Who will own the land?

Csete, László – Barcza, Gabriella

Keywords: crisis, land ownership, rural development, sustainability, farm structure

Two decades have passed, and Hungary as well as the agricultural scene is debating the same issue that was debated two decades ago: “Who will own the land”? The causes are many, but include especially the dishevelled state of the agricultural sector at the time of the change of political regime, the fact that an indemnification process took place instead of the re-privatisation of land, that the rehabilitation of the farmer class never took place, and especially that none of the governments have paid as much attention to the countryside and to agriculture as would have befitted their role in strategy, social issues and the preservation of the environment. There were some attempts to aid family farms in 2001, but they came to an end. No modern farm structure has evolved, and the farmers struggle with lack of capita. In the absence of cooperation and efficient advocacy activities, they are at the mercy of middle-men and other traders and processing businesses.Learning from the omissions of the last two decades and relying on the opportunities and responsibility of its two-thirds majority, it can be hoped that the Government adopts a countryside-friendly agricultural policy which sheds light not only on the resolution of land ownership issues but
also sustainable land use, the lines and concepts of development as well as solutions for rural areas, forestry and agriculture. In the future it will be essential to indicate what role decision-makers assign to the countryside, rural settlements as well as forestry and agriculture in ensuring food supply and food quality, employment, a positive balance in foreign trade, in reducing migration from, impoverishment of and aging of the rural areas, in the preservation of the environment and the supply of public goods, in the desired farm structure, and, naturally, in the related intellectual, financial, physical and technical conditions. As part of this effort it would be urgent to define farm in the appropriate legal regulations, to focus on the ignored work of farm regime and market tasks. The most important thing, however, is to take the actual situation into consideration.

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