Characterising farming resilience capacities
An example of crop farms in the United Kingdom
Improving the resilience of farmers against external shocks is a priority for policy
makers. This paper measures the resilience of a sample of farmers in the United Kingdom
to assess the impact of the 2011-12 drought on their productivity and income. The
analysis allows for the distinction of four resilience capacities: to prepare; to
absorb the immediate impact of the shock; to adapt farming practices to a new environment;
and to transform the business model, and improve productivity and income in the longer
term. Results show that a single farm rarely performs strongly across these four capacities,
and that those farms that best absorb the impact of the drought, perform poorly in
transforming their business after the shock. While size and diversification improve
absorption and adaptation, innovation is a key driver of long-term resilience to keep
the pace of productivity gains. In the past, policies on agricultural risk management
focused on the absorption capacity of farms and on stabilising income. Forward-looking
resilience policies today need to prioritise other capacities, in particular preparedness,
adaptation and transformation.
Published on May 15, 2023
In series:OECD Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Papersview more titles