SMALL-SCALE FARMS IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY OF RURAL AREAS. OPINIONS OF FARMERS FROM POLAND, ROMANIA AND LITHUANIA

Abstract

The aim of the article is to assess the environmental sustainability of small-scale farming. The authors tried to reach the farmers' subjective opinions, their way of thinking, attitudes and determinants affecting environmental performance. The use of in-depth interviews gave a chance to draw reliable and accurate conclusions on the analysed topic and register many elements that could be omitted using quantitative methods. Thus, the work forms a complementary part of research on the sustainability of small-scale farms, which is its main added value. Furthermore, the use of data from three EU member states – Poland, Romania and Lithuania – provided a basis for comparative analysis. Conclusions proved that small farms perform important environmental functions in rural areas. It results from the very essence of this type of farm, based on the cultivation of traditions and experience passed down from generation to generation, as well as from the family nature of these units.