Prevention and response to risks in agriculture: Perceptions and assessments

Vollständiger Abstract

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The orientation towards studying risks relevant to agricultural production is determined by the strategic importance of the sector, by the fact that it ensures food security, which is an essential part of national security. The present work aims to outline a range of risks relevant to agricultural activity, to establish how producers assess their vulnerability to them, what the personal strategies for prevention and response are, what the expectations towards the state are, and how its actions are evaluated. The results presented and analyzed here are from a nationally representative empirical sociological survey conducted in April, 2024. The most serious challenges in carrying out production activities are both natural and social factors - both drought and the lack of a stable economic environment. The information collected shows that expectations for protection against risks are primarily related to the state, but the assessment given for what is being done is low. The strongest, almost complete, dissatisfaction is with what the governing bodies are doing to protect the rights of Bulgarian agricultural producers. The assessment is also similar in terms of ensuring a stable and predictable economic environment, ensuring good organization and transparency in the management (including support) of the sector, and ensuring a stable regulatory framework. It is also evident that there is a discrepancy between the needs of respondents and what is offered by insurers. The shared opinions frame quite a few bottlenecks in servicing farmers and raise questions for analyzing the insurer-agricultural producer relationship.