Efficiency of agrarian governance in Bulgaria

Empirical studies on efficiency of the governance system in agriculture are very rare. That is a consequence of both theoretical and practical challenges. The criteria and approach for assessing social efficiency are still debated while appropriate statistical, accountancy, etc. data for evaluation diverse mechanisms and modes of governance are not readily available. This is a first attempt for a comprehensive empirical study on the efficiency of the system of agrarian governance in Bulgaria. Since there is a social “contract” about sustainable agrarian development in EU and Bulgaria, the impact to sustainability is taken as a criterion for assessing the social efficiency of the governance system. The interdisciplinary New Institutional Economics framework is incorporated, and the impact of institutional environment and diverse market, private, collective, public and hybrid modes of governance on agrarian sustainability at the current stage of development in Bulgaria assessed. First, the methodological framework of the study is outlined. After that impact of major components of institutional environment of agrarian sustainability evaluated. Following, dominating governing modes in Bulgarian farms of different juridical type, size, specialisation, ecological and geographical location are identified, and their impacts on agrarian sustainability assessed. In conclusion implications for further research, public policy improvement, and private managerial strategy formation are presented.