Agricultural producers are entities that largely decide on the structure of the agri-food supply chain. Currently, the European Union is striving to shorten supply chains in agriculture, as short ...supply chains are ecologically, economically and socially more sustainable. The main objective of the paper is to examine the role of primary producers in the agri-food supply chains. The basic technique applied for data collection was questionnaire survey, which we carried out on family farms in Slovakia. Obtained data were statistically examined applying the statistical analysis using the Chi-square test. Based on the estimations, we could conclude that the choice of the main distribution channel depends on the size of the given company and also on the main type of production. Businesses with fewer than 10 employees prefer direct distribution channels that allow them to sell their products to final consumers. The identification of factors affecting the choice of the main distribution channel as well as a detailed analysis of the nature of dependence make it possible to formulate recommendations on what steps to take in order to increase the number of agricultural enterprises selling through short supply chains.
In line with the Farm to Fork strategy and the European Green Deal plan for creating a sustainable food system, the European Commission has set goals for 2030: reducing the use of pesticides and the ...risks associated with their use by 50%, the use of fertilizers by at least 20%, the sale of antimicrobials used in animal husbandry and aquaculture by 50% and 25% of agricultural land used for organic farming. Implementation of these assumptions requires institutional support and providing farmers with a specific framework. Certification Schemes (CSs) in agriculture are one way to achieve these goals. The number of CSs that support the strategy in the EU member states is 170 intra-EU and 198 including associated countries. Together with Organic farming, the CSs on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) seem to be particularly important in reducing the use of pesticides and fertilizers. The aim of the article is to present selected issues related to CSs implementing the strategy of reducing the use of pesticides and fertilizers. These include the well-known Organic farming, but also the public, national level CS "Haute Valeur Environnementale" (France), CS "Sistema di Qualità Nazionale di Produzione Integrata per le Produzioni Agricole" (Italy) and CS "Integrowana Produkcja" (Poland), implementing GAP.
Agriculture represents one of the most important economic activities that co-creates the qualities of landscapes. While topics such as food production, land utilization, or the development of rural ...regions are typically taken into account when analysing agriculture, regionally differentiated media portrayals of agriculture constitute a largely innovative approach. The main objective of this paper is to analyse and interpret agriculture-oriented news about individual self-governing regions in Czechia that were broadcasted in the framework of the national TV reporting. The paper is conceived as a historical study of the creation of the image of agriculture in the period from 2004 to 2011, which we define as the period of adaptation of Czech agriculture to the EU. The article includes both quantitative and qualitative dimensions. In summary, the media portrayals of agriculture largely differ from real conditions in Czech self-governing regions. Important themes, such as common agricultural policy or organic farming, have been mostly ignored within regionally focused national TV coverage. On the contrary, TV news is typically focused on one or a few phenomena of unusual or negative character, which is consistent with the gatekeeping conception.
Grass biomass originating from marginal agricultural land unsuitable for food production can be utilised in variety of bio-based productions. The key profitability constraints for such productions ...are regional availability and transport costs. The aim of this paper is to methodologically test open access agricultural field parcel data – enabled by the EU INSPIRE directive – integrated with the road network in measuring biomass accessibility and optimising collection and transport using geographic information system (GIS) technology in two Finnish case areas. The analytical framework applies closest facility and vehicle routing analyses for tractor and truck transport scenarios. The key finding is that the area of field parcels and the amount of biomass accumulating within an observed area are not the only important factors influencing transport efficiency: cost-effectiveness of collection routes can be equally high in regions with scarce and abundant biomass areas.
The paper in the form of short communication deals with the phenomenon of social farming. This is a form of involvement of disadvantaged people in the integration process through agricultural ...activities. Based on the results of documentary analysis and benchmarking method, we presented experiences from the other European countries. In the Czech Republic, the concept is not widespread, not anchored in legislation and not supported by the public administration. Our proposals were aimed at using existing legislative possibilities, not at proposals that require changes to legal standards or the focus of financial support in the form of subsidies. We propose to use certain tools, namely a social business model or cooperation between a social service provider and a farmer. Furthermore, it is a suitable form of business for public beneficial entities, namely associations and especially institutes. We see suitability in the way of tax optimization.
This paper aims to examine the productivity of Czech farms with dependence on their size and natural conditions. The methodological approach is based on the analysis of variance (ANOVA), which ...enables to assess whether there are significant differences between groups of farms with different size and from different locations in terms of their productivity and profitability. We use data from the FADN CZ database for the period 2015–2020 and show that very large and large farms reach substantially higher productivity in all regions, whatever the natural conditions are. Results confirmed that farms in areas without natural constrains achieve statistically significantly higher levels of all productivity indicators in comparison with farms located in areas with natural constraints. The results also showed that the agricultural policy is decisive for functioning of small farms. The subsidies have a greater effect on smaller farms than on their larger counterparts.
The role of agriculture in the broader development process is extensively explored, but with no particular focus on the direct and indirect linkages among factors considering the influence of the ...business environment on the regional economy. This study explores the managerial perception of agricultural companies in North Macedonia regarding the status, prospects, and challenges for agriculture within the regional economy when having cooperation with Albania, Serbia, and Montenegro. A comprehensive five-stage methodology was applied to assess the factors of influence underlying the pros and cons of agricultural development. These stages encompassed a literature review, the construction of a theoretical model, data collection, principal component analysis, and the application of structural equation modeling. Three direct and two indirect linkages are hypothesized for constructing a model that quantifies the impacts of the business environment essential for the regional economy. The highest significant threshold is found for the direct path of COVID-19, followed by a strong negative direct connection to the Russia-Ukraine crisis, and a medium direct effect of governmental support. The latter indicated the Russia-Ukraine crisis and COVID-19 as having extremely strong indirect connections to the regional economy. So, supporting measures and activities of government is identified as the key issue for further growth and development of the agricultural sector in North Macedonia. The proposed model can be easily adopted and applied to other countries to screen and evaluate agricultural development. The study informs main policymakers on how to approach the challenges of the regional economy and to improve the country’s agricultural outlook.
The paper presents the experiences and survival strategies of small family businesses engaged in multifunctional agricultural activities in Hungary during the COVID crisis. The following topics were ...examined: human resources, supplier-customer relations, production and sales, distribution channels, inputs and outputs prices, strategies and business models, and subsidies in agricultural sectors combined with financial assistance. The study was conducted using a qualitative research methodology, with the help of structured in-depth interviews made with 22 small family businesses. The results show that multifunctional family businesses performed well. The health consequences and the measures taken by the government caused disruption but did not completely hinder the operation of businesses.
The aim of the research is to assess the behaviour of the consumers of organic products, with a particular focus on the frequency of consumption, the groups of purchased products, the preferred sales ...channels, the consumer motivations, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the market development. The data from the online questionnaire survey were analysed by descriptive statistical and relationship analysis methods. In 2020 and 2021, the frequency of purchase of organic products increased. The regular customers are mainly middle-aged, highly educated women with higher incomes, who mostly buy fruit and vegetables, mainly in discount stores. The respondents with relatively low frequency buy directly from organic producers, although the use of short supply chains could be a remarkable price-reducing factor.
Definitions of precision farming emphasise that it is at the heart of the pursuit of economic, environmental and social sustainability. In our study, precision farming is understood as a form of ...farming that seeks to optimise and manage efficiently, where technology is the key factor, but is primarily based on human knowledge and willingness to use technology. We discuss precision farming as a social innovation of artificial intelligence. Primarily, the social conditions of the application were the focus of our research, which is characteristically different from economic, financial and productivity approaches. The potential for the application of precision farming varies widely from country to country. Our aim is to analyse the diffusion and limitations of precision farming in Hungary and the motivations of farmers. In our qualitative research, we interviewed 60 precision farmers and 10 experts about their perceptions of precision technology and their motivations and barriers to the use of AI. Our results show that the main barriers to the uptake of precision technologies are the low education level of farmers, their inexperience, low interest level and lack of commitment. They are not aware of the benefits of precision technologies and do not take the time to acquire information and knowledge. There is a lack of willingness to cooperate and a very low level of trust among Hungarian farmers.
