Research impact - Supporting small farms in the EU

Karen Baxter
Kent's REF2014 success by University of Kent

A case study submitted to the Research Excellence Framework 2014 demonstrating the impact of the University's research.

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) aims to ensure a fair standard of living for the farming community and accounts for about 40% of the EU budget. However, CAP payments have mainly tended to benefit large farms, despite the fact that small and semi-subsistence farms are on the increase and have low incomes.

Research by Professor Sophia Davidova and Dr Alastair Bailey of the School of Economics examined the welfare of small farmers in Europe, helping to get this issue on to the EU policy agenda. Eventually, a simplified flat-rate payment scheme to support small farmers was incorporated into the reformed CAP (for the period until 2020). Passed by the Council of the EU and the European Parliament in 2013, it could potentially benefit millions of small farmers.

The Research Excellence Framework 2014 showed that Kent ranks 17th in the UK for research intensity, has world-leading research in all subjects and that 97% of our research is deemed to be of international quality.

Contributing to the University’s REF success were the number of our world class publications, the number of research active staff and the demonstrable impact our research has made to the sciences and to economic, social and cultural understanding.