Small-scale farming and food security – Policy perspectives from Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract The policy measures integrated within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) of the European Union (EU) offer potential for fostering the contribution of small farms to Food and Nutrition Security (FNS) in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). However, these measures require appropriate ‘programming’ by national/regional authorities during the post 2020 programming period in order to realise their full potential. Using a SWOT methodology commonly used in the programming of the CAP, as well as expert validation from 46 policy experts from five countries, the paper discusses the persistent structural shortcomings of the CAP to provide a favourable policy environment for small farms in CEE. This narrative is developed via four national case studies: (a) Market integration in Poland; (b) Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) in Romania; (c) Rural infrastructure in Latvia, and; (d) Natural resources and climate management in Romania.