FARM DIVERSIFICATION AS AN ADJUSTMENT STRATEGY ON THE URBAN FRINGE OF THE WEST MIDLANDS

Agricultural systems in capitalist economies are being restructured and farmers are adjusting to change in different ways. Farm diversification is one farm adjustment strategy, supported by government policy. The term is conceptualized and geographical dimensions hypothesized, before its development on the urban fringe of the West Midlands is discussed. Diversification is a fairly recent phenomenon; it is concentrated within 5 km of Birmingham and Coventry and dominated by direct marketing and farm-based recreation. The need to generate extra income is the main reason for its introduction on the larger and predominantly beef/sheep farms in the area. Both 'survivors' and 'accumulators' are turning to diversification, which is still perceived as a source of pin money only and constrained by a set of resistance factors. Farm diversification is unlikely to solve the problem of agricultural surpluses. Suggested areas for future research are listed.