IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/lauspo/v103y2021ics026483772100051x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Farmer typology and implications for policy design – An unsupervised machine learning approach

Author

Listed:
  • Graskemper, Viktoria
  • Yu, Xiaohua
  • Feil, Jan-Henning

Abstract

Within the European Union, there is currently a vivid debate about the European Green Deal with its Farm to Fork Strategy and the related future design of the Common Agricultural Policy post 2020. This paper contributes to this debate by providing a clustering of German farmers analysing objective data (N = 812) using Partitioning Around Medoids (PAM) as a crucial pre-requisite for an effective design and communication of future agricultural policies. Accordingly, German farmers can be clustered into three different groups. The conventional growers are the oldest group of farmers, showing the highest land growth rate, and are characterized by a focus on traditional and politically subsidised activities. The versatile youngsters are rather young in age and the majority of them have completed some form of higher education. Their business profile is diverse. The third group of family-based farmers has the highest shares of family support within their farming business and consists mostly of dairy farmers. Policy and communication design needs to consider all these different profiles. Especially new and innovative programs could be developed and tested together with the versatile youngsters. Furthermore, aspects ensuring an effective and economically rewarding production of agricultural goods should be taken into account to offer a perspective for the conventional growers and for food security. Moreover, the family-based farmers constitute a promising target group for rural development programs.

Suggested Citation

  • Graskemper, Viktoria & Yu, Xiaohua & Feil, Jan-Henning, 2021. "Farmer typology and implications for policy design – An unsupervised machine learning approach," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 103(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:103:y:2021:i:c:s026483772100051x
    DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105328
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S026483772100051X
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.landusepol.2021.105328?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ika Darnhofer & Walter Schneeberger & Bernhard Freyer, 2005. "Converting or not converting to organic farming in Austria:Farmer types and their rationale," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 22(1), pages 39-52, March.
    2. Gerard McElwee, 2008. "A taxonomy of entrepreneurial farmers," International Journal of Entrepreneurship and Small Business, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 6(3), pages 465-478.
    3. Leslie Lipper & Nancy McCarthy & David Zilberman & Solomon Asfaw & Giacomo Branca (ed.), 2018. "Climate Smart Agriculture," Natural Resource Management and Policy, Springer, number 978-3-319-61194-5, December.
    4. David Zilberman & Leslie Lipper & Nancy McCarthy & Ben Gordon, 2018. "Innovation in Response to Climate Change," Natural Resource Management and Policy, in: Leslie Lipper & Nancy McCarthy & David Zilberman & Solomon Asfaw & Giacomo Branca (ed.), Climate Smart Agriculture, pages 49-74, Springer.
    5. Cullen, Paula & Ryan, Mary & O’Donoghue, Cathal & Hynes, Stephen & hUallacháin, Daire Ó & Sheridan, Helen, 2020. "Impact of farmer self-identity and attitudes on participation in agri-environment schemes," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    6. Sara Carter, 1998. "Portfolio entrepreneurship in the farm sector: indigenous growth in rural areas?," Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(1), pages 17-32, January.
    7. C. C. De Lauwere, 2005. "The role of agricultural entrepreneurship in Dutch agriculture of today," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 33(2), pages 229-238, September.
    8. Dugstad, Anders & Grimsrud, Kristine & Kipperberg, Gorm & Lindhjem, Henrik & Navrud, Ståle, 2020. "Acceptance of wind power development and exposure – Not-in-anybody's-backyard," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Mercedes Rodríguez & José Antonio Camacho, 2023. "The importance of agriculture and rural areas for the future in the European Union: An exploration of public opinion," Agricultural Economics, Czech Academy of Agricultural Sciences, vol. 69(10), pages 394-403.
    2. Quintas-Soriano, Cristina & Buerkert, Andreas & Plieninger, Tobias, 2022. "Effects of land abandonment on nature contributions to people and good quality of life components in the Mediterranean region: A review," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 116(C).
    3. Ölkers, Tim & Liu, Shuang & Mußhoff, Oliver, 2023. "A typology of Malian farmers and their credit repayment performance - An unsupervised machine learning approach," 97th Annual Conference, March 27-29, 2023, Warwick University, Coventry, UK 334547, Agricultural Economics Society - AES.
    4. María de Lourdes Maldonado-Méndez & José Luis Romo-Lozano & Julio Baca del Moral & Alejandro Ismael Monterroso-Rivas, 2022. "Multidimensional Typology of Mexican Farmers in the Context of Climate Change," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-18, July.
    5. Wang, Hanjie & Feil, Jan-Henning & Yu, Xiaohua, 2023. "Let the data speak about the cut-off values for multidimensional index: Classification of human development index with machine learning," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 87(PA).
    6. Anne Gobin & Ann Van Herzele, 2023. "A Data-Driven Farm Typology as a Basis for Agricultural Land Use Decisions," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-18, November.
    7. Wang, Hanjie & Yu, Xiaohua, 2023. "Carbon dioxide emission typology and policy implications: Evidence from machine learning," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    8. Netshipale, A.J. & Raidimi, E.N. & Mashiloane, M.L. & de Boer, I.J.M. & Oosting, S.J., 2022. "Farming system diversity and its drivers in land reform farms of the Waterberg District, South Africa," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    9. Matthew C. LaFevor, 2022. "Characterizing Agricultural Diversity with Policy-Relevant Farm Typologies in Mexico," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-19, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Viktoria Graskemper & Xiaohua Yu & Jan‐Henning Feil, 2021. "Analyzing strategic entrepreneurial choices in agriculture—Empirical evidence from Germany," Agribusiness, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 37(3), pages 569-589, July.
    2. Sarah Fitz-Koch & Mattias Nordqvist & Sara Carter & Erik Hunter, 2018. "Entrepreneurship in the Agricultural Sector: A Literature Review and Future Research Opportunities," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 42(1), pages 129-166, January.
    3. Collins-Sowah, Peron A., 2018. "Theoretical conception of climate-smart agriculture," Working Papers of Agricultural Policy WP2018-02, University of Kiel, Department of Agricultural Economics, Chair of Agricultural Policy.
    4. Seungki Lee & Yongjie Ji & GianCarlo Moschini, 2021. "Agricultural Innovation and Adaptation to Climate Change: Insights from Genetically Engineered Maize," Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) Publications 21-wp616, Center for Agricultural and Rural Development (CARD) at Iowa State University.
    5. Heidi Leonhardt & Michael Braito & Reinhard Uehleke, 2022. "Combining the best of two methodological worlds? Integrating Q methodology-based farmer archetypes in a quantitative model of agri-environmental scheme uptake," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 39(1), pages 217-232, March.
    6. Graham Tate, 2010. "Entrepreneurship and the Environment for Rural SMEs in the Shropshire Hills, UK, 1997–2009," Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Emerging Economies, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India, vol. 19(2), pages 191-207, September.
    7. Louise Manning & Robert Smith & Gillian Conley & Luke Halsey, 2020. "Ecopreneurial Education and Support: Developing the Innovators of Today and Tomorrow," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-19, November.
    8. Quevedo Cascante, Mónica & Acosta García, Nicolás & Fold, Niels, 2022. "The role of external forces in the adoption of aquaculture innovations: An ex-ante case study of fish farming in Colombia's southern Amazonian region," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 174(C).
    9. G. Yoganandan & Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahman & M. Vasan & Abdelrhman Meero, 2022. "Evaluating agripreneurs’ satisfaction: exploring the effect of demographics and emporographics," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 11(1), pages 1-22, December.
    10. Mohd Yasir Arafat & Imran Saleem & Amit Kumar Dwivedi & Adil Khan, 2020. "Determinants of agricultural entrepreneurship: a GEM data based study," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 345-370, March.
    11. De Rosa, Marcello & McElwee, Gerard & Smith, Robert, 2019. "Farm diversification strategies in response to rural policy: a case from rural Italy," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 291-301.
    12. Birthal, Pratap S. & Hazrana, Jaweriah & Negi, Digvijay S. & Bhan, Subhash C., 2021. "Climate change and land-use in Indian agriculture," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C).
    13. Calvin Atewamba & Edward R Rhodes, 2020. "Biophysical and Economic Factors of Climate Change Impact Chain in the Agriculture Sector of ECOWAS," Chapters, in: Abdelhadi Makan (ed.), Environmental Health - Management and Prevention Practices, IntechOpen.
    14. Ke Zheng & Yufeng Li & Chaodang Wu, 2022. "How Do the Chinese New Farmers’ Entrepreneurial Talents Drive the Business Model Innovation of Agricultural Business Organizations? Case Study Based on Grounded Research," Businesses, MDPI, vol. 2(1), pages 1-13, March.
    15. Bienvenu Dagoudo Akowedaho & Inoussa Guinin Asso & Bruno Charles Pierre O’heix & Soulé Akinhola Adéchian & Mohamed Nasser Baco, 2022. "Access to Land for Agricultural Entrepreneurial Activities in the Context of Sustainable Food Production in Borgou, according to Land Law in Benin," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-16, August.
    16. Luis Mayor & Line F. Lindner & Christoph F. Knöbl & Ana Ramalho & Remigio Berruto & Francesca Sanna & Daniele Rossi & Camilla Tomao & Billy Goodburn & Concha Avila & Marg Leijdens & Katharina Stollewe, 2022. "Skill Needs for Sustainable Agri-Food and Forestry Sectors (I): Assessment through European and National Focus Groups," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(15), pages 1-24, August.
    17. Revoyron, Eva & Le Bail, Marianne & Meynard, Jean-Marc & Gunnarsson, Anita & Seghetti, Marco & Colombo, Luca, 2022. "Diversity and drivers of crop diversification pathways of European farms," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    18. Tomich, Thomas P. & Lidder, Preetmoninder & Coley, Mariah & Gollin, Douglas & Meinzen-Dick, Ruth & Webb, Patrick & Carberry, Peter, 2019. "Food and agricultural innovation pathways for prosperity," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 172(C), pages 1-15.
    19. Theodrose Sisay & Kindie Tesfaye & Mengistu Ketema & Nigussie Dechassa & Mezegebu Getnet, 2023. "Climate-Smart Agriculture Technologies and Determinants of Farmers’ Adoption Decisions in the Great Rift Valley of Ethiopia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(4), pages 1-12, February.
    20. Chris Phelan & Richard Sharpley, 2012. "Exploring entrepreneurial skills and competencies in farm tourism," Local Economy, London South Bank University, vol. 27(2), pages 103-118, March.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:103:y:2021:i:c:s026483772100051x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Joice Jiang (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/land-use-policy .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.