2022. 12. 27. 10:56ㆍ공간농업, 농업공간/Multifunctional agriculture
3.1 Multifunctional agriculture’s definition
In 1998, the EU funded a study (the EU IMPACT study) aiming to investigate the extent of
diversification in the EU farms. Since then, numerous studies have been carried out on this topic
with the same purpose. In 2003, with the completion of the LEADER programme, the
discussion on utilizing the Multifunctionality of agriculture appeared during a scientific and political argument about the
future development of agriculture and rural areas. This discussion proceeded to Multifunctional agriculture and
defined agriculture as not just fulfilling the classical role of producing foods and textiles but
also engaging in the management of regenerative resources, the preservation of the landscape
and biodiversity and various activities that contribute to the social and economic survival of
rural society (Van Huylenbroeck and Durand, 2003; Renting et al., 2009).
The concept of Multifunctional agriculture is mainly applied in Europe, particularly in the Netherlands, and is
defined as economic activities beyond agricultural production activities (VNG, 2011). It is also
defined as utilizing the externalities of agriculture to provide agricultural and one or more other
services (Hurni, 2012). It can be described as a shift from the past production-oriented industry
to rural income generation with multifunctionality derived from the service industry functions
of farming. Beyond the fundamental food production function of agriculture, which is the main
difference from Multifunctionality of agriculture, Multifunctional agriculture corresponds to the social demand for various types of agriculture
that have not been widely noted in the past, such as biodiversity restoration, environmental
clean-ups, multifunctional restoration, cultural heritage utilization and food security (Belletti,
2002). This is the transformation of multifunctionality, an external effect of agriculture, into an
income-generating business of agriculture, which features a close relationship between
agricultural production activities and the environment and even incorporates the service
industry as a new agricultural form (Jung et al., 2014).
Multifunctional agriculture is based on a changed perspective on agriculture to overcome its limitations as a simple
food production system, which challenges it to integrate the environment, culture and rural
development (Potter, 2002; Dobbs and Pretty, 2004). It is also designed to promote the interests
of farming households through various ecological services involving new entrepreneurial
14activities as well as the commercialization of agriculture (Wilson, 2007; Jordan and Warner,
2010). By utilizing positive externalities, such as the Multifunctionality of agriculture, the government can eliminate the
market failures related to the externalities of agriculture through endogenous activities which
are utilizing externality such as echo-experience of farming households, and by establishing the
sustainable farming direct payment systems for environmental preservation.
Figure 2.4 Van der Ploeg’s Multifunctional agriculture as base for rural development
Source: Van der Ploeg and Roep (2003).
The classification of Multifunctional agriculture is primarily based on the concepts outlined by van der Ploeg and
Roep (2003): a framework that accentuates diversification explicitly towards Multifunctional agriculture, with
multifunctional diversification, extending beyond the limits of the typical multi-crop or multi-
livestock production of conventional agriculture. In addition to the core business of traditional
agricultural activities, rural development and performance improvement can be achieved
through the three alternative strategies of deepening, broadening and regrounding, as shown in
Figure 2.4 These strategies aid the expansion of farm business activities and can simultaneously
be grouped as new activities, markets and managerial solutions (Finocchio and Esposti, 2008).
Of the three strategies, deepening mainly refers to the integration of new unconventional
activities into the conventional agricultural system, such as the reorganizing of production with
more complex and integrated practices, the innovation of products and the enhancement of the
15qualitative aspects. These activities typically add value to agriculture, such as direct dealing or
processing of agricultural products.
Broadening mainly relates to the development of non-food production activities that reflect
new market requirements and could create a new income source. An example is the use of
farming facilities as farm holidays (e.g., on-farm activities and care farm activities) (Baldock et
al., 1993; Renting et al., 2009).
Regrounding mainly concerns all the non-agricultural activities that are complementary to
the main ones. The purpose of regrounding is the mobilization and use of resources. Here one
can identify a process that might be summarized as re-grounding (van der Ploeg 1999). That is,
the farm enterprise is grounded in a new or different set of resources and/or involved in new
patterns of resource use. It is the most widely used strategy as it involves more extensive forms
of integration between the farms and the local environment (e.g., the maintenance of gardens,
production of animal feed and silviculture) in providing natural services (Menghini et al., 2014).
Source : Jung, H.H. 2022, A Valuation Study on Multifunctionality of Agriculture and Multifunctional Agriculture in South Korea: Beyond 6th Industrialization, Kyoto University Doctoral dissertation.
Reference link https://multifunctionality.tistory.com/8