Agric. Econ. - Czech, 2026, 72(7):435-460 | DOI: 10.17221/329/2025-AGRICECON

Sustainable agricultural performance in the European Union in the context of ecological transition, economic fairness, and support policiesOriginal Paper

Valentin Marian Antohi¹, Jean Vasile Andrei^2,3, Costinela Fortea^1,4, Dumitru Nancu⁵

¹ Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, 'Dunarea de Jos' University of Galati, Galati, Romania

² Department of Business Administration, Economical Sciences Faculty, Petroleum and Gas University of Ploiești, Prahova, Romania

³ Center for Renewable Energies and Energy Efficiency, National Institute for Economic Research 'Costin C. Kiriţescu', Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania

⁴ Departament of Finance, Accounting and Economic Theory, Faculty of Economic Sciences and Business Administration, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, Romania

⁵ Finance and Accounting Department, Faculty of Economic Sciences,Ovidius University of Constanta, Constanta, Romania

This paper investigates the structural determinants of sustainable agricultural performance across the 27 European Union member states over the period 2012–2023, focusing on the interplay between economic efficiency, environmental sustainability, and social equity. Employing a panel quantile regression approach, the study captures the heterogeneous effects of organic farming practices, public support for agricultural research and development, income inequality, and environmental emissions on multiple dimensions of agricultural performance.  The analysis underscores the importance of empirical evidence in designing integrated agricultural policies that enhance sustainability, competitiveness, and social cohesion, in alignment with key European strategies, including the Common Agricultural Policy 2023–2027, the European Green Deal, and the Farm to Fork strategy. The findings reveal that the influence of structural determinants varies significantly across the performance distribution, with stronger effects observed in lower-performing contexts. These results support increased public investment in agricultural research and innovation, the development of customised incentives for organic farming tailored to performance levels and farm structures, and the implementation of redistributive mechanisms to mitigate regional disparities in agricultural income. Higher agricultural income is consistently associated with greater value-added efficiency and lower ecological intensity, suggesting structural decoupling between economic growth and environmental pressure. Overall, the study highlights the need for targeted, data-driven policy interventions to foster innovation, resilience, and inclusive rural development across the European Union.

Keywords: ecological efficiency; economic development; European agriculture; income distribution; public policy; quantile panel analysis

Received: August 4, 2025; Revised: February 21, 2026; Accepted: February 26, 2026; Published: July 31, 2026  Show citation