A Holistic Approach for Assessing the System of Governance of Agrarian Sustainability

Abstract

Despite its importance research on the governance of agrarian sustainability is still at the beginning stage due to the "newness" of the problem, emerging new challenges, fundamental modernization during recent years, "lack" of long-term experiences and relevant data, application of narrow (certain form or management level); one-dimensional, unisectioral, normative, without transaction costs etc. approaches. The goal of this paper is to suggest a modern and practical framework for analyzing and assessing the system of governance of agrarian sustainability. New interdisciplinary New Institutional Economics framework is incorporated and agrarian sustainability property defined, principle mechanisms and modes of governance (institutions, market, private, public, hybrid). of agrarian sustainability classified, and a holistic approach for identifying components and factors, assessing efficiency, and improving the system of governance presented. Suggested framework is to be further discussed and improved while its application requires new type of micro and macro-economic data for agrarian agents' preferences and behavior, activities and efficiency of farming organizations, effects and impacts on social, community and natural environment, etc.

Efficiency of Agrarian Governance in Bulgaria

“…Maintaining and improving the social, economic and ecological functions of agriculture requires an effective social order (a "good governance") -a system of "human created" mechanisms and forms regulating, coordinating, stimulating, and controlling behaviors, actions and relations of individual agents at different levels (Bachev, 2010). The system of governance of agrarian sustainability is a part of the specific system of "agrarian" governance and includes: diverse agrarian and non-agrarian agents, and a variety of mechanisms and forms for governing of behavior, activity, relations, and impacts of related agents.…”

“…This is a first attempt for a comprehensive empirical study on the efficiency of the system of agrarian governance in Bulgaria. Since there is a social "contract" about sustainable agrarian development in EU and Bulgaria (at least so declared) the criteria for social efficiency of the governance is the impact to sustainability (Bachev, 2010).…”

“…), the improvement of the governance of agrarian sustainability is among the most topical issues in Bulgaria and around the globe (Башев, 2006, 2012, 2013, 2014Иванов и др., 2009;Радева, 2017;Саров, 2017;Терзийска, 2016;Хаджиева и др. 2005;Bachev, 2010Bachev, , 2016Bachev et al, 2016;EC, 2017;Raman, 2006;Sauvenier et al, 2005;Terziev and Radeva, 2016;UN, 1992UN, , 2015.…”

“…In Bulgaria, with very few exceptions (Башев, 2000Башев и Терзиев, 2001Bachev, 2010;Georgiev, 2010;Bachev and Treziev, 2018), there are no empirical studies on dominating governing structures in agriculture, and their impact(s) on agrarian sustainability.…”

Untitled

“…Having in mind the importance of the agrarian sector (in terms of employed resources, contribution to individuals and social welfare, positive and/or negative impacts on environment, etc. ), the assessment and the improvement of the governance of agrarian sustainability is among the most topical theoretical and practical issues at contemporary stage (UN, 1992;2015;Sauvenier et al, 2005;Raman, 2006;Georgiev, 2010;2016;Terziev and Radeva, 2016;Bachev et al, 2017;Mykhailova et al, 2018).…”