 2010; but what about the situation of individual farms and how do things differ between Member States and as compared...

The reason the project was started was the promotion of local products as well as revitalising old professions such as black-smithing, embroidery, cooperage and also increasing profits for local communities of rural areas. The idea was developed by the board of LAG „Podbabiogórze“. Local product is very important both for...

The farm is situated in Żurawica village, 7 km away from Przemyśl town in the south east of Poland. Marian Szeliga has been running his farm since 1979. He has three children: one doughter and two sons. His farm is the one of the most modern in the voivodeship. Marian...

A total of 14 LAGs, led by the Dutch LAG 'Zuid Twente', from 7 Member States cooperate to exchange best practice examples of production, marketing, distribution and inter-regional trading of local / regional food products between partner countries Regional products are sold by an increasing number of farms and it has...

Marian Rak took over his family farm in 1975 and has been running it since then. The farm is situated in Samowtór, 20 km away from Wrocław in the south  west of Poland. Total agricultural area is 102,15 ha. Arable land is 70,66 ha, orchards and fruit-tree nursery – 4,54...

Prepared by the European Union institutions a new financial and task perspective, the same as economic reform raises hopes, anxieties and even social emotions. Each time it is, especially for its potential beneficiaries, a new playing field for privileges, institutional economic benefits, as well as hopes for strengthening their position...

Domestic and donor-driven development agendas for African agriculture are spurring smallholder family farming as a catalyst for food security and poverty reduction. Family farms are also the backbone of agriculture in the European Union, although the process of concentration has gone further than in Africa. European agricultural policy reforms now...

The study discusses various aspects of the functioning of small agricultural farms in Poland, especially in its southern part. Among the provinces (voivodeships) of southern Poland, where small farms with up to 5 ha of agricultural land dominate in terms of both number and area, the Małopolskie Voivodeship shows the...

The Działoszyce District (Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship) with its good environmental conditions has great potential for the development of agriculture, especially small-ruminant keeping. The research was based on a farm located in the northeastern part of the district. The farm covers about 20 ha and possesses both arable land and permanent pastures...

The study investigated the economic situation of farms sized 2–8 ESU and the level of incomes achieved by farmers’ families in the years 2005–2009, using the agricultural accountancy data from the Polish FADN and the data from the IAFE-NRI survey on the off-farm incomes of farmers’ families. The research sample...

All businesses need to innovate if they are to thrive, and family farms are no exception. By thinking ahead and developing new approaches, farmers can increase output, develop new and improved products, diversify and tap into new income streams, and remain environmentally sustainable. Innovative farms are more likely to weather...

13 farmers’ organizations from eight countries within the Baltic Farmers’ Forum on the Environment (BFFE) present their contribution for sustainable farming around the Baltic Sea. Farmers are aware of their key role in water management in light of the sensitive Baltic Sea, and as part of the overall sustainable development...

Agriculture and rural life seem to have found the right appeal for Europe's young people between 17 and 20 years of age, especially among those living in rural areas and who have had work experience in a farm. This is the key result of the survey carried out by the...

The National Network of Educational Farms is coordinated by the Agricultural Advisory Headquarters. Voivodeship Agricultural Advisory Centres have also been very much involved in the provision of training, advisory services and in spreading the idea of teaching farms in the regions. On 28-29 November 2013 there was organised the 1st...