IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/vrs/ceuecj/v10y2023i57p116-132n4.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Are small farms sustainable and technologically smart? Evidence from Poland, Romania, and Lithuania

Author

Listed:
  • Stępień Sebastian

    (Poznań University od Economics and Business, Department of Macroeconomics and Agricultural Economics, Al. Niepodległości 10, 61-875 Poznań, Poland)

  • Smędzik-Ambroży Katarzyna

    (Poznań University od Economics and Business, Department of Macroeconomics and Agricultural Economics, Al. Niepodległości 10, 61-875 Poznań, Poland)

  • Polcyn Jan

    (Stanislaw Staszic State University of Applied Sciences, Department of Economics, Podchorążych 10, 64-920 Piła, Poland)

  • Kwiliński Aleksy

    (London Academy of Science and Business, 120 Baker Street, 3rd Floor, W1U 6TU London, England)

  • Maican Ionut

    (Transilvania University of Brasov, B-dul Eroilor nr 29, 50036, Brasov, Romania)

Abstract

Sustainable development of farms is determined by many factors and, in recent years, significance of modern technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) has been pointed out, especially in terms of beneficial effects on economic performance and natural resources. Therefore, there is a need to answer the question about the application of AI technologies in small-scale farms, especially those with a relatively high level of sustainability. In order to obtain the information, a survey in Poland, Romania and Lithuania was carried out. Among the respondents, the 20 most sustainable farms in each country were selected using the CRITIC-TOPSIS method. Next, in-depth interviews were conducted to explore attitudes, behaviour and knowledge of AI.. The results show that small-scale farms in selected countries do not apply artificial intelligence. Although owners recognise and appreciate the benefits of AI, they are not convinced to implement this technology in their own business, they are not completely uncritical about using AI tools in the practice. The main obstacles are: low level of knowledge, misconception of the price of innovation or lack of capital for buying more advanced technology, low interest in implementing innovative solutions due the small scale of production or habituation to traditional production methods.

Suggested Citation

  • Stępień Sebastian & Smędzik-Ambroży Katarzyna & Polcyn Jan & Kwiliński Aleksy & Maican Ionut, 2023. "Are small farms sustainable and technologically smart? Evidence from Poland, Romania, and Lithuania," Central European Economic Journal, Sciendo, vol. 10(57), pages 116-132, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:vrs:ceuecj:v:10:y:2023:i:57:p:116-132:n:4
    DOI: 10.2478/ceej-2023-0007
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.2478/ceej-2023-0007
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.2478/ceej-2023-0007?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
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Tiago Teixeira da Silva Siqueira & Danielle Galliano & Geneviève Nguyen & Ferenc Istvan Bánkuti, 2021. "Organizational Forms and Agri-Environmental Practices: The Case of Brazilian Dairy Farms," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-19, March.
    2. Bazyli Czyżewski & Andrzej Czyżewski & Łukasz Kryszak, 2019. "The Market Treadmill Against Sustainable Income of European Farmers: How the CAP Has Struggled with Cochrane’s Curse," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-16, February.
    3. Renda, Andrea & Reynolds, Nicole & Laurer, Moritz & Cohen, Gal, 2019. "Digitising Agrifood: Pathways and Challenges," CEPS Papers 25701, Centre for European Policy Studies.
    4. Jaesu Lee & Haseeb Nazki & Jeonghyun Baek & Youngsin Hong & Meonghun Lee, 2020. "Artificial Intelligence Approach for Tomato Detection and Mass Estimation in Precision Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-15, November.
    5. Marta Guth & Katarzyna Smędzik-Ambroży & Bazyli Czyżewski & Sebastian Stępień, 2020. "The Economic Sustainability of Farms under Common Agricultural Policy in the European Union Countries," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-20, January.
    6. Guiomar, N. & Godinho, S. & Pinto-Correia, T. & Almeida, M. & Bartolini, F. & Bezák, P. & Biró, M. & Bjørkhaug, H. & Bojnec, Š. & Brunori, G. & Corazzin, M. & Czekaj, M. & Davidova, S. & Kania, J. & K, 2018. "Typology and distribution of small farms in Europe: Towards a better picture," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 784-798.
    7. Theuvsen, Ludwig, 2013. "Risks and risk management in agriculture," Problems of World Agriculture / Problemy Rolnictwa Światowego, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, vol. 13(28), pages 1-13, December.
    8. Lowder, Sarah K. & Skoet, Jakob & Raney, Terri, 2016. "The Number, Size, and Distribution of Farms, Smallholder Farms, and Family Farms Worldwide," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 16-29.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Michał Borychowski & Sebastian Stępień & Jan Polcyn & Aleksandra Tošović-Stevanović & Dragan Ćalović & Goran Lalić & Milena Žuža, 2020. "Socio-Economic Determinants of Small Family Farms’ Resilience in Selected Central and Eastern European Countries," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-30, December.
    2. Concetta Cardillo & Orlando Cimino, 2022. "Small Farms in Italy: What Is Their Impact on the Sustainability of Rural Areas?," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-25, November.
    3. Bazyli Czyżewski & Marta Guth, 2021. "Impact of Policy and Factor Intensity on Sustainable Value of European Agriculture: Exploring Trade-Offs of Environmental, Economic and Social Efficiency at the Regional Level," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(1), pages 1-19, January.
    4. Włodzimierz Kołodziejczak, 2020. "Employment and Gross Value Added in Agriculture Versus Other Sectors of the European Union Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-24, July.
    5. Katarzyna Smędzik-Ambroży & Marta Guth & Adam Majchrzak & Andreea Cipriana Muntean & Silvia Ștefania Maican, 2021. "The Socio-Economics Factors in Family Farms with Different Economic Sustainability Levels from Central and Eastern Europe," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(15), pages 1-12, July.
    6. Colombo, Sergio & Sánchez-Martínez, José Domingo & Perujo-Villanueva, Manuel, 2020. "The trade-offs between economic efficiency and job creation in olive grove smallholdings," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    7. Katarzyna Smędzik-Ambroży & Anna Matuszczak & Ryszard Kata & Piotr Kułyk, 2021. "The Relationship of Agricultural and Non-Agricultural Income and Its Variability in Regard to Farms in the European Union Countries," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-17, February.
    8. Patil, Vikram & Ghosh, Ranjan & Kathuria, Vinish & Farrell, Katharine N., 2020. "Money, Land or self-employment? Understanding preference heterogeneity in landowners’ choices for compensation under land acquisition in India," Land Use Policy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C).
    9. Luis Bauluz & Yajna Govind & Filip Novokmet, 2020. "Global Land Inequality," PSE Working Papers halshs-03022318, HAL.
    10. Islam, Md. Mofakkarul & Sarker, Md. Asaduzzaman & Al Mamun, Md. Abdullah & Mamun-ur-Rashid, Md. & Roy, Debashis, 2021. "Stepping Up versus Stepping Out: On the outcomes and drivers of two alternative climate change adaptation strategies of smallholders," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    11. Livia Marchetti & Valentina Cattivelli & Claudia Cocozza & Fabio Salbitano & Marco Marchetti, 2020. "Beyond Sustainability in Food Systems: Perspectives from Agroecology and Social Innovation," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-24, September.
    12. Anne Jerneck, 2018. "What about Gender in Climate Change? Twelve Feminist Lessons from Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(3), pages 1-20, February.
    13. Rodríguez del Valle, Adrián & Fernández-Vázquez, Esteban, 2024. "Analyzing market power of the agricultural industry in Asia," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 652-669.
    14. Adrian Sadłowski & Wioletta Wrzaszcz & Katarzyna Smędzik-Ambroży & Anna Matras-Bolibok & Anna Budzyńska & Marek Angowski & Stefan Mann, 2021. "Direct Payments and Sustainable Agricultural Development—The Example of Poland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-20, November.
    15. SIngh Verma, Juhee & Sharma, Pritee, 2019. "Potential of Organic Farming to Mitigate Climate Change and Increase Small Farmers’ Welfare," MPRA Paper 99994, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    16. Hurley, Mason, 2016. "Re-examining Changes in Farm Size Distributions Worldwide Using a Modified Generalized Method of Moments Approach," Master's Theses and Plan B Papers 249287, University of Minnesota, Department of Applied Economics.
    17. Yuta J. Masuda & Jonathan R.B. Fisher & Wei Zhang & Carolina Castilla & Timothy M. Boucher & Genowefa Blundo‐Canto, 2020. "A respondent‐driven method for mapping small agricultural plots using tablets and high resolution imagery," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 32(5), pages 727-748, July.
    18. Koolwal, Gayatri B., 2021. "Improving the measurement of rural women's employment: Global momentum and survey priorities," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 147(C).
    19. Manhisse, Nelson & Ogawa, Keiichi, 2024. "Smallholder households and children’s schooling in primary education in Mozambique," International Journal of Educational Development, Elsevier, vol. 105(C).
    20. Marta Guth & Katarzyna Smędzik-Ambroży & Bazyli Czyżewski & Sebastian Stępień, 2020. "The Economic Sustainability of Farms under Common Agricultural Policy in the European Union Countries," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-20, January.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    small-scale farms; technology; artificial intelligence; sustainable development; interview research; farmers opinions;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • O33 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Technological Change: Choices and Consequences; Diffusion Processes
    • Q01 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - General - - - Sustainable Development
    • Q12 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Micro Analysis of Farm Firms, Farm Households, and Farm Input Markets
    • Q16 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - R&D; Agricultural Technology; Biofuels; Agricultural Extension Services
    • Q55 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Environmental Economics - - - Environmental Economics: Technological Innovation

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    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:vrs:ceuecj:v:10:y:2023:i:57:p:116-132:n:4. 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: Peter Golla (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.sciendo.com .

    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.