Farmland ownership in Europe is shifting from family farms toward corporate and group holdings, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe. While company-owned farms often improve economic performance, this trend raises concerns about food security, rural livelihoods, and environmental sustainability.
A new GRANULAR article published in the open-access journal Land Use Policy examines the evolving landscape of farmland ownership in Europe and its implications for food system sustainability.
The study shows that farmland ownership in Europe is gradually shifting from traditional family farms toward company-owned and group holdings, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe. While company-owned farms are often associated with improved economic performance, the article highlights concerns related to food security, rural livelihoods, and environmental sustainability.
Key insights from the article include:
- Family farms play a central role in ensuring local and regional control over farmland, which is fundamental for food provision.
- At the European level, family farming has decreased over time.
- Legal-person ownership of farmland is linked to positive economic outcomes but may reduce social and environmental sustainability.
Using a pan-European geospatial statistical analysis, the study examines ownership patterns, changes over time, and their links to economic performance. Although family farms remained the dominant landowners in Europe in 2020, a clear shift toward company-owned farms occurred between 2016 and 2020. In addition, the authors highlight a lack of comprehensive data on farmland ownership and its sustainability impacts, pointing to the need for continued monitoring and further research.
The article concludes by underlining the importance of policies that balance investment incentives with protections for local communities. It stresses the need for transparency in land transactions and safeguards for labour and environmental standards to support the long-term sustainability of European agriculture.
Read the article: The evolving landscape of farmland ownership in Europe: Implications for food system sustainability
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