Semi-subsistence farm households (SFHs) have persevered in Central and Southeastern
Europe. An outlook on future perspectives of SFHs asks for reliable information on
the phenomenon of SFHs and the impact of policy measures on their development options:
(1) intensifying farming, (2) diversifying income creating activities, or (3) exiting farming for
waged employment. This article focuses on SFHs and rural non-farm employment (RNFE).
On the basis of a comparative 2007-survey of 489 SFHs in Bulgaria, Poland and Romania,
three countries with particularly many SFHs, four major types of SFHs (rural pensioners,
farmers, rural diversifiers, rural newcomers) were identified. For policy analysis, a
multiobjective linear programming household model was developed. In the model, labour can
be devoted to (1) farming, (2) self-employment and (3) waged employment. The policy
scenarios reflect different development options for SFHs: (1) farm development, (2) start selfemployment,
(3) farm development and start self-employment, and (4) stop agriculture.
Policy can foster the structural change but the modeling results show that fine targeting to the
various types of semi-subsistence farms and country specificities is a strong precondition for
success.
BUCHENRIEDER Gertrud;
FRITZSCH Jana;
WEGENER Stefan;
CURTISS Jarmila;
GOMEZ Y PALOMA Sergio;
2010-02-16
Agricultural & Applied Economics Association
JRC52865
http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/52804/2/5.pdf,
https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC52865,
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