The present paper empirically analyzes the efficiency of European Union (EU) subsidies for farms in the Southern Great Plain region of Hungary between 2014 and 2021. The aim of this analysis was to explore whether the subsidies increased the resilience of farms, enhancing their profitability, liquidity and solvency, and economic efficiency, measured by the usual financial indicators of farm performance. The analysis also evaluated the ability of farm businesses to create and retain jobs, i.e., to increase employment in the rural environment, focusing on differences between the subsidized and non-subsidized farms. The research analyzed all agricultural companies of the selected region. The methodology was a non-parametric statistical analysis (Kruskal–Wallis test, Dunnett’s T3 test) for identifying significant differences between subsidized and non-subsidized farms in the 8-year period. Results show that subsidies significantly improved the financial stability, resilience and efficiency of subsidized farms only in the micro size category, and the employment indicators deteriorated more in subsidized farms than in non-subsidized ones. Thus, the intended purpose of the subsidies was not entirely realized, and positive impacts were noticeable only in the micro enterprises. This might imply that subsidies contributed to the survival of non-viable enterprises instead of enhancing their competitiveness.

Agritourism is an activity which represents the non-traditional roles of the countryside: food production, environmental values, the beauty of landscapes, cultural heritage and traditional lifestyles, contributing to income diversification. Th...

The preservation of natural heritage is a global concern nowadays, which is equally important for climate resilience and for sustainable resource use. The present research is focused on assessing the trends of natural landscape changes, such as forests, meadows, and pastures, and the preservation of locally kept traditional livestock, and plant varieties as indicators of biodiversity, in the countries of the European Union between 2012 and 2021, using secondary data. The research methodology was a panel analysis according to the Linear Mixed Model method. The results show that while larger areas allocated to agriculture generally enhance plant biodiversity, they have the opposite effect on the number of local livestock breeds. The spreading of organic farming enhances the preservation of local livestock breeds, while the spreading of forest areas is beneficial for plant biodiversity. The share of permanent meadows and pastures increases with increasing agricultural areas, and this also affects plant biodiversity positively. All biodiversity indicators increased during the analyzed period, as did well as the size of forest areas and, permanent meadows and pastures, which reflects the improvement in natural heritage and the enhancement of environmental protection awareness with time. The differences among countries show, that highly developed agriculture does not mean better preservation of natural heritage, nor the opposite, as ecological conditions and agricultural history may influence the natural vegetation and biodiversity. The protection of natural heritage in Europe differs from the rest of the world, as recent agricultural policy of the EU emphasizes the importance of environmental sustainability. The promotion of low-input use in agriculture, however, may be in conflict with the globally increasing demand for food.