Case study

Bulgaria, although a European Union member state, is situated at the periphery of the Western European economic core (Roncevic, 2002). Currently, rural areas in Bulgaria encounter commercialization, privatization, and development of traditional land, as the country experiences a transition from socialist to neoliberal socio-economic system (Fredriksson et al., 2017).

However, Bulgarian traditional lands contain significant sites of natural and agricultural heritage (Borisova et al., 2015) on which local populations are highly dependent for livelihoods and well-being (Bachev, 2018). These sites are, for example, under the influence of intensive economic development proceeding at an extremely rapid pace and which have a lasting negative effect on the agricultural heritage (Borisova et al., 2015;

Spoor, 2012). Consequently, traditional land is being degraded from the intensification and expansion of farming, grazing, and logging (Borisova et al., 2015). In addition, there has been a major drop in the use of traditional agricultural land, particularly apparent in the north of the country (Fredriksson et al., 2017).

As a result, there has been a consolidation of agricultural holdings, with 82% of the cultivated land in Bulgaria being farms of over 100 ha (Fig. 4.1) (Eurostat, 2012;

Medarov, 2013). The combined effect of the increased agricultural area and the decreased number of small-holdings is a growth of the average size of farms, more than double since 2003, particularly in the northern, southern, and eastern parts of the country (Fig. 4.2) (Eurostat, 2012).

Fig. 4.1. Total Utilized Agricultural Area (UAA) in Bulgaria. Although 80% of farms are small-scale holdings (1-2 ha), they only utilize 3% of total agricultural area. In contrast, there are 1% of agricultural holdings >100 ha that utilize 82% of total agricultural area in the country. Source: Eurostat, 2012.

For example, in the North-Central region the average farm size was 4.4 ha in 2003 but grew to 16.6 ha in 2010, accounting for a remarkable increase of 144% (Fig. 4.2).

Likewise, the South-East region saw an increase in average farm size of 121% during that same period, from 5.8 ha to 12.8 ha. In South-Central region, there is a similar increase in farm size for 110%; from 1.9 ha in 2003 to 5 ha on average in 2010 (Eurostat, 2012).

Although there has been an overall decrease in number of agricultural holdings in South-Central region of Bulgaria by 52% since 2003, the region contains the largest number of farms (109,450), accounting for 30% of the country's total agricultural holdings (Fig. 4.2). The second largest number of holdings (18% of Bulgarian farms) is found in the South-East region (65,510) and has seen a similar decrease of 42%

compared with 2003. In terms of the Utilized Agricultural Area (UAA), the South-East region (731,360 ha), shows the highest increase since 2003 with 43%, with the South-Central and North-South-Central regions recording increases of 39% and 26%, respectively (Eurostat, 2012).

4

80

7 3 2 1 1 1 1

0

3

2

2 2 2 2 5

82

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90

0.1-0.9 ha 1-2 ha 2-5 ha 5-10 ha 10-20 ha 20-30 ha 30-50 ha 50-100 ha >100 ha

% Holdings % Utilized Agricultural Area

Total of Utilized Agricultural Area in Bulgaria % (2012)

Fig. 4.2. Regions studied in Bulgaria. The darker the color of the region, the sharper the decline of agricultural holdings. The larger the square or circle symbol, the larger the increase in Utilized Agricultural Area (UAA) or in average farm size, respectively.

Triangles in light green represent an open agricultural conflict identified within the region, while those in grey represent a latent conflict without visible protests reported.

Source: Own elaboration of data from Eurostat, (2012) over the period of 2003-2010, BCA IS (2019), and consultations with researchers and agronomists in Bulgaria (2016-2017).

Regarding traditional small-scale farming in Bulgaria, the FAO (2016) identifies two major trends. Firstly, the diversity of local varieties and breeds is assumed to have suffered and declined as a result of structural changes in agriculture, socio-economic pressure and intensive agricultural development, and the accelerated introduction of new and foreign varieties suitable for large-scale agricultural production (FAO, 2016).

Secondly, the economic, cultural, and ecological values of traditional forms of agricultural management supposedly neglect the potential of cultural involvement in more environmentally sustainable land-use systems alongside of improving the quality of human life in rural areas (FAO, 2016).

In relation to the stated changes in agricultural land-use and management, there has been an increase in complaints and concerns across southern Bulgaria and visible protests in the northern regions (Fig. 2) (Medarov, 2013). Small-scale farmers claim agricultural reforms favor big investors in obtaining land and agricultural subsidies, and cause an insecure future for agricultural workers, peasants, and farmers (Spoor, 2012).

© GeoNames, HERE, MSFT, Microsoft, WikipediaPowered by Bing

42 51

Decline in number of agricultural holdings % Time period 2003-2010

Increase in Utilized Agricultural Area % 2003-2010

Increase in farm size (ha) per agricultural holding % 2003-2010 Open conflict or visible protests (2016-2017)

Latent conflict without visible protests (2016-2017)

Haskovo Plovdiv

Pleven

Yambol

In order to study these concerns, eleven communities practicing traditional small-scale farming and experiencing both latent and open conflicts in southern and northern Bulgaria were selected for the analysis (Fig. 4.2; Table 4.1). The choice of communities is based on an extensive review of gray and peer-reviewed literature, an examination of data from the Bulgarian Cadastral Information System (BCA IS, 2019) and Eurostat (2012), and consultations with researchers and agronomists in Bulgaria.

Table 4.1. Number of small-scale farms per community and reported type of conflicts within the literature and by local agronomists and NGOs in each region.

Region Municipality Community N^o small-scale

farms (1-2 ha) Conflict type Description of conflict

South-Central:

Plovdiv

Maritsa Kostievo 450 Open¹ Development of

irrigation systems, exclusion of small-scale farms, land

privatization

Kaloyanovo Kaloyanovo 46 Open

Duvanlii 11 Open

Rhodopi Tsalapitsa 82 Open

South-Central:

Haskovo

Haskovo Haskovo 271 Latent² Inequality, foreign

investment, land privatization

South-East:

Yambol

Elhovo Chernozem 257 Latent

Existing public

Straldzha 1342 Latent

Malenovo 603 Latent 2019), literature review, and from direct consultations with local agronomists and NGOs.

1 Visible mobilizations or protests

2 No visible mobilizations or protests