Diversification and multifunctionality in Italy and the Netherlands: a comparative analysis

1
Diversification and multifunctionality in Italy
and the Netherlandsa comparative analysis

• Laura AgugliaINEA, Italy,
• Roberto HenkeINEA, Italy
• Krijn Poppe,
• LEI Wageningen UR, The Netherlands
• Aide RoestLEI Wageningen UR, The Netherlands
• Cristina SalvioniUniversity of Pescara, Italy

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Farms are increasingly complex

• the product mix of farms is increasingly complex
• agricultural commodities,
• non agricultural commodities (energy) and
  services (educational, social, etc.)
• non-commodity outputs (e.g. landscape,
  biodiversity conservation
• farm resources are progressively deployed to non
  ag. and to off farm activities
• pluriactivity
• use land used for the production of wind or
  solar energy or for storage.

3
The farm problem

• price cost squeeze induced by
• technological change and
• small size/lack of bargaining power both respect
  to clients and providers.
• farm incomes
• continuously eroded
• lag behind average incomes.

4
Farm adjustments under productivism
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More complex adjustment still productivist
poverty
6
Post-productivism and rural development
poverty
Rural space consumption
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Multifunctionality typology of goods
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Post-productivism, multifunctionality and rural
development
MULTI FUNCTIONALITY
poverty
Rural space consumption
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An operational classificationVan der Ploeg, 2003

• Agricultural goods with unconventional
  characteristics (organic, quality, etc.),
• Acquisition of functions down the line from
  production (direct sales, processing, etc.).

Expansion of income-producing activities, some of
which can be completely independent of
agricultural production (agriturism, energy
production, ecc.)
re-deploy farm resources , labour in particular,
off the farm (pluriactivity)
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Multifunctionaliy and diversification in the FADN

• The Netherlands
• Field of observation commercial farms (gt10 ESU)
• More information on broadening than deepening
• More information about the household

• Italy
• Field of observation commercial farms (gt4 ESU)
• More suited to measure deepening than broadening
• Off farm activity only for those hh. members
  working on farm

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Diversification and multifunctional practices in
the FADN
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Diversification and multifunctionality Italy
and the Netherland
D
D
B
B
13
Diffusion of broadening, deepening and
re-grounding
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• OK with counting diversified farms ...
• but we also want to know
• if diversification is worthful
• to the farm

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Economic impact of targeted strategiesNet farm
income for family AWU
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Conclusions

• FADN is the only data base
• systematically gathered at the national level in
  all Member States
• Containing both structural and economic info
• The original design of the FADN survey has a
  productivist orientation
• it needs to evolve to include new
  non-productivist aspects of farms activities.
• Comparison between countries hampered by the
  differences in national FADNs.
• harmonisation, possibly directed by DG Agri,
  would help and is needed.
• What can be measured by using FADN data is
  diversification at the farm level.
• this information can then be complemented with
  external sources in view to define
  multifunctionality at the territorial level.