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‘Romanian Peasants’ into ‘European Farmers’? Using Statistics to Standardize Agriculture

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  • Antoine Roger

Abstract

type="main"> In this article, the agricultural sector in Romania provides the basis of a sociological enquiry into the contribution of statistics to the definition of legitimate economic organization. Using the analytical tools developed by James C. Scott, the emphasis is laid on the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) developed by the European Commission to define ‘economically viable’ farms. The measurement units which the FADN provides are applied at national level to determine legitimate agricultural practices. This imposes a productivist definition of the agricultural economy which diverges from the modes of social and economic organization observed in rural areas in Romania. Four million Romanian citizens make their living directly from working the land. The majority own smallholdings received during decollectivization and practise subsistence farming at the fringes of the legal economy. Instead of employing a definition of agriculture consistent with their practices and developing local distribution channels, quantification instruments provided by the European Commission form the basis of a selection procedure among these smallholders. These instruments have enabled the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture to set a threshold of ‘economic viability’ below which producers are deemed unable to develop a commercial approach to their activities. The objective is to help those who just about reach the required level to consolidate their agricultural holdings and take up intensive farming. The remainder are disqualified and encouraged to leave the sector. To further this objective, the category ‘semi-subsistence’ agriculture has been created and takes centre stage in all measures implemented. Nevertheless, the statistical dividing lines on which this category is based have no substance and the structure of agriculture is manifesting high levels of inertia.

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  • Antoine Roger, 2014. "‘Romanian Peasants’ into ‘European Farmers’? Using Statistics to Standardize Agriculture," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 45(4), pages 732-752, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:devchg:v:45:y:2014:i:4:p:732-752
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Brian VAN Arkadie, 1973. "National Accounting and Development Planning: A Review of Some Issues," Development and Change, International Institute of Social Studies, vol. 4(2), pages 15-31, May.
    2. Laura Raynolds, 2000. "Re-embedding global agriculture: The international organic and fair trade movements," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 17(3), pages 297-309, September.
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    Cited by:

    1. Wolz, Axel & Möllers, Judith & Micu, Marius Mihai, 2020. "Options for agricultural service cooperatives in a postsocialist economy: Evidence from Romania," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 49(1), pages 57-65.
    2. Małgorzata Stec & Mariola Grzebyk, 2018. "The implementation of the Strategy Europe 2020 objectives in European Union countries: the concept analysis and statistical evaluation," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 52(1), pages 119-133, January.

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