Target groups of rural development policies Development of a survey-based farm typology for analysing self-perception statements of farmers

There is a lack of empirical knowledge about the complex factors that shape a farmer's decisions to participate in rural development (RD) measures. The objective of this study was to develop and test the suitability of an original typology that identifies distinct groups affected by the thematic objectives of the European Union's RD policies. The results are based on empirical data (n = 277) drawn from two case study areas in Germany, where information related to farm structures was collected along with the self-assessment statements of farmers. The paper emphasizes the description and reasoning of the methodological steps performed to achieve this typology. First, factor analysis was used to reduce datasets and to exclude multicollinearity problems. A two-step cluster analysis was then applied to classify farms into representative types within the derived typology. Finally, farmers' self-perception statements were analysed in relation to the farm typology by using qualitative description methods.