Modeling the relationship between the characteristics of agricultural holdings and the presence of organic farming

Abstract

Organic farming is a fast growing market segment in the global food industry. Ecological and health benefits of organic farming are frequently emphasized. In addition, we have recently witnessed the promotion of its role in the development of rural areas by means of creating jobs and strengthening ties with local economies. This paper analyzes the relationship between the presence of organic farming and the main characteristics of agricultural holdings in the case of European Union countries. The objective is to identify factors which have a significant relationship with the organic farming sector and which can affect its future development. The results have shown that large farms are dominant in farm land management in the EU, which is related to the fact that there is a significant correlation between the availability of agricultural areas and the economic value of farms (r = 0.881**). There is a positive and significant correlation between the economic value of a holding and the number of livestock units on the farm (r = 0.940**), which indicates that animal husbandry has strong economic potential. When it comes to the relationships between the structural and economic indicators of agricultural holdings and the presence of organic farming, the results have shown that the number of organic producers is positively and significantly correlated with the available agricultural areas (r = 0.675**), and a strongly positively correlated with the economic value of farms (r = 0.810**). The areas under organic farming are also directly correlated with the utilized agricultural area (r = 0.836**), as well as with the number of livestock units (r = 0.793**), but they are slightly negatively correlated with livestock density (r = -0.211). Therefore, high livestock density can be a limiting factor for the further intensive growth of organic farming areas, considering the significant impact of animal husbandry on the environment.

Organic spelt production systems: Productive and financial performance in three orographic regions

“…However, in the past two decades, a trend of aggregation of agricultural land within a small number of large farms has been noticed throughout European countries, especially in intensively managed fields. This trend negatively affects the development and economic strength of small farms, which cannot compete with large producers (Roljević Nikolić et al, 2021). In such market circumstances, especially in mountainous areas, the survival of small farms most likely involves the cultivation of locally higher value alternative crops adapted alternative crops which are not in competition with the conventional products (Ferreira et al, 2020).…”

Development of selection criteria for improving grain yield in wheat grown in different agro-ecological environments

“…However, the creation of genotypes with increased tolerance to abiotic stress is a slow process that depends on the available genetic variability (Crouch et al, 2009;Petrović et al, 2020;Marković et al, 2021). Thus, effective selection requires knowledge of genetic systems that control inheritance of traits, the nature and extent of population variation, the relationship between traits and grain yield, as well as the effect of the environment on the phenotypic expression of traits (Yagdi and Sozen, 2009;Madić et al, 2009;Knežević et al, 2020;Roljević Nikolić et al, 2021). Grain yield is formed during the ontogenetic development of the plant in interaction with environmental factors and it is the resultant value of the various traits − yield components.…”