DOCSLIB.ORG

Regional Approach to Preservation of Food Related Biodiversity

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Regional Approach to Preservation of Food Related Biodiversity Trakia Journal of Sciences, Vol. 13, Suppl. 1, pp 340-347, 2015 Copyright © 2015 Trakia University Available online at: http://www.uni-sz.bg ISSN 1313-7069 (print) doi:10.15547/tjs.2015.s.01.058 ISSN 1313-3551 (online) REGIONAL APPROACH TO PRESERVATION OF FOOD RELATED BIODIVERSITY D. Dimitrova1*, T. Ivanova1, M. Chervenkov2, Y. Bosseva1, M. Rumiz3 1Department of Plant and Fungal Diversity and Resources, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria 2Institute of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria 3Slow Food International, Bra, Italy ABSTRACT PURPOSE: Strategy and major results of the Environmentally Sustainable Socio-Economic Development of Rural Areas (ESSEDRA) project are presented. The project relies on collaborative network involving 8 Balkan countries (including Turkey) with leading partnership of Slow Food International and European Forum on Nature Conservation and Pastoralism (UK). The overall purpose is to involve local communities in protecting the environment, especially in safeguarding agrobiodiversity and related traditional knowledge, to mitigate the impact of climate change and to secure the sustainable development of rural areas. METHODS: The activities aim at advocating the role of small-scale farmers in biodiversity protection, promoting targeted models and actions to preserve biodiversity, and exchanging best practices and knowledge at a multiregional level. RESULTS: Outcomes from the first stage of the project are presented and in the overall Balkan agriculture tendencies is discussed focusing on the current problems in Bulgarian small-scale agriculture. CONCLUSIONS: Steps for common approach for community-based regional development, biodiversity conservation, policy influencing, advocacy and capacity building in the field, collaboration between stakeholders are proposed. Key words: plant varieties, animal breeds, agrobiodiversity, local communities INTRODUCTION comprise ca. 46% of the country’s territory, The balance between the growing food demand placing Bulgaria among the EU countries with and nature preservation is an on-going global highest percentage of agricultural land (11). issue that could be hardly solved fast and with The structure of agriculture in Bulgaria is single-side decisions (1-3). Land use activities bipolar. Farm holdings with less than 5 ha of have threatened and degraded ecosystems and used agricultural land constitute 91% of all their functioning worldwide (4). European holdings but they possess 5.2% of the whole agriculture is simultaneously suffering of cultivated land and produce 8.7% of the increasing intensification and land standard production volume. There is a abandonment in some rural areas. Both trends tendency towards an increase of the average have a negative impact on farmland farm size. However, a parallel trend is the biodiversity and the livelihood of local concentration of cultivated land in large communities (5, 6). Current European policies holdings (with more than 100 ha of agricultural strive to mingle economic growth and land) and in 2010 these large holdings possess sustainable biodiversity usage. However the 82.4% of the whole agricultural land. The effects are yet to be discussed (7-10). number of farms with land between 5 and 50 ha rapidly increases but the land that they Utilized agricultural areas in Bulgaria manage remains small - 7.9%. This trend _________________________ persists over the first programming period and *Correspondence to: Dessislava Dimitrova, in 2014 85% of the agricultural land is owned Department of Plant and Fungal Diversity and by large establishments which represent only Resources, Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Research, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, 23, 4% of all farms (12). Parallel to these trends Acad. G. Bonchev Str., 1113, Sofia, Bulgaria, e- are the continuous depopulation of the mail: [email protected] Bulgarian rural areas, accompanied by aging of 340 Trakia Journal of Sciences, Vol. 13, Suppl. 1, 2015 DIMITROVA D., et al. the rural population and high unemployment previous knowledge on local food biodiversity rates (13). and food communities; areas with preserved nature and local livelihoods; developed rural The above presented situation in Bulgarian tourism and small-scale and artisan food rural areas poses a serious threat to traditional production. The core of the questionnaire food products, local plant varieties and breeds. consists of the following types of information: They fall victims not only to the unfavourable • name of the product, including in the social-economic changes, globalization and local dialect; industrial agriculture, but also to the rigid • description of the product; hygiene rules that have been imposed to • history of the product origin and Bulgarian farmers in the course of the EU primary area of production; accession. The EU regulations have been • approximate quantities of production; implemented in Bulgaria without economic • commercialization of the product analysis of their impact on Bulgarian farmers. (access to market or home consumption); The flexibility provisions for the • existing and potential threats. implementation of the EU hygiene package have not been implemented in the national Statistical data on Bulgarian agricultural sector legal framework as a result of which the were obtained from the National yearbooks of traditional farming and artisan food production the National Statistical Institute of Republic of have been doomed to extinction. Bulgaria, the reports of the Agrostatistics department in the Ministry of Agriculture and The new CAP (2014-2020) is calling for a Food (MAF), Bulgarian official variety lists greener and better balanced rural development and Information system EFABIS of the in Europe where farmers are the central driving Executive Agency for Selection and force. Engaging rural stakeholders and Reproduction in Animal Breeding (EASRAB) communities is needed to achieve (14-21). advancement in the processes of rural development. Local mobilisation, community RESULTS AND DISCUSSION initiatives, but also building honest Livestock breeding partnerships between stakeholders and Since 1980 the count of farm animals in governments are the prerequisites for success. Bulgaria has been significantly reduced. This It has to come from the communities trend is very tangible after 1990, when the themselves, but it has to be supported by transition from centrally planned to market decision makers and policies. It is a two-way economy system started. This was clearly process between rural communities and demonstrated in the case with the main decision makers who create policies that productive livestock. The reduction of the requires a lot of effort and the right tools to number of animals from 1990 to 2014 is very make it possible. large – 5.94 times for sheep, 2.64 times for cattle and 7.58 times for pigs (Figure 1). A Therefore, in 2013 the project ESSEDRA variety of reasons for this drop down can be (Environmentally Sustainable Socio-Economic mentioned. The collective farms were Development of Rural Areas) was launched privatized and the land and animals were (www.essedra.com). A major achievement of restituted. Many of the new land owners (or this project is the inventory of food-related their heirs) had neither the knowledge, nor the biodiversity in the Balkans and Turkey. In the desire to practice livestock breeding or present paper we focus on the findings in agriculture. This process lead to decrease of Bulgaria and discuss their importance for the the number of farm animals, along with the preservation of Bulgarian genetic resources amount of land used for forage production. The and their potential for sustainable development decrease of the state support to animal of small businesses in rural areas. We discuss husbandry in the pre-accession period and the also the potential of the agro-ecological import of cheaper agricultural goods measures to support these efforts that are additionally have worsened the situation in envisaged by the EC regulation № 1305/2013 Bulgaria. The mass privatization of the and are included in the Bulgarian RDP (2014- factories for processing wool and leather, 2020). cheese dairies, slaughter houses and meat processing facilities also have caused MATERIAL AND METHODS deterioration of the sector. The result is that the The study has been conducted since December international markets for animal products 2012 in rural areas of Bulgaria. The areas of originating from Bulgaria have been lost. Last inventory were preselected based on previous but not least, a considerable decline has been experience of the experts and available observed in the activities of the artificial literature; existing local communities and Trakia Journal of Sciences, Vol. 13, Suppl. 1, 2015 341 DIMITROVA D., et al. insemination centres, the livestock breeding animal products increased in order to satisfy and agricultural institutes in the country. As a the needs of the Bulgarian population. This result a vast majority of animals were trend is illustrated by the example with the slaughtered or sold abroad and the import of consumption of red meat (Figure 2). Figure 1. Main productive farm animals count in the period 1980-2014 (source: National Statistical Institute). Figure 2. National production, trade and consumption of red meat in 2014 (soure: MAF Agrostatistics). In 2014 a total of 98,232 tons (in carcass As a result of the economic changes
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Agricultural Sector in Bulgaria During the Transition to Market Economy and the Integration Into the European Union
    Agricultural and Resource Economics: International Scientific E-Journal www.are-journal.com JEL: Q1, F02, N5, P41 1 2 Rossitsa Rangelova , Katia Vladimirova 1Economic Research Institute, Bulgarian Academy Sciences 2University for National and World Economy Bulgaria AGRICULTURAL SECTOR IN BULGARIA DURING THE TRANSITION TO MARKET ECONOMY AND THE INTEGRATION INTO THE EUROPEAN UNION The paper is aimed at outlining the main features of the reforms in the agricultural sector and development in Bulgaria from 1989 onwards. This is the period of transition from centrally planned to market economy and the following integration into the European Union (EU). Firstly, the reforms in agriculture during the early transition to market economy in the 1990s are discussed. Further on the reforms in agriculture related to the integration of Bulgaria into the EU are described. Problems and challenges for the agricultural sector in Bulgaria under the conditions of EU membership, including the role of CAP are analyzed. The two periods for financing and development of the agricultural sector in Bulgaria are considered: First programming period (2007–2013) and Second programming period (2014–2020). Finally recommendations are given concerning building competitive Bulgarian agriculture in the conditions of the CAP. Key words: agriculture, Bulgaria, transition to market economy, ЕU integration. Introduction and review of literature. The agriculture has long been the most important sector for Bulgaria mainly due to the availability of natural resources, traditions, high employment of the population, and late transition to industrial development. In the 20th century agriculture in Bulgaria passed through three radically different periods of development. Two of these periods were described in the two authors’ article “Long-term retrospective development of agricultutre in Bulgaria, 1934–1989” [16, pp.
    [Show full text]
  • Baseline Report
    “Boosting Adult System Education In Agriculture” AGRI BASE Erasmus+ KA2 Strategic Partnerships Baseline report SYSTEM OF ADULT EDUCATION AND TRAINING in the Field of Agriculture 2016 SYSTEM OF ADULT EDUCATION AND TRAINING in the Field of Agriculture AGRI BASE This document was created within the Erasmus+ project "Boosting Adult System Education In Agriculture" AgriBase Ref. No. 2015-1-MK01-KA204-002857 O1 leading institution:University of East Sarajevo, BH AgriBase participating institutions: OCULL „Vanco Prke“-R Macedonia, University of East Sarajevo-BH,University of Foggia-Italy, Polytechnic University of Cartagena-Spain, NGO Webin- R Serbia, College Iliria-Kosovo, University 1 Dec.1918 Alba Iulia- Romania, Technical University of Varna- Bulgaria, Estonian University of Life Sciences-Estonia, Cukurova University- Turkey Contributors: Dimitrova M, Mitasev G, Petrov T, Kulina M, Vukojevic D, Radovic M, Stasi A, Conte A, Beneduce L, Amodio ML, Acosta JA, Martinez S, Gomez- Lopez LD, Zornoza R, Stojanovic M, Reci A, Levente G, Iordacescu D, Drumeva M, Yankov P, Laikoja K, Tamm M, Cetin M Editor: Grujica Vico English lecture: Marijana Dimitrova CIP - Каталогизација во публикација Национална и универзитетска библиотека "Св. Климент Охридски", Скопје 37:63(062) COMPARATIVE baseline report on adult education in agriculture / [editor Grujica Vico]. - Stip : NI National library "Goce Delčev", 2016. - 231 стр. : илустр. ; 21 см Текст на повеќе јазици ISBN 978-608-242-026-4 а) Едукација на возрасни - Земјоделство - Зборници COBISS.MK-ID 101019402
    [Show full text]
  • Second Draft Republic of Bulgaria National Strategy
    SECOND DRAFT REPUBLIC OF BULGARIA NATIONAL STRATEGY PLAN FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT (2007 –2013) March, 2006 1 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION І. ASSESSMENT OF THE SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL SITUATION AND THE POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPMENT ІІ. RURAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY OF BULGARIA FOR THE PERIOD 2007- 2013 III. STRATEGY PER AXIS, QUANTIFIED OBJECTIVES AND INDICATORS IV. INDICATIVE BUDGET OF THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME VI. INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL CONSISTENCY OF THE PLAN, COMPLEMENTARITY WITH OTHER COMMUNITY FUNDING INSTRUMENTS VІI. OBLIGATIONS TO SET UP A NATIONAL RURAL NETWORK AND FORESEEN BUDGET AMOUNT FOR ITS OPERATIONS ATTACHMENTS 2 Abbreviations GDP Gross domestic product GVA Gross value added GP Gross produce AWU Annual working unit FAWF Forest areas for wood-felling UAA Utilized agricultural areas EFTA European free trade association EU European Union EAFRD European agricultural fund for rural development EFF European fishery fund IPGR Institute for plant genetic resources BA Biodiversity act MAF Ministry of agriculture and forestry LAG Local action group MoEW Ministry of Environment and Waters SME Small and medium-size enterprises MF Ministry of Finance NAAS National Agriculture Advisory Service NAEP National agriecology programme NVS National veterinary service NGO Non-governmental organization NARDP National agriculture and rural development plan /under SAPARD Programme/ NPRD National plan for regional development NSI National Statistics Institute NSRF National Strategy Reference Framework OECD Organization for economic cooperation and development PO Producer organization CAP Common agricultural policy LERIT Land estates, registers and information technologies LLVT Life-long vocational training UNDP United Nations Development Programme RDP Rural Development Programme RD Rural Development SAPARD Special Accession Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development 3 І.
    [Show full text]
  • Download Bulgaria Case Study
    Land concentration, land grabbing and people’s struggles in Europe Land concentration, land grabbing and land conflicts in Europe: The case of Boynitsa in Bulgaria Georgi Medarov* This chapter examines the socio-historical processes in Bulgaria that have led to the very visible trend of land centralisation, or land grabs, since 2007. It draws on a case study of land grabbing near the village of Boynitsa in northwest Bulgaria. This region, often described as the ‘poorest region in the EU’, 1 has the highest rate of unemployment in Bulgaria. The chapter sets the issue in the broader context both of land grabbing and the socioeconomic transformations of land property relations that have characterised Bulgaria’s post-1989 shift from state socialism to (neo) liberal capitalism. After the relative economic expansion in the 1970s and 1980s in northwest Bulgaria, the region was severely hit by the economic downturn, particularly in rural areas, caused by rapid de-industrialisation after 1989. After the collapse of state socialism and the ‘shock therapy’ of economic liberalisation, a wide process of de-industrialisation and severe economic downturn swept through the entire country during the 1990s. Initially this affected the agricultural sector and in the late 1990s also the industrial sector, along with policies of mass privatisation and radical austerity. These shifts initially led to land fragmentation and subsequently to re-consolidation of land ownership that excluded most of the rural population, thus, facilitating land grabs. The social effects of this process at the micro level are illustrated by the case study. The chapter opens with a short overview of the historical political economy of the transformation of land property relations in Bulgaria.
    [Show full text]
  • Development in Agriculture and Rural Areas of Bulgaria
    From Study implementing full EU CAP in the first seven years of full EU Membership and the Potentials for improvements Development in agriculture and rural areas of Bulgaria Iordan Velikov From Study implementing full EU CAP in the first seven years of full EU Membership and the Potentials for improvements Development in agriculture and rural areas of Bulgaria Iordan Velikov Iordan Velikov had various involvements with the implementation of CAP instruments in Bulgaria since 2000. In the period 2000-2004 he was working in the Ministry of Agriculture, where he participated in the elaboration of the National Strategic Plan for Rural Development under SAPARD and then was responsible for monitoring and reporting the implementation of three SAPARD measures associated with rural infrastructure and diversification of the rural economy. In the period 2006-2010 he has participated in various evaluation projects for the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013, and more specifically: the ex-ante evaluation 2006-2007, the ongoing evaluations in 2008 and 2009, the midterm evaluation 2010. Iordan Velikov is a master in Strategic Management form Sofia University with various short term trainings and specializations in various aspects of the CAP, the agriculture policy and the broader regional development the 2000-2004 in various new and old EU Member states, Japan and the USA. Published by: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Regional Project for Labour Relations and Social Dialogue in South East Europe Tadeusa Koscuska 8/5 11000 Belgrade, Serbia Tel.: (381 11) 3284
    [Show full text]
  • Vnct8c1kp0d6509lf04fkqne.Pdf
    MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND FORESTRY ANNUAL REPORT ON THE STATE AND DEVELOPMENT OF AGRICULTURE (AGRARIAN REPORT 2018) AGRARIAN REPORT 2018 III. TRADE IN AGRICULTURAL GOODS 83 1. Level and dynamics of foreign trade in agrarian goods in 2017 83 Table of contents 2. Geographical distribution of foreign trade in agricultural goods 84 3. Agricultural trading by groups of commodities 89 List of abbreviations 15 4. Development of foreign trade in agricultural goods in 2018 96 SECTION А 15 5. Activities supporting the export of agricultural production 97 I. STATE AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIONAL ECONOMY. MACROECONOMIC FRAMEWORK. IV. SUPPORT FOR THE AGRICULTURAL SECTOR 101 THE PLACE OF THE AGRARIAN SECTOR IN THE NATIONAL ECONOMY 15 1. Support under the First Pillar of the EU Common Agricultural Policy 101 II. DEVELOPMENT OF AGRARIAN SECTOR IN 2017 AND FORECASTS FOR 2018 23 1.1. Area-based direct payments, national complements to direct payments and specific 1. Use of agricultural land and structures in agriculture 23 support 111 1.1. Use of lands designated for agriculture 23 1.2. Market support mechanisms 115 1.2. Use of land parcels 24 1.2.1. Milk Sector 116 1.2.1. Land Parcel Identification System 24 1.2.2. Fruit and Vegetables sector 118 1.3. Registration of farmers 25 1.2.3. Bee-keeping sector 120 1.4. Participation of the State Land Fund (SLF) in land relations in Bulgaria 26 1.2.4. Wine sector 122 1.4.1. Provision of properties by the SLF for lease or rental 26 1.2.5.
    [Show full text]
  • Transformations of Rural Areas in Poland and Bulgaria a Case Study
    POLSKA AKADEMIA NAUK INSTYTUT GEOGRAFII i PRZESTRZENNEGO ZAGOSPODAROWANIA im. Stanisława Leszczyckiego DOKUMENTACJA GEOGRAFICZNA nr 27 TRANSFORMATIONS OF RURAL AREAS IN POLAND AND BULGARIA A CASE STUDY Editors: BOŻENA GAŁCZYŃSKA MARGARITA ILIEVA WARSZAWA 2002 DOKUMENTACJA GEOGRAFICZNA Komitet Redakcyjny: Krzysztof Błażejczyk (redaktor) Bronisław Górz Andrzej Kowalczyk Teresa Kozłowska-Szczęsna Roman Soja Alojzy Woś Barbara Jaworska (sekretarz) Wydawca: IG i PZ PAN Adres redakcji: 00-818 Warszawa, ul. Twarda 51/55 tel.(48-22) 69 78 851 fax (48-22) 620 62 21 PL-ISSN 0012-5032 ISBN 83-87954-36-5 http://rcin.org.pl POLSKA AKADEMIA NAUK INSTYTUT GEOGRAFII i PRZESTRZENNEGO ZAGOSPODAROWANIA im. Stanisława Leszczyckiego DOKUMENTACJA GEOGRAFICZNA nr 27 TRANSFORMATIONS OF RURAL AREAS IN POLAND AND BULGARIA A CASE STUDY Editors: BOŻENA GAŁCZYŃSKA MARGARITA ILIEVA WARSZAWA 2002 http://rcin.org.pl Recenzent: Prof. dr. hab. Andrzej Stasiak http://rcin.org.pl Table of Contens Introduction Bożena Gałczyńska, Margarita Ilieva 5 Transformation of the rural areas in Poland. The spatial processes and the regional differentiation Bożena Gałczyńska 7 Transformation of the rural areas in Bulgaria (processes, territorial disparities) Margarita Ilieva 21 Transformations in the functional structure of the rural areas in Poland. Selected problems Władysława Stola 35 Problems of rural population in Bulgaria Chavdar Mladenow 51 Changes of Polish agriculture in 1990s and the integration with European Union Roman Kulikowski 59 The underdeveloped rural regions - an
    [Show full text]
  • Baseline Report
    “Boosting Adult System Education In Agriculture” AGRI BASE Erasmus+ KA2 Strategic Partnerships Baseline report SYSTEM OF ADULT EDUCATION AND TRAINING in the Field of Agriculture 2016 SYSTEM OF ADULT EDUCATION AND TRAINING in the Field of Agriculture AGRI BASE This document was created within the Erasmus+ project "Boosting Adult System Education In Agriculture" AgriBase Ref. No. 2015-1-MK01-KA204-002857 O1 leading institution:University of East Sarajevo, BH AgriBase participating institutions: OCULL „Vanco Prke“-R Macedonia, University of East Sarajevo-BH,University of Foggia-Italy, Polytechnic University of Cartagena-Spain, NGO Webin- R Serbia, College Iliria-Kosovo, University 1 Dec.1918 Alba Iulia- Romania, Technical University of Varna- Bulgaria, Estonian University of Life Sciences-Estonia, Cukurova University- Turkey Contributors: Mitasev G, Petrov T, Kulina M, Vukojevic D, Radovic M, Stasi A, Conte A, Beneduce L, Amodio ML, Acosta JA, Martinez S, Gomez-Lopez LD, Zornoza R, Stojanovic M, Reci A, Levente G, Iordacescu D, Drumeva M, Yankov P, Laikoja K, Tamm M, Cetin M Editor: Grujica Vico English lecture: Marijana Dimitrova CIP - Каталогизација во публикација Национална и универзитетска библиотека "Св. Климент Охридски", Скопје 37:63(062) COMPARATIVE baseline report on adult education in agriculture / [editor Grujica Vico]. - Stip : NI National library "Goce Delčev", 2016. - 231 стр. : илустр. ; 21 см Текст на повеќе јазици ISBN 978-608-242-026-4 а) Едукација на возрасни - Земјоделство - Зборници COBISS.MK-ID 101019402 April, 2016
    [Show full text]
  • Food and Agriculture in Bulgaria
    Investing in your future EUROPEAN UNION OP “Development of the Competitiveness of the Bulgarian European Regional Economy” 2007-2013 Development Fund Project “Promoting the advantages of investing in Bulgaria” BG 161PO003-4.1.01-0001-C0001, with benefi ciary InvestBulgaria Agency, has been implemented with the fi nancial support of the European Union through the European Fund for Regional Development and the national budget of the Republic of Bulgaria. FOOD AND AGRICULTURE IN BULGARIA CONTENTS 1. Introduction 4 2. Overview of Bulgaria 8 3. Overview of the Food and Agriculture sector in Bulgaria 15 4. Human Resources 24 5. Infrastructure and farming land 32 6. Success Stories 35 Introduction INTRODUCTION 4 Introduction Bulgaria provides an end-to-end solution to developing the Food & Agri sector... Unique natural conditions for the cultivation of a wide variety of crops, fruits, and vegetables 50% of the country’s territory is farming land Ecologically clean and fertile soils Very high quality of organic products (ban on GMOs) Established local producers and a strong tradition in the sector Long-standing distribution channels in the former Eastern Bloc The EU acquis on food has been transposed into Bulgarian legislation Very high health and environmental protection standards make Bulgarian food products fully prepared to meet even the highest and most complex consumer requirements. Major foreign investments by multinational companies account for a large - even dominant - market share in several key sectors such as confectionery, dairy products, and food & beverage. The growing demand for new and local food and beverages in Western Europe and beyond will boost the demand for traditional Bulgarian products.
    [Show full text]
  • Was Gerschenkron Right? Bulgarian Agricultural Growth During the Interwar Period in Light of Modern Development Economics
    European Historical Economics Society ! EHES!WORKING!PAPERS!IN!ECONOMIC!HISTORY!!|!!!NO.!82! Was Gerschenkron right? Bulgarian agricultural growth during the Interwar period in light of modern development economics Michael Kopsidis Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (Halle / Germany) Martin Ivanov Department of Philosophy, Sofia University JULY!2015! ! EHES!Working!Paper!|!No.!82!|!July!2015! Was Gerschenkron right? Bulgarian agricultural growth during the Interwar period in light of modern development economics Michael Kopsidis* Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (Halle / Germany) Martin Ivanov** Department of Philosophy, Sofia University Abstract ! The classical view of Bulgaria’s failed industrialization prior to the Second World War was established by Alexander Gerschenkron. According to his interpretation, an inherently backward small peasant agriculture and well-organized peasantry not only retarded growth in agriculture but obstructed any possible industrialization strategy. Following Hayami and Ruttan, we utilize the decomposition of farm labor productivity into land productivity, and land-to-man ratio to analyze the sources of growth in Bulgaria’s agriculture 1887-1939. Our results show that Bulgaria’s peasants did cross the threshold to modern growth during the Interwar period. Rich qualitative evidence supports the findings of our quantitative analysis that contrary to Gerschenkron’s view and conventional wisdom, Bulgaria’s peasants substantially contributed to the modernization of Bulgaria’s economy and society. We interpret our results in light of modern development economics, and conclude that agriculture formed no impediment to Bulgaria’s industrialization. The reasons that a ‘large industrial spurt’ did not occur in Bulgaria until 1945 are not to be found in the agricultural sector.
    [Show full text]
  • Bulgaria.Pdf
    A saudi man with his horse The Dormition of the Mother of God Cathedral in Varna. Flickr / Charles Roffey Wikimedia / Plamen Agov Bulgaria September 2020 Table of Contents Chapter 1 | Geography . 6 Introduction . 6 Geographical and Divisions . 7 Topography � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �7 Northern Bulgaria � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �7 Balkan Mountains � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �7 Southern Bulgaria � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �8 Black Sea Coast � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �8 Climate . 9 Bodies of Water . 9 Danube � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �9 Maritsa � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �9 Struma � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �9 Tundzha � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �10 Iskŭr � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �10 Major Cities . 10 Sofia � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �10 Plovdiv � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � �
    [Show full text]
  • Organic Farming in Bulgaria (1990–2012). Sociological Interpretations
    Svetla Stoeva • Petya Slavova Dona Pickard • Zdravka Georgieva Organic Farming in Bulgaria (1990–2012) Sociological Interpretations “St. Kliment Ohridski” University Press Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) ORGANIC FARMING IN BULGARIA (1990–2012) SOCIOLOGICAL INTERPRETATIONS This work was supported by the Swiss Enlargement Contribution in the framework of the Bulgarian-Swiss Research Programme. Svetla Stoeva Petya Slavova Dona Pickard Zdravka Georgieva ORGANIC FARMING IN BULGARIA (1990–2012) SOCIOLOGICAL INTERPRETATIONS Sofi a 2016 “St. Kliment Ohridski” University Press Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) © 2016 Svetla Stoeva, Petya Slavova, Dona Pickard, Zdravka Georgieva © 2016 Borislav Kioseff, designer © 2016 Katerina Popova, translator © 2016 “St. Kliment Ohridski” University Press © 2016 Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL) ISBN 978-954-07-4116-1 ISBN 978-3-03736-326-3 CONTENTS About the authors. 7 Introduction: On the Social Reality of Organic Farming and Its Sociological Interpretations . 11 CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF ORGANIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN BULGARIA Svetla Stoeva . 22 MOTIVATIONAL PROFILES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ORGANIC SECTOR IN BULGARIA Zdravka Georgieva . 73 THE MARKET FOR ORGANIC PRODUCTS AS CONFIGURATIONS OF WORTHS (THE CASE OF PRODUCERS FROM BULGARIA) Petya Slavova. 110 COLLECTIVE FORMS OF SOCIAL ACTION: THE CASE OF ORGANIC FARMING IN BULGARIA Dona Pickard . 153 5 About the Authors Svetla Stoeva has a PhD in Sociology from the Institute for the Study of Societies and Knowledge at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (2005), and an MA in Sociology from Sofi a University “St. Kliment Ohridski” (2000). Her research interests are in the fi elds of the informal economy, SME entrepreneurship, labour relations, and social dialogue.
    [Show full text]