This book looks at agriculture and the environment, placed
within the dynamic context of post-communist societal change and
entry into the European Union (EU). Scrieciu explores developments
in eleven Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries and argues
for agriculture's natural place in these societies. The history of
these countries is significant in how it has shaped the
institutions and influenced the outcomes.
In many cases, during communism, agriculture was not considered
a strategic branch for a nation's development. An ecological
consciousness did not figure high on the agendas of authoritarian
regimes. After 1990, some post-communist farm economies progressed
slower than others, and environmental pressures mostly diminished
with agricultural restructuring. In parts of CEE, increases in
numbers of low-input small farms have resulted in some, though
largely unintended, ecological benefits. A dual environmental
challenge has nevertheless surfaced. On one hand, environmentally
unsustainable practices have been attributed to some low-input
farming. On the other hand, risks of farm over-intensification and
resource overexploitation are on the rise. Also, environmental
regulatory and institutional frameworks are not always effectively
in place.
EU membership is not creating the anticipated benefits for farm
growth. There are a number of systemic structural barriers
preventing many farmers from drawing on Common Agricultural Policy
incentives and support. The presence of many vulnerable poor farms
is clearly problematic, particularly economically. However,
small-scale farms could be made more acceptable and profitable by
ensuring EU policies acknowledge their value and by building
institutions to support alternative farm growth strategies, aside
from the traditional European model of individual corporate farm
expansion. The voluntary uptake of grassroots rural cooperation and
farm associations may represent such an alternative. Future
European farm policy reforms need to reach the small and
vulnerable, and better tackle issues of farm equity, poverty, and
agricultural sustainability in the new Europe. This is a timely
contribution as this type of "transition" has just begun. This book
should be of use to students and researchers looking at
agricultural and environmental economics, post-communist rural
societal change, European integration and the Common Agricultural
Policy. It may be also useful and of high relevance to policy
analysts and those involved in agricultural and rural development
policy-making in the region or in other countries facing similar
problems.
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