Sociology and Space, No. 95-98, 1987.
Original scientific paper
Factors that Maintain and Generate Mixed Farms
Vladimir Cvjetićanin
Abstract
Agriculture as a traditional activity
has been exposed to great changes
in the newer period, and especially
in the last quarter century. Many
new circumstances basically
changed traditional forms of
mixed agriculture and resulted in
the development of new ones.
These new circumstances are
especially the following: the
modernization of agricultural
production and the resulting
development of new
technical-technological methods
that humanize and rationalize
work in agriculture; a decrease in
the active agricultural population
in many countries does not result in
a corresponding decrease of the
number of farms, in many of them
the number of farms remains the
same or even increases; the
spreading of industry into rural
areas; the expansion of modem
communications and traffic; the
development of tourism; the
reduction of the work day in
non-agricultural activities the
escape from towns into rural
areas; the mass phenomenon of
so-called week-end houses; the
urbanization of rural life; the
complete destruction of rural
self-sustenance, and so on.
Much more than before in modern
economic development both
farmers and non-agricultural
workers are exposed to the
influence of a greater number of
push and pull factors in relation
to work both in and outside
agriculture. A certain number of
farmers is attracted by the
advantages of a non-agricultural
occupation and repulsed by the
unfavourable factors of farm
work. However, there are also
many circumstances that enable
farmers to combine two professions
much more easily than used to be
possible earlier. On the other hand,
a movement in the opposite
direction, from the non-agricultural
into the agricultural sector, has
become much more frequent. A
certain number of non-farmers are
attracted by some of the advantages
of agricultural work that have
become important and valuable in
modern conditions of living.
Because of these advantages, which include a healthy environment, the
possibility of recreation, cheap
self-supply with one’s own
naturally-grown produce, the
possibilities of investment,
possibilities of making an extra
income and the like, they decide to
combine their non-agricultural
occupation with work in
agriculture. In other words, today
there are completely new reasons
and motivations for the appearance
and maintenance of mixed
households.
Modern economic development
much more than before favours the
creation of mixed households and
persons with a double
non-agricultural occupation. In
those new conditions there is an
even greater impact of the
principle according to which the
proportion of farmers engaged in
mixed agriculture is directly
proportional with the possibilities
of employment outside the farm,
and inversely proportional to the
possibilities of employment in
agriculture.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
121697
URI
Publication date:
5.1.1987.
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