Giving up the family farm

– An alternative story of the structural change in agriculture in Finland

Authors

• Tiina Silvasti University of Helsinki

Abstract

Finland’s decision to join the EU in 1995 entailed the conviction to accelerate the structural change in agriculture. We can trace ‘the official story’ of accelerating structural change, the increasing economic effectiveness of activities and the increasing farm size in agricultural statistics. It is characteristic of the growing farms to emphasize new businesslike management and entrepreneurship. The aim of this article is, however, to trace an alternative story about the structural change offered by farmers who have chosen to give up farming. The ceasing farmers intrepret the new socio-economic situation and emerging competitive individualism as antithetical to social solidarity, universalism as well as regional and professional equality: the values usually presented to represent also the Nordic ethos of welfare.