| This paper conducts a detailed, micro-focused investigation on the implications of recent agricultural policy changes on the structure of production systems in Ireland, Denmark and the Netherlands in terms of farm numbers, system switching, specialisation, the role of economies of scale, on-farm investment, off-farm employment and economic viability. Given the close relationship between farm structure and agricultural production, the impact of the recent CAP reform on production decisions should give a good indication of the form agricultural structural change will take. Two competing hypotheses of post decoupling structural change are proposed; a ‘production inducing effect’ and an ‘expectations effect’. Using Irish, Danish and Dutch micro-data, which are... |
