Uloga obiteljskih poljoprivrednih gospodarstava (OPG-a) u razvitku ruralnih područja i sprječavanju depopulacije sela
The role of familly farms in development of rural areas and in mitigating depopulation of rural areas

Summary/Abstract: The entire Bosnia and Herzegovina is faced with negative demographic trends, and the process of accelerated emigration in search for better living conditions. Some regions have traditionally been oriented to go on temporary work abroad e.g., the area of western Herzegovina. The possibilities of going to Croatia, where some have family ties, and the possibility of free travel to the European Union, after the Republic of Croatia became a member of the European Union, only accelerate this process. To that end, the authors in this paper analyse the role of family farms and rural development as opportunities to mitigate these trends. Family farms and rural development in this paper are specifically observed through the prism of the common agricultural policy of the European Union for the period 2014-2020. About half of the EU population lives in rural areas, while about half of the EU’s land is cultivated. Also, 97% of EU farms can be categorized as a family farms, covering about 69% of agricultural land in the EU. To that end, it can be concluded that family farms are the key to maintaining the vitality of rural life and the rural economy in Europe. Unlike the EU, the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina is drastically different. While Bosnia and Herzegovina is one of the most rural countries in Europe, the majority of rural households do not work in agriculture and agriculture has very little income. Rural development is not yet well established as a result of the lack of quality system of incentives, and the lack of consistent policies for rural development. However, it is evident that there are tremendous opportunities for affirmation of rural development, where family farms can be one of the most important links in the mitigation of depopulation trends. This is particularly important because the development of tourism opens up the possibility of integration of family farms in the tourism supply and demand, and diversification of economic activities in rural areas and development of short supply chains.

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