Preliminary communication
https://doi.org/10.21861/hgg.2011.73.02.12
Problems and Development Concepts for Scattered Farms in Hungary – a Case Study from the ”Kiskunság Region”
András Donát Kovács
; HAS Research Centre for Economic and Regional Studies, Institute for Regional Studies, Great Plain Research Department, Kecskemét, Hungary
Jenő Zsolt Farkas
; HAS Research Centre for Economic and Regional Studies, Institute for Regional Studies, Great Plain Research Department, Kecskemét, Hungary
Abstract
Scattered farms are characteristic settlement types of Hungary whose historical roots go back centuries. Most of the farms are situated in the ”Kiskunság Region” – an area lying between the Danube and Tisza Rivers. Nowadays, this rural region can be described as having complex settlement-environmental problems, such as the homogenisation of local landscapes, degradation of soils and regress of ecological diversification. The local societies of the farm-regions suffer from multiple disadvantages and exhibit the symptoms of being on the inner-peripheries. This process has accelerated in the last decade and has caused many environmental, economic and social conflicts. At the same time, according to our latest research, these rural areas with scattered farmsteads are one of the most important elements of agriculture, of rural/ecotourism and of the whole environmental system. So they have huge impact on local and regional sustainability. Our latest results show severe problems, but we found a key factor that the future can be based upon. The absolute majority (90 %) of the respondents of our research ”like to live on farms”. This means - apart from the numerous difficulties and problems - that the countryside lifestyle nowadays has a rather strong retention force.
Keywords
scattered farms; settlement; environmetal; rural development; ecotourism; Hungary
Hrčak ID:
79107
URI
Publication date:
1.3.2012.
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