The farming system component of European agricultural landscapes

TY - JOUR

T1 - The farming system component of European agricultural landscapes

AU - Andersen, Erling

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - Agricultural landscapes are the outcome of combined natural and human factors over time. This paper explores the scope of perceiving the agricultural landscapes of the European Union (EU) as distinct patterns of farming systems and landscape elements in homogeneous biophysical and administrative endowments. The focus is on the farming systems component of the agricultural landscapes by applying a typology to the sample farms of the Farm Accountancy Data Network and scaling up the results to the landscape level for the territory of the EU. The farming system approach emphasises that agricultural landscapes evolve from the praxis of the farmers and takes into account the scale, intensity and specialisation of the agricultural production. From farming system design point of view, the approach can be used to integrate the landscape in the design process. From a policy point of view, the approach offers handles to implement policies that design agricultural landscapes by targeting the farming system pattern.

AB - Agricultural landscapes are the outcome of combined natural and human factors over time. This paper explores the scope of perceiving the agricultural landscapes of the European Union (EU) as distinct patterns of farming systems and landscape elements in homogeneous biophysical and administrative endowments. The focus is on the farming systems component of the agricultural landscapes by applying a typology to the sample farms of the Farm Accountancy Data Network and scaling up the results to the landscape level for the territory of the EU. The farming system approach emphasises that agricultural landscapes evolve from the praxis of the farmers and takes into account the scale, intensity and specialisation of the agricultural production. From farming system design point of view, the approach can be used to integrate the landscape in the design process. From a policy point of view, the approach offers handles to implement policies that design agricultural landscapes by targeting the farming system pattern.

KW - Agricultural landscapes

KW - Agronomy

KW - European union

KW - Farming system design

KW - Landscape ecology

U2 - 10.1016/j.eja.2016.09.011

DO - 10.1016/j.eja.2016.09.011

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:84992679746

SN - 1161-0301

VL - 82

SP - 282

EP - 291

JO - European Journal of Agronomy

JF - European Journal of Agronomy

IS - Part B

ER -