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Small Farms And Sustainable Development: Is Small More Sustainable?

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  • D'Souza, Gerard E.
  • Ikerd, John E.

Abstract

A new, post-industrial, paradigm for agriculture is emerging under the concept of sustainable agriculture. The sustainability paradigm has emerged to solve problems created by the industrial model, primarily environmental pollution and resource base degradation. The role of farm size in this transformation to a more sustainable agriculture is the issue addressed. Using a descriptive approach, and relying on a survey of the literature including emerging paradigms and observations, we conclude that, from a sustainability perspective, the smallest effective size will be the most competitive size for farms, as for other knowledge-based enterprises of the future.

Suggested Citation

  • D'Souza, Gerard E. & Ikerd, John E., 1996. "Small Farms And Sustainable Development: Is Small More Sustainable?," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Southern Agricultural Economics Association, vol. 28(01), pages 1-11, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:joaaec:15243
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.15243
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Conway, Gordon R., 1987. "The properties of agroecosystems," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 95-117.
    2. Weatherspoon, Dave D., 1995. "Industrialization and Sustainable Development, Are We Ready? Discussion," Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 27(1), pages 39-42, July.
    3. Common, Mick & Perrings, Charles, 1992. "Towards an ecological economics of sustainability," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 6(1), pages 7-34, July.
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    Cited by:

    1. Michael Chappell & Liliana LaValle, 2011. "Food security and biodiversity: can we have both? An agroecological analysis," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 28(1), pages 3-26, February.
    2. Dragan Miljkovic, 2005. "Measuring and causes of inequality in farm sizes in the United States," Agricultural Economics, International Association of Agricultural Economists, vol. 33(1), pages 21-27, July.
    3. Tomasz Pajewski & Barbara Gołębiewska & Agnieszka Sobolewska, 2019. "The Area of Farms and their Influence on Generating Negative Externalities," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(4), pages 3-14.
    4. Jenő Zsolt Farkas & Irén Rita Kőszegi & Edit Hoyk & Ádám Szalai, 2023. "Challenges and Future Visions of the Hungarian Livestock Sector from a Rural Development Viewpoint," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-20, June.
    5. Mayton, Holly & Beal, Ty & Rubin, Julia & Sanchez, Alejandra & Heller, Martin & Hoey, Lesli & de Haan, Stef & Duong, Thanh Thi & Huynh, Tuyen & Burra, Dharani Dhar & Khoury, Colin K. & Jones, Andrew D, 2020. "Conceptualizing sustainable diets in Vietnam: Minimum metrics and potential leverage points," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    6. Sklenicka, Petr & Zouhar, Jan & Molnarova, Kristina Janeckova & Vlasak, Josef & Kottova, Blanka & Petrzelka, Peggy & Gebhart, Michal & Walmsley, Alena, 2020. "Trends of soil degradation: Does the socio-economic status of land owners and land users matter?," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 95(C).
    7. Kazakova-Mateva, Yanka & Radeva-Decheva, Donka, 2015. "The role of agroecosystems diversity towards sustainability of agricultural systems," 147th Seminar, October 7-8, 2015, Sofia, Bulgaria 212250, European Association of Agricultural Economists.
    8. Aleksander Grzelak & Jakub Staniszewski & Michał Borychowski, 2020. "Income or Assets—What Determines the Approach to the Environment among Farmers in A Region in Poland?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-20, June.
    9. Puech, Camille & Brulaire, Arnaud & Paraiso, Jérôme & Faloya, Vincent, 2021. "Collective design of innovative agroecological cropping systems for the industrial vegetable sector," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    10. Moon, Wanki, 2010. "Multifunctional Agriculture, Protectionism, And Prospect Of Trade Liberalization," Journal of Rural Development/Nongchon-Gyeongje, Korea Rural Economic Institute, vol. 33(2), pages 1-33, July.
    11. Robbins, M.J., 2013. "Locating food sovereignty: geographical and sectoral distance in the global food system," ISS Working Papers - General Series 557, International Institute of Social Studies of Erasmus University Rotterdam (ISS), The Hague.
    12. Moira Zellner & Dean Massey & Anton Rozhkov & John T. Murphy, 2023. "Exploring the Barriers to and Potential for Sustainable Transitions in Urban–Rural Systems through Participatory Causal Loop Diagramming of the Food–Energy–Water Nexus," Land, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-27, February.
    13. Rick Welsh & Rebecca Rivers, 2011. "Environmental management strategies in agriculture," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 28(3), pages 297-302, September.
    14. Barbara Wieliczko & Agnieszka Kurdyś-Kujawska & Agnieszka Sompolska-Rzechuła, 2020. "Savings of Small Farms: Their Magnitude, Determinants and Role in Sustainable Development. Example of Poland," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(11), pages 1-18, November.
    15. Leah Grout & Simon Hales & Nigel French & Michael G. Baker, 2018. "A Review of Methods for Assessing the Environmental Health Impacts of an Agricultural System," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-27, June.
    16. Grzelak Aleksander & Borychowski Michał & Staniszewski Jakub, 2020. "Pro-environmental actions of agricultural farms - example of holdings from the Wielkopolska region," Management, Sciendo, vol. 24(2), pages 236-250, December.
    17. Sarah Velten & Julia Leventon & Nicolas Jager & Jens Newig, 2015. "What Is Sustainable Agriculture? A Systematic Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(6), pages 1-33, June.
    18. Silvia Ștefania Maican & Andreea Cipriana Muntean & Carmen Adina Paștiu & Sebastian Stępień & Jan Polcyn & Iulian Bogdan Dobra & Mălina Dârja & Claudia Olimpia Moisă, 2021. "Motivational Factors, Job Satisfaction, and Economic Performance in Romanian Small Farms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-23, May.
    19. Andrzej Hornowski & Andrzej Parzonko & Pavel Kotyza & Tomasz Kondraszuk & Piotr Bórawski & Luboš Smutka, 2020. "Factors Determining the Development of Small Farms in Central and Eastern Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-21, June.
    20. Susana G. Azevedo & Minelle E. Silva & João C. O. Matias & Gustavo P. Dias, 2018. "The Influence of Collaboration Initiatives on the Sustainability of the Cashew Supply Chain," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-29, June.

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