Farming Systems Changes in the Urban Shadow: A Mixed Approach Based on Statistical Analysis and Expert Surveys
Due to the growth of the “urban shadow”, farming systems in metropolitan areas (MAs) are characterized by specific environmental, economic, and social pressures. Urbanization pressure and its related threats, as well as the opportunities resulting from a convenient location close to consumers’ marke...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Agriculture |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/11/5/455 |
| _version_ | 1797533666900967424 |
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| author | Wojciech Sroka Dariusz Żmija |
| author_facet | Wojciech Sroka Dariusz Żmija |
| author_sort | Wojciech Sroka |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Due to the growth of the “urban shadow”, farming systems in metropolitan areas (MAs) are characterized by specific environmental, economic, and social pressures. Urbanization pressure and its related threats, as well as the opportunities resulting from a convenient location close to consumers’ markets, cause rapid farming systems changes. The present study provides a quali-quantitative overview of change in farming systems in selected Polish metropolitan areas. Various statistical methods were applied to analyze changes in farming systems. First, farming system changes were characterized for the study area by the exploratory factor analysis. In addition, experts’ opinions (qualitative data) on changes in farming systems until 2027 are presented. The research conducted showed that there are a few main patterns in changes to/adaptations of farming systems: Horizontal growth of farms, farmland concentration, process of specialization (horticulture, orchards), trajectories towards more multifunctional farming practices (off-farm diversification, as well as “deepening” and “broadening” strategies), reduction of livestock farming, deintensification and farmland abandonment. Those processes vary in space, and they are only partially explained in terms of distance to the core city (location). Experts forecast that the identified trends will continue, paying attention to the growing importance of multifunctional agriculture and the intensification of recessive processes, including farmland abandonment and excessive deintensification of production. According to the experts surveyed, most farmers will continue to apply traditional development strategies, which will be ineffective without the possibility of increasing the area of farms. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:18:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-2f1d16d4b43b4b88acb9a0ae41519080 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2077-0472 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:18:52Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agriculture |
| spelling | doaj.art-2f1d16d4b43b4b88acb9a0ae415190802023-11-21T20:12:09ZengMDPI AGAgriculture2077-04722021-05-0111545510.3390/agriculture11050455Farming Systems Changes in the Urban Shadow: A Mixed Approach Based on Statistical Analysis and Expert SurveysWojciech Sroka0Dariusz Żmija1Department of Economics and Food Economy, University of Agriculture in Krakow, Al. Mickiewicza 21, 31-120 Kraków, PolandDepartment of Economic Policy and Development Programming, Cracow University of Economics, ul. Rakowicka 27, 31-510 Kraków, PolandDue to the growth of the “urban shadow”, farming systems in metropolitan areas (MAs) are characterized by specific environmental, economic, and social pressures. Urbanization pressure and its related threats, as well as the opportunities resulting from a convenient location close to consumers’ markets, cause rapid farming systems changes. The present study provides a quali-quantitative overview of change in farming systems in selected Polish metropolitan areas. Various statistical methods were applied to analyze changes in farming systems. First, farming system changes were characterized for the study area by the exploratory factor analysis. In addition, experts’ opinions (qualitative data) on changes in farming systems until 2027 are presented. The research conducted showed that there are a few main patterns in changes to/adaptations of farming systems: Horizontal growth of farms, farmland concentration, process of specialization (horticulture, orchards), trajectories towards more multifunctional farming practices (off-farm diversification, as well as “deepening” and “broadening” strategies), reduction of livestock farming, deintensification and farmland abandonment. Those processes vary in space, and they are only partially explained in terms of distance to the core city (location). Experts forecast that the identified trends will continue, paying attention to the growing importance of multifunctional agriculture and the intensification of recessive processes, including farmland abandonment and excessive deintensification of production. According to the experts surveyed, most farmers will continue to apply traditional development strategies, which will be ineffective without the possibility of increasing the area of farms.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/11/5/455urban and peri-urban agriculturemultivariate analysisfarming systemsadaptationslocation |
| spellingShingle | Wojciech Sroka Dariusz Żmija Farming Systems Changes in the Urban Shadow: A Mixed Approach Based on Statistical Analysis and Expert Surveys Agriculture urban and peri-urban agriculture multivariate analysis farming systems adaptations location |
| title | Farming Systems Changes in the Urban Shadow: A Mixed Approach Based on Statistical Analysis and Expert Surveys |
| title_full | Farming Systems Changes in the Urban Shadow: A Mixed Approach Based on Statistical Analysis and Expert Surveys |
| title_fullStr | Farming Systems Changes in the Urban Shadow: A Mixed Approach Based on Statistical Analysis and Expert Surveys |
| title_full_unstemmed | Farming Systems Changes in the Urban Shadow: A Mixed Approach Based on Statistical Analysis and Expert Surveys |
| title_short | Farming Systems Changes in the Urban Shadow: A Mixed Approach Based on Statistical Analysis and Expert Surveys |
| title_sort | farming systems changes in the urban shadow a mixed approach based on statistical analysis and expert surveys |
| topic | urban and peri-urban agriculture multivariate analysis farming systems adaptations location |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0472/11/5/455 |
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