The rationale of part-time farming: empirical evidence from Norway

Purpose Outside farming, pluriactivity is generally considered as undesirable, whereas agricultural economists tend to recommend part-time farming. This contradiction is to be solved. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach Linking tax-payer and statistical farm-level data from Norway, the authors tested how profitable part-time farming is for Norwegian farm households. Findings The analysis showed that concentrating on either working on-farm or off-farm generates a higher household income than combining the two. Practical implications Part-time farming may be a lifestyle decision, but apparently is not economically optimal for most farms. Originality/value The contribution solves an apparent contradiction between the discourses inside and outside agriculture.