Comparative Assesment of Farm Sustainability in Lithuanian Regions

Pagrindiniai sprendimai, susiję su žemės ūkio darniu vystymusi, priimami ūkiuose: čia naudojamos kontrolės ir ekonominės priemonės darnumui skatinti, ūkininkai jaučiasi atsakingi už savo gyvenimą ir gebantys sėkmingai dalyvauti globalioje ekonomikoje, prisideda prie kaimo vietovių stiprinimo, generuoja daugiau pajamų, kuria darbo vietas regione ir labiau domisi darniomis ūkininkavimo praktikomis. Tačiau iki šiol, viena vertus, dauguma žemės ūkio darnumo vertinimo metodikų sukurta ir taikoma aukštesniame lygmenyje nei ūkis, kita vertus, ūkio darnumui vertinti naudojami rodikliai nėra pakankamai praktiški, inicijuojantys ūkiuose pakeitimus, kurie mažintų intensyvią ūkių įtaką gamtiniams ištekliams, didintų ūkių socialinę atsakomybę ir pan. Tai pagrindžia tiek šio tyrimo aktualumą, tiek tyrimo problemą. Straipsnyje pristatoma naujai parengta ūkio santykinio darnumo vertinimo metodika ir empirinio tyrimo, kuriame vertintas šeimos ūkių santykinis darnumas Lietuvoje ir jos NUTS3 regionuose (apskrityse), rezultatai. Jie atskleidžia ūkių veiklos skirtumus pagal ekonomines, aplinkos ir socialines dimensijas Lietuvos regionuoseThe agricultural sector in a sustainable development approach is recognized as a priority sector due to its importance to society's life such as the level of employment, food safety, food security and food trade flow, poverty, climate change, conservation and exploitation of natural resources, and the conservation of biological diversity. On the other hand, the agriculture deals with problems such as soil erosion, fresh water depletion, greenhouse gas emissions, loss of genetic recourses, etc. The decisions made in a farm level are essential to the development of sustainable agriculture. The main decisions related to the development of sustainable agriculture are made at a farm level. Here control and economic measures are used to promote agricultural sustainability. Farmers, who are responsible for their own lives and are able to successfully participate in the global economy, strengthen rural areas by generating income and creating work places in the region. However, on the one hand, most of the methods to assess the sustainability of agriculture are applied at a higher level than the farm, and, on the other hand, the indicators used to assess the sustainability of a farm are not practical enough, promoting changes in the farms that reduce farm pressures on natural resources, increase social farms responsibility, and so on. This supported both the topicality of this study and the problem of the research. The aim of the article is to perform a comparative assessment of family farm sustainability in Lithuanian regions (i.e. counties). The objectives of the study are to determine the applicability of the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) system to assess the sustainability of family farms and to frame an assessment methodology based on objective, available official data; to assess family farm sustainability and to reveal the differences at regional level NUTS3 (alias, counties) in LithuaniaVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij