ECONOMIC INPUT INTENSITY, LAND PRODUCTIVITY, AND ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY IN EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS

Ana Ursu

doi:10.36004/nier.es.2026.1-04

Authors

Ana Ursu PhD, researcher. gr. sch. II, ICEADR, Bucharest https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1822-9690

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36004/nier.es.2026.1-04

Keywords:

value of agricultural production, intermediate consumption, GVA, economic efficiency, agricultural convergence, European agriculture

Abstract

This study analyzes the relationships between the economic intensity of agricultural inputs, the economic productivity of land, and economic sustainability in selected European countries, using EUROSTAT data for the period 2014–2025. The comparative analysis was conducted for two sub-periods, 2014–2019 and 2020–2025, in the context of transformations driven by agricultural market volatility, rising input costs, and the energy crisis. The research methodology is based on derived indicators constructed using the Economic Accounts for Agriculture: the economic sustainability indicator (ESI), the land productivity indicator (LPI), and the input intensity indicator (III). The statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The results highlight the existence of significant structural differences between the agricultural systems analyzed. The positive correlation between the variation in economic input intensity and the variation in economic land productivity (r = 0.831) indicates that economic intensification is associated with increased agricultural productivity. In contrast, the negative correlation between the variation in economic intensity and the variation in economic sustainability (r = -0.593) suggests that an increase in intermediate consumption does not automatically lead to improved economic performance. Romania recorded simultaneous increases in land productivity (+35.0%) and economic sustainability (+10.4%), against a backdrop of a moderate intensification of input use (+23.5%). The results underscore the importance of an integrated assessment of the relationships between economic intensification, agricultural productivity, and economic sustainability in European agriculture.

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