Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
activity on their land; those who produce mostly for self-consumption or undertake
recreational farming; and those who undertake commercial farming on a small scale. The
diversity in the profiles of lifestyle farmers is also connected to their origins, which often
influence their attitudes, and also undoubtedly to the networks that they relate to, and the
way they interact with the other actors involved. Within the multi-level and multi-
dimensional network of actors that characterize rural areas today, this networking profile
and capacity play a crucial role (Ventura
et al.
, 2010). The complexity of this group of
actors is illustrated by the lifestyle farmers found in the three case studies.
In the Scottish case, lifestyle farmers are predominantly new entrants to agricultural
land management (such as people who have an urban job, in Aberdeen or elsewhere, and
bought the farm as a place to settle). They may have an urban background or have an origin
in the countryside but they have not usually inherited their land and, therefore, are new
entrants to land ownership and farming. Although the more visible of these land managers
(those that appear at agricultural events) are motivated towards small-scale livestock
production and self-provisioning, there is a cohort who primarily purchased their properties
in order to enjoy residence in an aesthetic environment, and a further group who purchased
land in order to pursue recreational horse riding.
In the Portuguese case, the origins of lifestyle farmers are multiple and include both
new entrants and individuals from local families. There are also urbanites who purchased
land in the countryside in their quest for a rural lifestyle and are totally new to the area.
Some new entrants, with urban or rural backgrounds, may be foreign, attracted by the
southern European climate and lifestyle. There are also local people who had spent a
considerable portion of their lives in an urban area but farmland has been kept in the family,
and as they feel an attachment to their family place or an aspiration for better life quality,
they settle in or near the family farm. These are considered here as returnees. Finally, there
are locals who have always lived on a farm, which often used to be a main source of food
or income for the family but the new generation have other jobs, nevertheless deciding to
stay in the farm, as the farm lifestyle has improved and has become valued by society. A
range of different combinations in between these major types also exist, generating high
diversity and richness in lifestyle farming.
In the Bulgarian case, lifestyle farmers are represented by new entrants, small-scale
farmers and volunteers. The most relevant are the new entrants (mainly young
people/couples/families) who were not born in the area but have settled in the village and
currently live there permanently. Their reason for settling in Zhelen is not agricultural
production as an economic activity, but the connection with nature and expectations of a
higher quality of life. These individuals typically inherited or purchased property and built
new houses. There are also small-scale farmers whose origins lie in the region. Some of
these individuals live permanently in the village, whereas others live there seasonally and
cultivate their small farms at the weekend. All of these people produce agricultural products
for their own consumption, occasionally selling their products to visitors and tourists. There
are also volunteers who have an interest in rural lifestyles, want to develop closer contact
with local people, or actively engage in agriculture and environmental protection on a
temporary basis. They do not originate from the village and do not have their own land but
take part in agricultural production and sometimes spend extended periods living on farms
and sharing local lifestyles.
In contrast to the definition of a niche as being actively supported by its actors, it is
evident from the study sites that lifestyle farming is not necessarily a formally organized
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