Agricultural landscapes development and its subsequent impact in terms of common agricultural policy the case of South Western planning region in Bulgaria

Silvena Boteva, Anelia Kenarova, Rossen Tzonev and Valentin Bogoev

Abstract: The purpose of the current study is to analyze the impact of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) implementation in Southwestern planning region (SWPR) in the Republic of Bulgaria (BG). The analysis showed two opposite tendencies: decreasing of agricultural holdings number and increasing of utilized agricultural area (UAA) per holding, which is a clear indicator of land consolidation and UAA concentration in fewer agricultural holdings. Although results indicated delay in this trend for Blagoevgrad District, this is a prerequisite for an extensive livestock production which allows the conservation and maintenance of pastures and meadows, hence improving the provided ecosystem services and supporting biodiversity conservation.

Keywords: biodiversity conservation; ecological balance; grassland habitats; utilized agricultural area

Date published: 2021-02-17