Farm decision making across contexts - from micro to macro perspectives

Abstract

Farm typologies, such as those employed by the European Commission, are commonly used to guide farm operations toward desired outcomes. While these typologies are valuable tools for assessing the economic performance of farms and informing policy development, those based solely on economic criteria may fall short in explaining why farms with similar structures and economic conditions make significantly different strategic decisions. Moreover, attempts to identify reproducible behavioural patterns among farmers encounter the challenge of a highly heterogeneous population, where behaviours and objectives are profoundly shaped by diverse geographical, ecological, social, cultural, and institutional contexts, as well as temporal and territorial factors. Addressing this complexity necessitates moving beyond static typologies and categories. This paradigm shift is crucial for uncovering the dynamic processes of change, which encompass micro-level factors (such as individual, family, and farm dynamics), meso-level influences (including social, cultural, and ecological environments), and macro-level determinants (such as policies and market systems). Our contribution is grounded in a social science approach, utilising the case study method, which broadens rather than constrains the range of features explored within each case. This methodology facilitates the discovery of unexpected findings, including those not directly aligned with the original research questions, thereby offering insights that might otherwise remain overlooked. The overarching aim of this research is to address the complexity inherent in the empirical cases under investigation.