Understanding Productivity in Irish and EU Agriculture

Project Overview

Productivity in agriculture underpins the sustainability, profitability, and resilience of the agri-food sector. While existing research has examined farm-level productivity determinants, there is limited understanding of allocative efficiency—how effectively land, labour, and capital are distributed across farms—and its impact on aggregate productivity within the EU context.

This project will fill this gap by combining advanced micro-econometric methods with detailed farm-level data from the Irish National Farm Survey (NFS) and the EU’s Farm Sustainability Data Network (FSDN).

What You Will Do

The research will analyse how demographic factors like farmer ageing, economic volatility, and the emergence of mixed-farming systems influence agricultural productivity, efficiency, and sustainability. You will develop econometric models to assess resource misallocation and its consequences on the broader agri-food sector performance in Ireland and the EU.

Expected Outcomes

This work will produce novel insights into the role of allocative efficiency in shaping productivity growth, offering evidence-based recommendations to improve resource distribution policies and enhance the resilience of agricultural systems amid evolving socio-economic challenges.

Why This Matters

Understanding these productivity drivers is vital to sustain and improve the EU agri-food sector’s global competitiveness and environmental sustainability, supporting policy development that fosters efficient resource use and long-term agricultural resilience.