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CROP PROTECTION COSTS AND FARMING INTENSITY IN LATVIA
Abstract
Nowadays, sustainability has become the core concept affecting the public perception of economic development and natural resource management all over the world. Although intensification of agricultural practices is typically viewed as a way to achieving and retaining food independence at national and supra-national levels, there are concerns about its potential negative impact on biological diversity, natural habitats, healthy ecosystem and resilience to climate change. As a result, intensive farming might be regarded as unsustainable, damaging and environmentally unfriendly mode of agricultural production. This study aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the trends in intensification of agricultural practices adopted by crop farms of various economic sizes and specialization in Latvia since its accession to the EU in 2004. Our calculations are based on information obtained from SUDAT - a national system of data collection in Latvia that constitutes an integral part of the EU Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN). Statistical data are adjusted for inflation and input price fluctuations using the price indices of the means of agricultural production. In our analysis, crop protection costs are used as an environmental indicator of natural resource and biodiversity conservation. Results provide evidence of high heterogeneity in farming intensity in Latvia where sustainable crop farming coexists with conventional farming based on intensive production technology.
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