Generation renewal in farming is an urgent matter for European policy institutions that strive to maintain social cohesion and improve economic development in rural areas. Aids to young Europeans to enter the agricultural business sector have been available since 2000 to counter the negative effect of an aging rural population. This study examines for the first time the impact of the Pillar II policy measure for generation renewal on regional economic growth. The well-established input–output method was selected to estimate the income and employment effects of the policy measure, and it served as a concrete impact analysis tool. Within the AGRICORE project study for the Young Farmers Scheme in Greece, two input–output models were constructed for Thessaly and Central Macedonia, the two most agriculturally oriented regions (NUTS-2 level), to estimate multipliers and elasticities for an ex-post impact analysis of the payments of Measure 6.1 "Start-Up Aid for Young Farmers" for the CAP 2014–2020 period. Results indicate that regional output and employment are significantly benefited from the generation renewal policies while income generation is positive but at a lesser extent. Furthermore, indirect jobs created in rural areas equal to 20% of the direct employment expressed as the number of new entrants. Consequently, the Measure proves to stimulate regional output, refresh the agricultural population and enhance rural employment, and it can be a useful tool for policy makers to support rural welfare and maintain social and economic cohesion.

The present paper attempts to investigate whether the Sub-Measure 6.1 “Start-Up Aid for Young Farmers” payments of the 2014–2020 Rural Development Programme have a role to play in explaining Greek farms’ export orientation and export performance through a statistical analysis of farm-level data. The results demonstrate considerable differences in farm structures between beneficiaries and non-beneficiaries and provide support for the contention that beneficiaries are more likely to operate more productive and economically efficient farms. However, the results also provide a sobering assessment of the role of the young-farmer-related subsidies in stimulating export orientation and export performance.

The conservation of environmental resources is aimed at ensuring the continuity of ecosystem services for future generations and maintaining ecosystem integrity. Given the extensive reliance of agriculture on the environment, it is crucial to identify factors that impact the quality of ecosystem services (ESs), which can be regulated at large and heterogeneous national or European scales. This research, conducted within the Polish use case of the AGRICORE project, aims to demonstrate the feasibility of establishing indicators depicted in three ES categories, which can be shaped under the actions of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The study was conducted based on national sources, mostly the database of the Central Statistical Office. The analyses of regression showed a significant impact of selected agricultural productivity factors on the key performance indicators (KPIs) assessing the level of selected ESs. The yield of cereal grains, which quantitatively expresses the potential of current crop production, depended to the greatest extent (r = 0.81) on a comprehensive indicator of the agricultural production space suitability, as well as on the rise of the level of nitrogen fertilization (r = 0.68), and also on the reduced share of permanent grassland in the agricultural area (r = −0.53). It was proved that in territorial units, in which the level of nitrogen fertilization per 1 ha was greater, the share of soils with favorable pH > 5.5 was also greater. The gross nitrogen balance had a positive and significant correlation with the level of investment subsidies (r = 0.86), the share of agricultural land in the total area (r = 0.67), and the level of nitrogen fertilization (r = 0.66). Notably, there were positive correlations between the level of environmental subsidies and the increase in forestation (r = 0.68) and also between air quality and the share of cereals in the sowing structure (r = 0.86). Additionally, the impact of agricultural productivity factors on cultural eco-services was found, e.g., the share of ecological land had a positive impact on the number of natural monuments, the area of nature reserves, the number of agritourists, and agritourism nights, while the share of cereals in the sowing structure negatively correlated with the most of analyzed cultural indicators. These results are useful for the development of a module for the ABM model that employs the desired environmental parameters to provide different assessments of the impact of selected agricultural productivity factors and ecosystem services on the economic farm status.

Purpose: In the midst of the Greek economic and financial crisis, food and beverage firms constitute one of the most dynamic parts of the Greek economy proved resilient in conditions of economic turbulence. The purpose of this paper is to assess the competitiveness of the Greek food and beverage firms within the context of turbulent economic conditions and draw the relevant entailed agricultural policy viewpoints.Design/methodology/approach: The analysis is based on competitiveness measures such as profitability and market share utilizing a sample of 550 firms which published their annual balance sheets the 2008–2012 period. The analysis takes place with the use of a simultaneous equations tobit model.Findings: The main results show that market share, profitability and capital intensity affect positively both on market share and profitability, while operating costs have a negative and statistically significant effect on profitability. The rate of growth affects positively and statistically significant on profitability while the index of loans does not affect on market share. As the results indicate, food and beverages industry has proven resilient in conditions of economic turbulence without direct policy measures or subsidies.Originality/value: Among other factors, the evolution of agricultural policy is affecting decisively the competitiveness of agro-food sector (Chaddad and Jank, 2006; Banse et al., 1999). Nevertheless, food competitiveness is significantly shaped and influenced within the broad economic climate of a country, region or the whole world. Thus, the present study tries to assess the competitiveness of Greek food and beverages sector in conditions of macroeconomic turbulence and draw the relevant entailed agricultural policy viewpoints.