The Ability of a Family Farm to Generate Income from Production Activities According to the Types of Farming in Selected EU Countries
Abstract
Aim
The aim of this article is to assess the capacity of family farms to generate household income from production activities using the operational self-sufficiency indicator, with particular attention to types of w, in EU countries with both high and low agricultural income levels.
Material and methods
The study draws on FADN data for the years 2018–2022. In order to avoid errors related to comparing farms of different types of farming and from different countries, the research was conducted based on the criterion of agricultural income in the country and the type of farming. Operational self-sufficiency is considered crucial not only for farm survival but also for ensuring national food security.
Results
The findings confirm that, regardless of the type of farming and income level, a higher share of subsidies in income generation negatively affects operational self-sufficiency. In lower-income countries, subsidies played a relatively minor role in income generation, whereas in higher-income countries their impact was stronger and positive. Farms specialising in granivores, grazing livestock, and mixed production proved least capable of generating income from production activities, while crop-oriented farms displayed higher levels of self-sufficiency.
Conclusions
The dependence of farm profitability and its level on budget support is not directly due to low resource efficiency observed on farms, but rather depends on the systemic external economic conditions created for agriculture in the EU and applies to farms in both countries with higher and lower labour productivity. Farm income depends more on policy solutions and less on resource efficiency.
© 2026 Joanna Bereżnicka, Ludwik Wicki, published by The Institute of Agricultural and Food Economics – National Research Institute
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.