3.8.1 Broad spectrum of drivers
The uptake of new farm-based rural development activities in the Netherlands knows a broad spectrum of drivers (see Table 3.1). Factors that may be synthesized as a strong desire to ‘farm differently’, i.e., a wish to regain influence on overall farm development and product marketing and to re-establish more direct relationships with consumers, citizens and society at large, turn out to be important. Other im- portant drivers, such as the need for additional income, reflect specific responses to agricultural price-squeeze tendencies. A third group of driving forces underlines the significance of family-farm specificities. This goes especially for the ‘wish for an own income activity by a partner’, ‘enlargement of farm succession opportunities’ and ‘presence of farm internal labour surplus’. A fourth group concerns different types of ‘pull factors’. More generally, these suggest that new farm activities in the Netherlands are more often driven by newly emerging market opportunities than by active support from institutional settings. Finally, the driving force ‘logical additional activity after earlier MFA activities’ points to the relevance of what has been defined
as ‘event-like properties’: ‘a metaphorical gateway to a diverse range of subsequent experiences and existential awakenings, of which many were not anticipated or pre- dicted’ (Halfacree & Rivera, 2011).
3.8.2 Combinations of new activities
A second key overall empirical finding concerns the frequency of combinations of new rural development activities, as expressed in an average of almost three extra farm activities in the total research sample. On-farm sales, agri-tourism and agri- environmental services have frequently been starting activities that, in time, are followed with other new activities such as care-provision, child-care and educational services, all with a more recent tradition in the Netherlands. Later we will return in detail to the characteristics and specificities of farm development trajectories in time. At this stage, it is important to conclude that Dutch farm-families often actively search for synergy-effects between different types of new farm activities. Just to give an example: the start of agri-tourism facilities attracts people, which makes it inter- esting to opt for on-farm sales, which might be supported by creating an attractive farm environment through engagement in agri-environmental services, etc. In many variants interviewees expressed that ‘the one brings the other’ and that it is, particu- larly, overall sets of activities that contribute to overall farm-income.
3.8.3 Significant and growing contribution to total farm-family income in time
Providing information on farm-income levels remains a sensitive issue among Dutch farmers. For that reason it was decided to opt for more indirect indications of the economic significance of the new farm activities, such as overall turnover, also in comparison to agricultural turnover, and the relative contribution of new income sources to total farm-family income. Table 3.1 shows that the average turnover of overall set of new activities in 2009 is estimated at close to 200.000 euros. This figure is considerably lower than the average agricultural turnover, but certainly of major importance within total business activities, as further manifested in an average estimation of an almost 40% contribution to the total farm-family income. Moreover, a large majority of the overall survey population indicate that this contri- bution to total farm-income did increase significantly in importance since the uptake of the first new activities.
3.8.4 Supportive to further agricultural development
Given the relatively low agricultural prices in the Netherlands in the survey period 2009-2010, overall farm-income satisfaction among representatives of multifunc- tional farm enterprises is remarkably high. Interviewees certainly did complain about agricultural prices, but simultaneously often concluded that total farm- income through the presence of new farm activities should be classified as (more than) satisfactory. Table 3.1 points in other ways to positive interrelations between new farms activities and further agricultural development. Almost half of the total farm-enterprises had enlarged agricultural turnover and land use since the uptake of their first new farm activity. About one third increased its total labour input for agricultural activities, whereas only a minor percentage decreased its land use and
agricultural activities. These are all clear indications that the uptake of and engage- ment in new rural development activities positively contributes to further agricul- tural development.
3.8.5 Predominantly cautious farm investment attitudes
Farm investment behaviour gives another impression of the interaction between agricultural and new farm activities. Building upon a distinction between realized investments in agricultural as well as new activities on the one hand and foreseen investment plans for the coming 5-10 years on the other, different investment at- titudes have been distinguished. Farmers have been classified as ‘High Investors’ if the total (estimated) investments realized since the start of the first new farm activ- ity plus foreseen investments for the coming 5-10 years exceed an annual average of 50.000 euros. ‘Cautious Investors’ estimate their annual investments (plans) be- tween 15.000 and 50.000 euros. For ‘Low Investors’ this amounts to less than 15.000 euros. Table 3.1 shows that multifunctional farm enterprises belong predominantly to the ‘Cautious Investors’ categories. However, overall investment behaviour shows a significant variety. Almost one third of the survey population consists of ‘High Ag- ricultural Investors’ in combination with a more cautious investment attitude with regard to the new rural development activities. A similar percentage is characterized by its mirror image of ‘High Investors’ in new activities and more cautious agricul- tural investments. yet, it is particularly the small group of ‘High Investors’ in both agricultural and new farm activities that suggests that Dutch multifunctional path- ways may be partly also the outcome of primarily entrepreneurial perspectives on farming (see also Seuneke, 2014).
3.8.6 Multifunctionality: guiding the future
Overall survey findings identified significant differences in perceptions about future farm development. The large majority of respondents fully agrees that the further development of new farm activities is only possible in combination with agricultural activities. However, a significantly lower percentage agrees that overall farm activi- ties are strongly interwoven (see again Table 3.1). Thus, the new farm activities may be financially of importance for further agricultural development. However, this does not automatically imply that these are also perceived as part of a farming strategy that fundamentally differs from conventional farming, as also reflected in the relatively large percentage of respondents that opposes the idea that conven- tional growth is no longer a realistic option for further farm development. Together these outcomes demonstrate that engagement in new rural development activities does not always involve a clear distantiation from agricultural modernisation logic, as sometimes assumed by rural development scholars (see e.g. Ploeg, 2008). The specific backgrounds of more diversified attitudes towards multifunctionality as a guiding principle for future farm development will be scrutinized in detail in the fol- lowings sections.