What Influences farm size growth? An Illustration in Southwestern France

Mikael Akimowicz (1, 2) , Marie-Benoît Magrini (3) , Aude Ridier (4, 4) , Jacques-Eric Bergez (3) , Denis Requier-Desjardins (1, 2)

1 LEREPS - Laboratoire d'Etude et de Recherche sur l'Economie, les Politiques et les Systèmes Sociaux
2 IEP de Toulouse - Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Toulouse
3 ARCHE - Agrosystèmes Cultivés et Herbagers
4 SMART-LERECO - Structures et Marché Agricoles, Ressources et Territoires

Farm size in industrialized countries grew significantly over the second half of the twentieth century. Using several econometric models, this article examines factors that influence farm size, the probability of an increase in farm size, and the intensity of farm growth. We find that farm structural characteristics, farmer's age, the existence of a successor, and spatial factors approximating urban influences have a significant impact on farm size, whereas human capital variables do not. This study considers a representative sample of 5,000 professional farms in the Midi-Pyrénées region between 2000 and 2007.

Mots clés: farm land; farm sector concentration; farm size; multinomial model; structural change; tobit model

Domaines: Economies et finances

Mikael Akimowicz, Marie-Benoît Magrini, Aude Ridier, Jacques-Eric Bergez, Denis Requier-Desjardins. What Influences farm size growth? An Illustration in Southwestern France. Applied Economic Perspectives and Policy, 2013, 35 (2), pp.242-269. ⟨10.1093/aepp/ppt008⟩. ⟨hal-01208881⟩