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Hrabrin Bashev
THE IMPACT OF MARKET, PRIVATE, COLLECTIVE AND HYBRID MODES OF GOVERNANCE ON AGRARIAN SUSTAINABILITY IN BULGARIA
Summary:
The specific governance systems in different countries, regions, sectors, etc., are a factor which largely (pre)determines the rate and type of socio-economic development. Despite its tremendous theoretical and practical significance, little empirical research has been conducted in Bulgaria, and south Eastern countries in general, of the dominant governance structures in agriculture and their impact on agrarian sustainability. The aim of this study is to adapt the interdisciplinary New institutional economics and to assess the impact which the different modes of governance (market, private, collective, public and hybrid) have upon agrarian sustainability at the current stage of development of our country. The study first presents the methodology of the research. Next, typical governance modes are identified that are employed by Bulgarian farms of different legal type, size, production specialization, environmental position and geographical location, the impact of those governance modes on agrarian sustainability in its economic, social and environmental aspects. In conclusion, recommendations are made about conducting further research and improving public policies and private governance strategies. Agricultural producers employ various combinations of efficient market, private, collective and hybrid modes of governance in their activity and relationships. The factors and modes which contribute the most to raising agrarian sustainability at this stage are: managers’ confidence and initiatives; economic resources and innovation potential; a short-term profit and gains strategy; price level and dynamics; EU payments per area, and informal agreements. The research of the relationship between governance structures and agrarian sustainability should continue further to improve its representativeness and enlarge the scope of the specific modes of governance which farms of different types employ, to assess the impact of institutions upon agrarian sustainability and the effect of governance at different hierarchical levels. The latter, however, requires employing a new type of micro and macro data and close cooperation between different stakeholders.
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Hrabrin Bashev, Mimoza Mladenova
The Effects of Implementing European Policiesin Agricultiral Holdings in the Republic of Bulgaria
Summary:
There have been numerous publications in recent years dealing with the various effects of the CAP on holdings in the EU countries. In the Republic of Bulgaria, however, there are not comprehensive assessments of the actual effects of the implementation of CAP on agricultural holdings as a whole and on agricultural holdings of different types. This article presents the results of a comprehensive survey of CAP’s impact on incomes, efficiency, competitiveness and sustainability of agricultural holdings of different legal types, sizes, specialization and geographical location. The approach of the study and the system of criteria and indicators for assessment are presented in details in a previous publication of the authors . In order to assess the effects of the CAP, the authors used formal data of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, the National Statistical Institute and other sources, primary data of surveys of farm managers and expertise of leading experts in the given sphere.
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Nina Koteva
The Economic Efficiency and Financial Sustainability
of Agricultural Holdings
Summary:
The purpose of this article is to study the levels and trends of some basic indicators characterizing the economic efficiency and financial sustainability of agricultural holdings.
The study is based on official statistical information (NSI, MAF, Eurostat) and covers the period 2006-2013. It uses the following survey methods: systematic and comparative analysis; method of statistical groupings, inductive and deductive methods of analysis.
The survey results show that there is no clear steady upward trend in the efficiency and financial sustainability of agricultural holdings in the country. The economic performance of agricultural holdings growing field crops repeatedly exceed the performance achieved in the other types of holdings, mainly due to the larger sizes of the holdings and the support received rather than the more efficient production. The agricultural holdings growing perennial crops are in the most unfavourable situation.
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Nina Koteva, Desislava Toteva, Emilia Sokolova
Methodological and Methodical Issues of the Economic Sustainability of Agriculture and Agricultural farms
Summary:
Based on a critical review of scientific literature, the category ‘economic sustainability’ is defined as the dynamic development of agrarian systems over a long period of time in line with the changes in the external and internal environment which ensures efficient performance, good financial condition and competitiveness.
We observe the hierarchical levels of the system for assessing economic sustainability to first select the principles, and then the criteria and indicators to be employed in the assessment, so as to reveal the characteristics and the underlying and significant aspects of the performance of the agricultural sector and agricultural farms.
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Hrabrin Bashev
THE SUSTAINABILITY
OF MANAGEMENT STRUCTURES
IN BULGARIAN AGRICULTURE – LEVEL, FACTORS AND PROSPECTS
Summary:
This paper assesses the sustainability of the farms in our country by applying the holistic approach. We first introduce the methods employed in our research and provide a general description of the farms included in it. Then we assess the integral, managerial, economic, social and environmental sustainability of farms in general as well as that of the different types of farms according to their size, specialization of production, environmental position and geographical location. Finally, we assess the factors for improving the sustainability of farms and present our conclusions about doing further research work and improving the assessment practice in the sec
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Hrabrin Bashev
The Sustainability of Farms
Summary:
The article answers questions like “What is sustainability of farms?”, “What are the mechanisms and modes of managing the sustainability of farms?”, and “How should we assess the sustainability level of farms?”. First, the evolution of the ‘concept’ of sustainable farming is analysed and defined as the ability of farms to maintain their managerial, economic, environmental and social functions in the long run. Second, the principal mechanisms and modes of managing the sustainability of farms are systematically approached. These include the institutional environment, market, private, collective, public and hybrid modes. Next, a system of criteria and indicators is proposed to assess the sustainability level of farms at the contemporary stage of development in Bulgarian agriculture. Finally, an approach to analysing and assessing the management system of farm sustainability is presented.
