The Environmental Profile of Dairy Farms in Central Macedonia (Greece)

Abstract

Dairy farming, despite its indisputable contribution to the production of edible products consumed worldwide, more than often poses threats to the environment. The purpose of this study is to provide a typology of the dairy farms situated in Central Macedonia, Greece, based on their environmental management practices. The empirical analysis uses data from a survey of 123 dairy farms in the study area. The farms are categorized into alternative profiles, using a two-step cluster analysis; the clustering is based on the results of a Categorical Principal Component Analysis, by means of which the variables describing environmental management practices are grouped into dimensions. Then, the characteristics of farmers of each category are explored by estimating a Multinomial Logit Model. The results illustrate that when it comes to the environment, dairy farmers in Central Macedonia adopt diverse farming practices, some of which are detrimental, while others promote environmental protection and, at the same time, ensure acceptable incomes for dairy farmers.