A comparative analysis of farming intensity in the Baltic states

Commonly the intensification of agricultural practices is regarded not only as one of the established techniques for achieving agricultural and food independence but also as the key instrument for alleviating world hunger. Despite its considerable potential, intensification has become a controversial topic that attracts particular interest due to its substantial negative impact on greenhouse gas emissions, biological diversity and natural habitats. This paper aims to explore and compare the degree of intensification of agricultural practices followed by farms of different economic sizes and specialization in the Baltic States. Although the development of more environmentally friendly practices, including agro-ecological and organic agriculture, has already been explored, there is still a dearth of a comparative analysis of the recent trends in farming intensity across Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. This paper attempts to fill this gap in the literature by examining changes over the years since the Baltic States' accession to the EU in 2004. Our calculations are based on statistical data collected by the EU Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) that are adjusted for inflation and input price fluctuations using Eurostat and national price indices of the means of agricultural production. By revealing a nuanced picture of the prevailing trends in the national agricultural sectors, this study avoids the oversimplification of the Baltic farmers' actual modus operandi. Research findings show that farming intensity varies among agricultural holdings that have successfully adopted a wide range of flexible approaches by pragmatically combining a conventional mode with more environmentally friendly practices of farming.