Income inequality rises among European farms

The income gap between the biggest and smallest farms in Europe has doubled in the past 15 years and hit record levels at the same time as the number of small farms has collapsed, a Guardian analysis of agricultural income data has found.

- Ajit Niranjan

Figures from the European Commission's farming accountancy data network and Eurostat suggest farmers across the continent raked in record profits when the war in Ukraine sent food prices soaring, boosting a trend of rising average incomes that has outstripped inflation.

Big farms continue to reap the bulk of the rewards. Meanwhile, razor-thin margins on small farms have put some farmers through financial hell and forced others out of business.

The analysis comes as radical new proposals to support struggling farmers and cut pollution have been put forward by a coalition of farmers, retailers, and environmentalists, convened by the commission's head, Ursula von der Leyen. The shared vision calls for urgent change, including an overhaul of subsidies.