Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union
1.2. Contact organisation unit
Unit E1: Agriculture and Fisheries
1.3. Contact name
Restricted from publication
1.4. Contact person function
Restricted from publication
1.5. Contact mail address
2920 Luxembourg LUXEMBOURG
1.6. Contact email address
Restricted from publication
1.7. Contact phone number
Restricted from publication
1.8. Contact fax number
Restricted from publication
2.1. Metadata last certified
6 November 2020
2.2. Metadata last posted
6 November 2020
2.3. Metadata last update
6 November 2020
3.1. Data description
This data set shows the hectares and the percentage of utilised agricultural area (UAA) managed by low-, medium- and high-input farms in the EU Member States and the United Kingdom for the time period 2005-2017. Each farm is classified according to the level of input use per hectare, which is calculated on the basis of the spending (in constant euros) on purchased inputs per hectare of UAA. The inputs considered here are purchased fertilisers and soil improvers, pesticides (plant protection products), other means for protection such as traps and baits, bird scarers, anti-hail shells, frost protection and purchased feed. This approach allows covering both crop and livestock productions.
The volume of inputs used (per hectare) is estimated by dividing input expenditures (per hectare) by the input price index for the year and country in question. This results in input expenditures per hectare in constant national input prices. Fertiliser expenditure (purchased fertilisers and soil improvers) is divided by the fertiliser price index in the country of the same year in order to estimate the volume used. Similarly, crop protection expenditure (plant protection products, traps and baits, bird scares, anti-hail shells, frost protection) is divided by the pesticide price index in the country of the same year. Purchased feed cost is also divided by the feed price index in the country of the same year. The result is thus expressed in constant inputs prices (Euro per ha). The method allows not only to deduct inflation, but also the fluctuation of input prices. Thus it estimates the trend in the volume of inputs used per hectare. However, it does not capture differences in input prices between countries and the differences in prices within each category of inputs (for example between a pesticide A and a pesticide B). Therefore it does not give the exact volume of inputs used for a specific country and year.
In a second step, the distribution of the UAA is considered by the ranked input intensity (bivariate approach) in each geographical level (EU, MS, NUTS) for the specific year of reference (2010 for all MSs, 2013 for HR). Three classes of intensity (low, medium, high) are then defined, by deriving the associated level of input corresponding to the 33rd (q33) and the 66th (q66) UAA quantiles:
A farm is classified under the class “low intensity” if its input level is below or equal to the intensity value associated to the Q33 of UAA.
A farm is classified under the class “high intensity” if its input level is greater than the intensity value associated to the Q66 of UAA.
A farm is classified under the class “medium intensity” if its input level is greater than the intensity value associated to the Q33 of UAA and it is below the intensity value associated to the Q66 of UAA.
For EU27_2020, as well as for EU28, those thresholds are represented by 88 euros/ha for low intensity farms, by 560 euros/ha for high intensity farms, and by between 88 and 560 euros/ha for medium intensity farms.
These levels should not be considered as strict cut-off values, but rather as reference in time in order to be able to study the evolution of farm intensification through the years.
Once the farms are classified in one of the three intensity classes (low, med, high), a global ratio indicator is computed as the weighted sum of input over the weighted sum of UAA for each intensity class.
Intensification in a country with very low intensity does not mean the same for the environment than intensification in a country with high intensity. That is the purpose of the variable, "average input expenditures per hectare in constant input prices". It is not the ideal measurement of intensity; however, it is the best estimate that we can obtain until now from the available data.
3.2. Classification system
Agricultural holdings are subject to the Community typology on farming systems. Such classification used to be based on the determination of the Standard Gross Margin (SGM) of each holding (i.e. its economic size). The standard gross margin (SGM) for an enterprise estimates its gross margin as the difference between the gross production and the variable specific costs. In this purpose, a coefficient is defined at regional level for each crop (or animal production) per hectare (per livestock place). On a farm, the share of each enterprise in the total SGM enables to classify it in one of the types of farming defined by the legislation. For instance, if the share of permanent crops in the total SGM is over 2/3, the farm is taken as specialist permanent crops.
Recently the SGM has been replaced by the Standard Output (SO), a similar concept.
Farm typology relies on the following legal basis:
Commission Regulation (EC) No 867/2009 of 21 September 2009 amending and correcting Regulation (EC) No 1242/2008 establishing a Community typology for agricultural holdings.
90/36/EEC: Commission Decision of 16 January 1990 fixing the agro-economic trend coefficient to be used for defining the European size unit in connection with the Community typology for agricultural holdings.
85/377/EEC: Commission Decision of 7 June 1985 establishing a Community typology for agricultural holdings.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Agricultural holdings managed with different intensity. Kitchen gardens (producing for own consumption only) is not included.
The sector covers agricultural production, comprising Division 01 of NACE Rev. 2 groups:
Group 01.1: Growing of non-perennial crops;
Group 01.2: Growing of perennial crops;
Group 01.3: Plant propagation;
Group 01.4: Animal production;
Group 01.5: Mixed farming.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
Agricultural holdings classified as commercial farms
The main data source for this indicator is the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN), which is a sub-set of the farms covered by the Farm Structure Survey (FSS). FADN is a European system of sample surveys conducted every year to collect structural and accountancy data on farms, with the aim of evaluating the impact of the Common Agricultural Policy. It covers only farms above a minimum size, the so-called commercial farms. Utilised agricultural area abbreviated as UAA describes the area used for farming. In this dataset the UAA is taken from FADN.
Definition of an FSS farm: Agricultural holding (a single unit, both technically and economically, which has a single management and which produces agricultural products), which has:
a utilised agricultural area of 1 hectare or more, or
a utilised agricultural area of less than 1 hectare if it markets produce on a certain scale or if its production units exceed certain natural thresholds.
Until 2007 the national Farm Structure Survey (FSS) is representative of at least 99% of the agricultural activity as reflected by the Standard Gross Margin, see here.
From 2010 onward the FSS covers at least 98% of the total utilised agricultural area excluding common land and 98% of the total number of farm livestock units.
Additional criterion for FADN farm: A commercial farm is defined as a farm which is large enough to provide a main activity for the farmer and a level of income sufficient to support his or her family. In practical terms, in order to be classified as commercial, a farm must exceed a minimum economic size, the threshold depending on the country and the year.
In 2006 FADN farms represented 43 % of the farm population in the Farm Structure Survey (FSS), but 93 % of Utilised Agricultural Area and 94 % of Livestock Units.
In 2013 FADN farms represented 47 % of the farm population in the Farm Structure Survey (FSS), but 94 % of Utilised Agricultural Area.
Farms are classified in intensity categories according to an estimate of inputs' volume per hectare of UAA. The inputs considered are fertilisers, pesticides and other crop protections and purchased feed. It allows covering both crop and livestock productions.
The farm are classified as low-, medium- and high-intensity farms based on calculations from FADN data and data from the Economic accounts for agriculture.
The rules applied aim to provide representative data from three dimensions: region, economic size and type of farming. FADN is the only source of micro-economic data that is harmonised, i.e. applies the same book-keeping principles in every EU country. For further information on FADN:
Utilised agricultural area managed by agricultural holdings classified as commercial farms.
3.7. Reference area
EU Member States and the United Kingdom
3.8. Coverage - Time
The data set covers annual data from 2005 to 2017.
3.9. Base period
Spending on inputs are corrected for inflation over time with price indices having 2010 as base year.
The share of total UAA managed by high-, medium- or low-input farms is expressed as hectares and as percentage of the total UAA.
In the underlying calculations, spending on inputs are expressed in constant euros per hectare of UAA. The level of spending is used to classify each agricultural holding as high-, medium- or low-input farm and the UAA managed by each farm is measured in hectares.
It should be underlined that Member States do not all have the euro and that changes in the exchange rate may explain some differences between Member States.
Accounting year, with the exception of Germany (agricultural year November n to October n+1) and UK (accounting year June n to May n+1).
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
This data set is designed to produce one of the 28 Agri-environmental indicators (AEI) in the Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the development of agri-environmental indicators for monitoring the integration of environmental concerns into the common agricultural policy (COM(2006) 508 final); AEI 12 Intensification/Extensification.
Source data:
FADN: The legislation establishing FADN is Council Regulation 79/65/EEC of 15 June 1965. This legislation has since been modified and expanded.
Regulation (EU) 868/2008 describes the variables used for determining the annual income of holdings and analysis of the businesses operation.
The basic act currently into force is Council Regulation (EC) No 1217/2009 of 30 November 2009 setting up a network for the collection of accountancy data on the incomes and business operation of agricultural holdings in the European Community.
EAA: Regulation (EC) No 138/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 December 2003 on the economic accounts for agriculture in the Community (OJ L33, 05.02.2004) sets the legal basis for establishing a harmonized methodology for the compilation of the EAA. The regulation has been amended by regulations 306/2005; 909/2006 and 212/2008 (212/2008 relates to data from 2010).
6.2. Institutional Mandate - data sharing
Data prepared by DG AGRI are sent to Eurostat for dissemination.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
Regulation (EC) No 223/2009 on European statistics (recital 24 and Article 20(4)) of 11 March 2009 (OJ L 87, p. 164), stipulates the need to establish common principles and guidelines ensuring the confidentiality of data used for the production of European statistics and the access to those confidential data with due account for technical developments and the requirements of users in a democratic society.
7.2. Confidentiality - data treatment
Incorporated into the founding legislation of FADN is a stipulation that all data relating to individual farms received by the Commission are to be treated with utmost confidentiality. Consequently, data at the level of individual farms are normally not released outside the Directorate General for Agriculture of the Commission. Only aggregated results for a group of farms and for farms within regions and Member States are published since, at this level of aggregation, information relating to individual farms cannot be discerned.
8.1. Release calendar
None.
8.2. Release calendar access
Not applicable.
8.3. Release policy - user access
In line with the Community legal framework and the European Statistics Code of Practice Eurostat disseminates European statistics on Eurostat's website (see item 10 - 'Accessibility and clarity') respecting professional independence and in an objective, professional and transparent manner in which all users are treated equitably. The detailed arrangements are governed by the Eurostat protocol on impartial access to Eurostat data for users.
This indicator is a calculation based on FADN data which is disseminated annually.
Farming intensity is estimated by dividing input expenditures per hectare by the input price indexes in the year and country in question in order to leave out the price change effect and focus on the change in volume used. The inputs taken into account are fertilisers, pesticides and purchased feed. It allows covering both crop and livestock productions.
Fertilisers' expenditure (purchased fertilisers and soil improvers) is divided by the fertilisers' price index in the country of the same year in order to estimate the volume used. Similarly, crop protection expenditure (plant protection products, traps and baits, bird scarers, anti-hail shells, frost protection) is divided by the pesticides' price index in the country of the same year. Purchased feed cost is also divided by the feed price index in the country of the same year. The indices used are available from the Eurostat Economic Accounts for Agriculture. The result is thus expressed in "constant inputs' prices, EUR per ha". The method allows not only deducting inflation, but also the inputs' prices fluctuation. Thus it allows approaching the trend in volume of inputs used per hectare. However, it does not capture differences of inputs' prices between countries and the differences of prices within each category of inputs (for example between a pesticide A and a pesticide B). Therefore it does not give the exact volume of inputs used for a year in a country.
For the denominator, the total UAA as collected through FADN has been chosen, which does not include common land. The area of common land used by the farm is actually very difficult to estimate. This can have an impact on the results for Spain, Greece, the United Kingdom and Bulgaria in particular. The area used by the farm may be underestimated. It means that the ratio of inputs per hectare may be overestimated and therefore the share of area managed by medium and high intensity farms in these countries. At farm level, when the UAA is null, which can happen in certain very intensive livestock farms with only buildings and no agricultural area, inputs are divided by the other area of the holding (ground occupied by buildings).
Intensive farming is an agricultural production system characterised by high inputs of capital or heavy usage of technologies such as pesticides and chemical fertilisers relative to land area, which usually leads to an increase in the level of production per unit of land, livestock unit and agricultural working unit. Extensive agriculture, on the contrary, involves low inputs of material relative to the area of land farmed.
Intensification may result in negative externalities to the environment. It is therefore important to monitor the trends in the share of high-, medium- and low-input farms and the share of UAA managed by these farms across Europe.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not available.
12.3. Completeness
FADN mostly collects data on economic variables. Physical quantity, such as volume of input purchased is not available.
FADN is a sample survey and it is conducted in compliance with a selection plan. Normally data is significant along the selection plan, however some cells can be overrepresented or underrepresented, in such cases in order to extend the sample to the population adjustments in weights are implemented.
13.3. Non-sampling error
Not available.
14.1. Timeliness
There is no pre-defined release calendar. The last data update was in 2020.
14.2. Punctuality
Not applicable.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Comparability across borders is not possible as input expenditure is not corrected for differences in price levels between countries. The data set do not reflect purchasing power parity.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Comparability over time is very good as input expenditure is corrected for inflation and expressed in constant euros. There is a break in the time series in 2004. Data from 2007 to 2013 is comparable for all the MS, in relation to the different accession years.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
In this dataset the Utilised Agricultural Area (UAA) is taken from the FADN. As FADN is a subset of farms (including only commercial farms) it is not fully coherent with the UAA reported in FSS or in crop statistics. FADN covers 94% of UAA (2013).
15.4. Coherence - internal
Not available.
No additional cost or burden on respondents since this data set is produced from two publicly available sources.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Only final data are published.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Only final data are published.
18.1. Source data
The main data source for this indicator is the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN).
FADN is a European system of sample surveys conducted every year to collect structural and accountancy data on farms, with the aim of evaluating the impact of the Common Agricultural Policy.
The data is collection from agricultural holdings. See here for further information.
18.4. Data validation
FADN data reported by Member States are collected, validated and verified solely by DG Agriculture and Rural Development, by means of coherence, homogeneity and continuity tests.
18.5. Data compilation
The data needed to produce the indicator are compiled and processed by DG Agriculture and Rural Development.
Please notice that the aggregates for the EU (EU27_2020 and EU28) do not match with the sum of the Member States' values. The reason is that the results are customised on the intensity of individual countries (based on prices of inputs, UAA, etc.). Thus, the computation of EU aggregates must consider individual countries, but it is a proxy and not coinciding with the sum.
18.6. Adjustment
Not applicable.
Not available.
This data set shows the hectares and the percentage of utilised agricultural area (UAA) managed by low-, medium- and high-input farms in the EU Member States and the United Kingdom for the time period 2005-2017. Each farm is classified according to the level of input use per hectare, which is calculated on the basis of the spending (in constant euros) on purchased inputs per hectare of UAA. The inputs considered here are purchased fertilisers and soil improvers, pesticides (plant protection products), other means for protection such as traps and baits, bird scarers, anti-hail shells, frost protection and purchased feed. This approach allows covering both crop and livestock productions.
The volume of inputs used (per hectare) is estimated by dividing input expenditures (per hectare) by the input price index for the year and country in question. This results in input expenditures per hectare in constant national input prices. Fertiliser expenditure (purchased fertilisers and soil improvers) is divided by the fertiliser price index in the country of the same year in order to estimate the volume used. Similarly, crop protection expenditure (plant protection products, traps and baits, bird scares, anti-hail shells, frost protection) is divided by the pesticide price index in the country of the same year. Purchased feed cost is also divided by the feed price index in the country of the same year. The result is thus expressed in constant inputs prices (Euro per ha). The method allows not only to deduct inflation, but also the fluctuation of input prices. Thus it estimates the trend in the volume of inputs used per hectare. However, it does not capture differences in input prices between countries and the differences in prices within each category of inputs (for example between a pesticide A and a pesticide B). Therefore it does not give the exact volume of inputs used for a specific country and year.
In a second step, the distribution of the UAA is considered by the ranked input intensity (bivariate approach) in each geographical level (EU, MS, NUTS) for the specific year of reference (2010 for all MSs, 2013 for HR). Three classes of intensity (low, medium, high) are then defined, by deriving the associated level of input corresponding to the 33rd (q33) and the 66th (q66) UAA quantiles:
A farm is classified under the class “low intensity” if its input level is below or equal to the intensity value associated to the Q33 of UAA.
A farm is classified under the class “high intensity” if its input level is greater than the intensity value associated to the Q66 of UAA.
A farm is classified under the class “medium intensity” if its input level is greater than the intensity value associated to the Q33 of UAA and it is below the intensity value associated to the Q66 of UAA.
For EU27_2020, as well as for EU28, those thresholds are represented by 88 euros/ha for low intensity farms, by 560 euros/ha for high intensity farms, and by between 88 and 560 euros/ha for medium intensity farms.
These levels should not be considered as strict cut-off values, but rather as reference in time in order to be able to study the evolution of farm intensification through the years.
Once the farms are classified in one of the three intensity classes (low, med, high), a global ratio indicator is computed as the weighted sum of input over the weighted sum of UAA for each intensity class.
Intensification in a country with very low intensity does not mean the same for the environment than intensification in a country with high intensity. That is the purpose of the variable, "average input expenditures per hectare in constant input prices". It is not the ideal measurement of intensity; however, it is the best estimate that we can obtain until now from the available data.
6 November 2020
Agricultural holdings classified as commercial farms
The main data source for this indicator is the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN), which is a sub-set of the farms covered by the Farm Structure Survey (FSS). FADN is a European system of sample surveys conducted every year to collect structural and accountancy data on farms, with the aim of evaluating the impact of the Common Agricultural Policy. It covers only farms above a minimum size, the so-called commercial farms. Utilised agricultural area abbreviated as UAA describes the area used for farming. In this dataset the UAA is taken from FADN.
Definition of an FSS farm: Agricultural holding (a single unit, both technically and economically, which has a single management and which produces agricultural products), which has:
a utilised agricultural area of 1 hectare or more, or
a utilised agricultural area of less than 1 hectare if it markets produce on a certain scale or if its production units exceed certain natural thresholds.
Until 2007 the national Farm Structure Survey (FSS) is representative of at least 99% of the agricultural activity as reflected by the Standard Gross Margin, see here.
From 2010 onward the FSS covers at least 98% of the total utilised agricultural area excluding common land and 98% of the total number of farm livestock units.
Additional criterion for FADN farm: A commercial farm is defined as a farm which is large enough to provide a main activity for the farmer and a level of income sufficient to support his or her family. In practical terms, in order to be classified as commercial, a farm must exceed a minimum economic size, the threshold depending on the country and the year.
In 2006 FADN farms represented 43 % of the farm population in the Farm Structure Survey (FSS), but 93 % of Utilised Agricultural Area and 94 % of Livestock Units.
In 2013 FADN farms represented 47 % of the farm population in the Farm Structure Survey (FSS), but 94 % of Utilised Agricultural Area.
Farms are classified in intensity categories according to an estimate of inputs' volume per hectare of UAA. The inputs considered are fertilisers, pesticides and other crop protections and purchased feed. It allows covering both crop and livestock productions.
The farm are classified as low-, medium- and high-intensity farms based on calculations from FADN data and data from the Economic accounts for agriculture.
The rules applied aim to provide representative data from three dimensions: region, economic size and type of farming. FADN is the only source of micro-economic data that is harmonised, i.e. applies the same book-keeping principles in every EU country. For further information on FADN:
The share of total UAA managed by high-, medium- or low-input farms is expressed as hectares and as percentage of the total UAA.
In the underlying calculations, spending on inputs are expressed in constant euros per hectare of UAA. The level of spending is used to classify each agricultural holding as high-, medium- or low-input farm and the UAA managed by each farm is measured in hectares.
It should be underlined that Member States do not all have the euro and that changes in the exchange rate may explain some differences between Member States.
The data needed to produce the indicator are compiled and processed by DG Agriculture and Rural Development.
Please notice that the aggregates for the EU (EU27_2020 and EU28) do not match with the sum of the Member States' values. The reason is that the results are customised on the intensity of individual countries (based on prices of inputs, UAA, etc.). Thus, the computation of EU aggregates must consider individual countries, but it is a proxy and not coinciding with the sum.
The main data source for this indicator is the Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN).
FADN is a European system of sample surveys conducted every year to collect structural and accountancy data on farms, with the aim of evaluating the impact of the Common Agricultural Policy.
This indicator is a calculation based on FADN data which is disseminated annually.
There is no pre-defined release calendar. The last data update was in 2020.
Comparability across borders is not possible as input expenditure is not corrected for differences in price levels between countries. The data set do not reflect purchasing power parity.
Comparability over time is very good as input expenditure is corrected for inflation and expressed in constant euros. There is a break in the time series in 2004. Data from 2007 to 2013 is comparable for all the MS, in relation to the different accession years.
