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Diversification strategies in small farms in Italy

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  • Salvioni, Cristina
  • Esposito, Laura
  • Henke, Roberto
  • Rondinelli, V.

Abstract

Using the data gathered by the Business Survey on Agriculture survey on a stratified random sample of Italian farm businesses below 4 European economic size units as a case study, this paper explores the diffusion of diversification strategies among small farms. The analysis has shown that more than a half of small farms is adopting some form of diversification. Small farms are more strongly involved in pluriactivity, while their involvement in broadening and deepening strategies appears only marginal. This latter result is partly due to the underevaluation of diversification caused by the lack of detailed statistical information about diversified activities used by farms, and, partly, due to the structural characteristics of small farms. Smaller farms are usually characterized by a lack of capital; as a consequence they can often redeploy only their labour off the farm. The characteristics associated with the targeted group of farms show that small farms using broadening strategies present much better economic results than conventional small farms. More specifically, farms using broadening strategies appear to be the winning ones in terms of net farm income per family working unit.

Suggested Citation

  • Salvioni, Cristina & Esposito, Laura & Henke, Roberto & Rondinelli, V., 2009. "Diversification strategies in small farms in Italy," 111th Seminar, June 26-27, 2009, Canterbury, UK 53964, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:eaa111:53964
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.53964
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Wilmer M. Harper & Clyde Eastman, 1980. "An Evaluation of Goal Hierarchies for Small Farm Operators," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 62(4), pages 742-747.
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    Cited by:

    1. Dries, Liesbeth & Pascucci, Stefano & Gardebroek, Cornelis, 2011. "Pluriactivity in Italian Agriculture: Are Farmers Using Interlinked Strategies?," 2011 International Congress, August 30-September 2, 2011, Zurich, Switzerland 114429, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    2. Butinya, Lluis & Velazco, Jackeline & Rigall-I-Torrent, Ricard, 2014. "Determinants of on-farm diversification: The case of farmers in Catalonia," Revista Espanola de Estudios Agrosociales y Pesqueros, Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, Rural y Marino (formerly Ministry of Agriculture), issue 238, pages 1-28.
    3. Franco Rosa & Mario Taverna & Federico Nassivera & Luca Iseppi, 2019. "Farm/crop portfolio simulations under variable risk: a case study from Italy," Agricultural and Food Economics, Springer;Italian Society of Agricultural Economics (SIDEA), vol. 7(1), pages 1-15, December.
    4. Pauline Lécole, 2015. "Paysage des petites exploitationsagricoles en France:Typologie et analyse statistique," Post-Print hal-01417734, HAL.
    5. Bonfiglio, Andrea & Abitabile, Carla & Henke, Roberto, 2022. "A choice model-based analysis of diversification in organic and conventional farms," Bio-based and Applied Economics Journal, Italian Association of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AIEAA), vol. 11(2), July.
    6. Aditya R. Khanal & Ashok K. Mishra, 2014. "Agritourism and off-farm work: survival strategies for small farms," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 45(S1), pages 65-76, November.
    7. Concetta Cardillo & Orlando Cimino, 2022. "Small Farms in Italy: What Is Their Impact on the Sustainability of Rural Areas?," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-25, November.

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    Agribusiness; Agricultural and Food Policy;

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