Policy brief on the resilience of farming systems in the EU under current conditions and future scenarios

Abstract

The resilience of EU farming systems is perceived to be low to moderate. Many farming systems are perceived to be close to critical thresholds, with low economic viability leading to farmer exits, making it hard to maintain the social fabric, natural resources and biodiversity. There are limits to success with regard to increasing farm size and intensity, the main adaptation strategies in the past. In the future, a more balanced attention is needed for economic, social and environmental dimensions, and for an enabling environment. All involved actors inside and outside the farming system need to collaborate in order to make a change towards business models that tackle long-term challenges. ; EU; en; contact: pytrik.reidsma@wur.nl