|
1. Definition
|
Name
|
FARM
SIZE
|
|
Brief
definition
|
Ratio
between the number of farms belonging to the size
classes less than 2 hectares and the number of farms
belonging to the size classes more than 50 hectares
|
|
Unit
of measure
|
Ratio
|
2.
Position within the logical framework DPSIR
|
Type
of Indicator
|
Driving
Force/State
|
3.
Target and political pertinence
|
Objective
|
The
indicator contributes to the definition of the agricultural
structure of the area affected by desertification.
|
|
Importance
with respect to desertification
|
The
impact of the changing structure of agriculture in
the environment is an issue of increasing interest.
In general research suggests that the trend toward
increasing farm size usually entails the consolidation
of fields with the loss of boundary features, such
as hedges and small trees, and the intensification
of operations, as capital replaces labour, which enables
farmers to produce a higher output from the land.
The tendency toward greater concentration in production
has led to the replacement of mixed farming by more
specialised enterprises (i.e. livestock or arable
based farms) not only at the individual farm level
but also for whole regions (OECD, 2001).
|
|
International
Conventions and agreements
|
The
UNCCD emphasizes that combating desertification must
be tackled within the general framework of actions
to promote sustainable development.
|
|
Secondary
objectives of the indicator
|
The
indicator also shows the agricultural marginalisation
phenomenon, from the field to the regional scale.
Regions with small-scale agriculture are especially
vulnerable and abandonment can have serious consequences
for the natural environment.
|
4.
Methodological description and basic definitions
|
Definitions
and basic concepts
|
Following
the EUROSTAT NEW CRONOS classification the Utilised
Agricultural Area (UAA) size classes are:
- Zero
- Less than 2
- From 2 to less
than 5
- From 5 to less
than 10
- From 10 to less
than 20
- From 20 to less
than 30
- From 30 to less
than 50
- From 50 to less
than 100
- 100 or more
|
|
Benchmarks
Indication of the values/ranges of value
|
Trend
|
|
Methods
of measurement
|
Ratio
between the number of farms belonging to the size
classes less than 2 ha and the number of farms belonging
to the size classes more than 50 ha
|
|
Limits
of the indicator
|
The
indicator does not reflect the economic size of the
farm, but just its physical size.
|
|
Linkages
with other indicators
|
Farm
ownership, Parallel
employment, Husbandry
intensity, Net farm
income, Fragmentation
of land parcels, Farmer's
age, Mechanization
index, Fertilizer
application
|
5.
Evaluation of data needs and availability
|
Data
required to calculate the indicator
|
The
number of holdings according to size classes expressed
in terms of UAA.
|
|
Data
sources
|
Agricultural
Statistics
|
|
Availability
of data from national and international sources
|
Eurostat
|
6.
Institutions that have participated in developing the indicator
|
Main
institutions responsible
|
University
of Basilicata, Italy
|
|
Other
contributing organizations
|
Universities
of Athens, Lisbon, Murcia
|
7.
Additional information
|
Bibliography
|
OECD,
(2001): Environmental Indicators for agriculture,
Volume 3, Methods and Results
|
|
Other
references
|
|
|
Contacts
Name and address
|
University
of Basilicata
Prof Giovanni Quaranta
email: quaranta@unibas.it
|
|
