Multilevel assessment of agrarian sustainability in Bulgaria

Bachev, Hrabrin (2019): Multilevel assessment of agrarian sustainability in Bulgaria.

Abstract

The goal of this study is to unpack sustainability in terms of understanding and evaluation using as a case Bulgarian agriculture. A hierarchical system for assessing agrarian sustainability in Bulgaria at national, regional, sub-sectoral, ecosystem and farm level is proposed. It includes 3 aspects(pillars), 17 principles, 35 criteria, and 46 indicators and reference values for evaluating sustainability as well as approach for their integration and interpretation. Assessment is made of agrarian sustainability in the country at various level using aggregate macro and farm level micro data. The assessment has found out that there is a considerable differentiation in the level of integral and aspects sustainability of different type of farms, ecosystems, subsectors and regions. Nevertheless, results on the integral agrarian sustainability based on macro aggregate and micro farm data are quite similar. The later indicates that both approaches are reliable and could be simultaneously used according to the level of analysis, needs of decision makers, and available data. Major factors encouraging improving economic sustainability are market demand and price; direct state subsidies; market competition; financial capability; participation in public support programs; possibility of benefitting immediately; possibility of benefitting in the near future; tax preferences; possibility of benefitting in the long term; and integration with buyers of farm products. Main factors encouraging the enhancement of social sustainability are personal convictions and satisfaction; social recognition of individual contribution; immediate benefits for other people and groups; regional community initiatives and pressure; access to advisory services; European Union policy; and existing regional problems and risks. Important factors encouraging environmental sustainability are problems and risks existing at the global scale; official regulations, standards, and norms; existing regional problems and risks; and European Union policies. Public policies and instruments that improve economic sustainability of Bulgarian agriculture include: direct area-based payments; national top-ups for products and livestock; modernization of agricultural holdings; green payments; support for semi-market farms. At the same time the impact of national and European policies on social and environmental sustainability is relatively weak. Having in mind the importance of holistic assessments of this kind for improving agrarian sustainability, farm management and agrarian policies, they are to be expended and their precision and representation increased. The latter requires a closer cooperation between and participation of all interested parties as well as improvement of the precision through enlargement of collected statistical data, number of surveyed farms, and incorporating more “objective” data from field tests and surveys, monitoring, expertise of professionals in the area, etc.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: sustainability, assessment, economic, social, ecological, agriculture, Bulgaria
• Subjects: Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q1 - Agriculture; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q1 - Agriculture > Q12 - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q1 - Agriculture > Q13 - Agricultural Markets and Marketing ; Cooperatives ; Agribusiness; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q1 - Agriculture > Q15 - Land Ownership and Tenure ; Land Reform ; Land Use ; Irrigation ; Agriculture and Environment; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q1 - Agriculture > Q18 - Agricultural Policy ; Food Policy; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q2 - Renewable Resources and Conservation; Q - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics ; Environmental and Ecological Economics > Q3 - Nonrenewable Resources and Conservation

References

Bachev H. (2010): Governance of Agrarian Sustainability, New York: Nova Science Publishers.

Bachev H. (2011): Needs, Modes and Efficiency of Economic Organizations and Public Interventions in Agriculture, Review of Economics & Finance, Issue 3, 89-103.

Bachev H. (2014): Integration of Small-Scale Farmers in Value Chains in Bulgaria, with a Case Study on Agrobusiness 88 Ltd., Skravena, IUP Journal of Supply Chain Management, Volume 11, Issue 3.

Bachev H (2016): A Framework for Assessing Sustainability of Farming Enterprises Journal of Applied Economic Sciences, Spring Issue, Vol XI, 1(39), 24-43.

Bachev H. (2016): Defining and Assessing the Governance of Agrarian Sustainability, Journal of Advanced Research in Law and Economics, Volume VII, Issue 4(18), 797-816.

Bachev H. (2017): Sustainability Level of Bulgarian Farms, Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science, 23 (1), 1-13.

Bachev H. (2017): Sustainability of Bulgarian Farming Enterprises during EU CAP Implementation, Journal of Applied Economic Sciences, 2(48), 422-451.

Bachev H. (2018): The Sustainability of Farming Enterprises in Bulgaria, Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

Bachev H. (2018): Institutional Environment and Climate Change Impacts on Sustainability of Bulgarian Agriculture, Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science, 24 (4), 523-536.

Bachev H. (2018): The Impact of the Institutional Environment on Agrarian Sustainability in Bulgaria, Economic Tought, 4, 33-60.

Bachev H., B.Ivanov, D.Toteva, E.Sokolova (2016): Agrarian Sustainability and its Governance – Understanding, Evaluation, Improvement, Journal of Environmental Management and Tourism, Vol. 7, issue 4 (16), 639-663.

Bachev H., B. Ivanov, D.Toteva and E.Sokolova (2017): Agrarian sustainability in Bulgaria – economic, social and ecological aspects, Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science, 23 (4), 519-525.

Bachev H. and D.Terziev (2017): Environmental Sustainability of Agricultural Farms in Bulgaria, Journal of Environmental Management and Tourism, Vol 8 No 5 Volume VIII Issue 5(21) Fall 2017, 968-994

Bachev, H., Terziev, D. (2018): A Study on Institutional, Market and Natural Environment Impact on Agrarian Sustainability in Bulgaria, Journal of Environmental Management and Tourism, Volume IX, Issue 3 (27), 452-478.

Bachev, H., Terziev, D. (2018). A Study on Agrarian Sustainability Impact of Governance Modes in Bulgaria. Journal of Applied Economic Sciences, Volume XIII, Spring, 1(55): 227 - 257.

Belcher K. (1999): Agroecosystem sustainability: an integrated modelling approach, PhD Thesis, HARVEST, University of Saskatchewan.

Bohlen P. and G. House (2009): Sustainable Agroecosystem Management: Integrating Ecology, Economics, and Society, CRC Press.

De Oliveira A. (editor) (2018): Sustainability of Agroecosystems, IntechOpen, DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.70964

FAO (2013): SAFA. Sustainability Assessment of Food and Agriculture systems indicators, FAO.

Fuentes M. (2004): Farms Management Indicators Related to the Policy Dimension in the European Union, OECD Expert Meeting on Farm Management Indicators and the Environment, 8-12 March 2004, New Zealand.

Ikerd J. (2015): On Defining Sustainable Agriculture, SARE. http://www.sustainable-ag.ncsu.edu/onsustaibableag.htm

Hanna S., I. Osborne-Lee, G. Cesaretti, R.Magdy, T.Khalile (2016): Ecological Agro-ecosystem Sustainable Development in Relationship to Other Sectors in the Economic System, and Human Ecological Footprint and Imprint, Agriculture and Agricultural Science Procedia, Volume 8, 17-30.

Hayati D. Z. Ranjbar, and E. Karami (2010): Measuring Agricultural Sustainability, in E. Lichtfouse (ed.), Biodiversity, Biofuels, Agroforestry and Conservation Agriculture, 73, Sustainable Agriculture Reviews 5, Springer Science+Business Media B.V., 73-100.

Ivanov, B., T. Radev, D. Vachevska, P. Borisov (2009): Agricultural Sustainability - ASVIWI. Avangard Prima, Sofia.

Lopez-Ridauira S., Masera O., Astier M. (2002): Evaluating the sustainability of complex socio-environmental systems. The MESMIS framework. Ecological indicators 2: 135-148.

Rezear K., A. Osmani; P. Borisov, D. Skunca (2018): Beyond the Metropolis: Farmers’ empowering as a challenge of Peri-urban areas, European Journal of Economics and Management Sciences, Vol 3,

Sauvenier X., J. Valekx, N. Van Cauwenbergh, E. Wauters, H.Bachev. K.Biala, C. Bielders, V. Brouckaert, V. Garcia-Cidad, S. Goyens, M.Hermy, E. Mathijs, B.Muys, M.Vanclooster. and A.Peeters (2005): Framework for Assessing Sustainability Levels in Belgium Agricultural Systems – SAFE, Belgium Science Policy, Brussels.

Sidle R., W. Benson, J. Carriger, and T. Kamaic (2013): Broader perspective on ecosystem sustainability: Consequences for decision making, Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A., 110(23): 9201–9208.

Terziev D., D. Radeva, & Y. Kazakova (2018): A new look on agricultural sustainability and food safety: Economic viability, in H. BACHEV, S. CHE, S. YANCHEVA (Editors) Agrarian and Rural Revitalisation Issues in China and Bulgaria, KSP Books, 231-242.

Todorova K. and R.Treziyska (2018): Agricultural sustainability through provision of agri-environment public goods: The role of farmers as decision-makers, in H. BACHEV, S. CHE, S. YANCHEVA (Editors) Agrarian and Rural Revitalisation Issues in China and Bulgaria, KSP Books, 253-267.

VanLoon, G., Patil, S., and Hugar, L. (2005): Agricultural Sustainability: Strategies for Assessment. London: SAGE Publications.

Vitale K. (2012): Environmental and Food Safety and Security for South-East Europe and Ukraine, Springer

Zvyatkova D. and A. Sarov (2018): Process of Transfer of Farmily Farms for Sustainability of Agricultural Cooperatives, in “Role of Family Business for Sustainable Rural Development, Agrarian University, 61 (2), 12