Effects of Policy and Climate on Farm Structure, Income, Productivity and Food Security

Dear Colleagues,

Agriculture and food systems are some of the most sensitive sectors of the economy to various external factors. Some of the most discussed are increasing climate change and various economic and political turbulences related to pandemics, wars etc., which have contributed the most to the ongoing challenges requiring significant reorganization in established agricultural activities. However, they are not the only ones posing serious threats to the economic performance of agricultural entities. Agriculture is also an economic branch that is not very flexible to transformation and change. It is not a secret that agriculture is one of the most supported branches of economics, and this is not without reason. However, these days, when humanity, including Europe, has again faced the threat of food security, it is very important to observe and analyze structural changes in farms caused by political decisions, climate impact and the dynamics of farm income and productivity in conditions of instability.

The paradigm of food security was first mentioned at the 1974 World Food Conference, and then again at the first World Food Summit, held in 1996, when it was stated that food security "exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life." Since then, the concept of food security is transforming and changing; its scope is expanding, as agriculture and food systems face more and more new challenges. The Green Deal is an important signpost in our current affairs, but the ability to increase productivity, find a balanced farm structure, maintain a stable income and at the same time be able to protect the environment and natural resources is a difficult task for farmers and food producers. Such evaluations require various theoretical and empirical studies, which could not only statistically measure regularities but also determine causal relationships and consequences in the face of changing policies and climate change. That is exactly what this Special Issue is dedicated to.

Dr. Mangirdas Morkunas
Dr. Artiom Volkov
Guest Editors

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• farming
• food security
• sustainability
• resilience
• food systems
• agricultural policy
• income
• productivity
• farm structure
• financial support