Agriculture of the Czech Republic in the 21st Century: From Productivism to Post-Productivism

Abstract

Věžník A., Král M., Svobodová H., 2013. Agriculture of the Czech Republic in the 21st century: From productivism to post-productivism. Quaestiones Geographicae 32(4), Bogucki Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Poznań, pp. 7-14, 8 figs. DOI 10.2478/quageo-2013-0029, ISSN 0137-477X.abstract: During last two decades Czech agriculture has gone through significant changes: the transition of agriculture in the 1990s and the entrance of the Czech Republic into the EU and its commitment to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). Both of these changes contributed to the structural and regional differentiation of Czech agriculture and exposed it to competition with the whole of Europe. Furthermore, CAP exposed Czech agriculture to uneven conditions for farmers within the EU. The most significant results of these changes have been a decrease in the agricultural sector output, a reduction in farm animals bred, and shrinkage of arable land. On the other hand, many non-productive and non-agricultural activities in the rural areas are subsidised, which offers farmers new possibilities of development. The aim of this paper is to analyse the structural and spatial change in Czech agriculture between 2000 and 2010 on the basis of Agrocenzus data supplemented by opinions of farmers gained in a series of interviews.

Where AD plants wildly grow: The spatio-temporal diffusion of agricultural biogas production in the Czech Republic

“…From the long-term perspective, the number (and thus importance) of livestock breeding operations has been systematically declining in favour of arable farming, whose products show a higher level of marketability on an internal market saturated with cheaper imports (Svobodová [35]). In the last two decades the extent of agricultural land within the Czech Republic has been reduced by 60 000 ha, the formerly very high share of arable land in agricultural land has slightly decreased (71%), and three fifths of cattle have disappeared (Věžník et al [36]). During the course of the last decade, the number of pigs bred was halved (Věžník and Konečný [37]).…”

Agricultural land use changes according LPIS in Brno Metropolitan Area

“…The accession of the Czech Republic to the EU in 2004 supports trends in post-productivism in the agricultural sector (Svobodová, 2014, Věžník et al, 2013. Geographically it led to a more intensive use of fertile land in lowlands and to a gradual conversion of less fertile soils of highlands and mountains into permanent grasslands or forests.…”

“…The structural approach focused on the agricultural sector or rural transformation is seen as more inuential (Věžník et al, 2013;Woods, 2005).…”

Labour productivity of agricultural business companies and cooperatives in the Czech Republic: A micro-regional level analysis

“…The former allow for highly intensive crop and livestock production. Mountainous areas in the borderlands combine high average altitude with sloping relief, limiting the use of machinery and providing better conditions for extensive livestock production (Věžník et al, 2013), as well as ecological farmers (Hrnčiarová et al, 2010: 173).…”