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The Republic of Moldova has made significant strides in adopting organic farming practices, supported by government subsidies and strategic focus on market demand. This paper aims to analyze the economic performance of organic farms in Moldova and their impact on the sustainable development of the agricultural sector, using primary data collected from 63 organic farms benefiting from subsidies between 2020 and 2022. The agricultural sector in Moldova has experienced a gradual increase in cultivated land, with a noteworthy 9.5% dedicated to organic farming. Economically, farmers have seen substantial growth in income per hectare, credited to favorable climatic conditions and advanced technologies. Although organic farming contributes significantly, constituting approximately one-third of total income, conventional agriculture remains the primary contributor with two-thirds. The impact of subsidies from the National Fund for Agricultural and Rural Development is evident in farm development, as calculated profits per one lei of subsidy have surged from 1.51 to 10.43 lei in 2022. This underscores the effectiveness of government support in fostering growth and development within Moldova's agricultural sector, emphasizing a positive trajectory for sustainable agricultural practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of alternative soil tillage technologies, which ensure the conservation and maintenance of its productive capacity as well as the reduction of energy consumption per unit of processed area, is today a necessity in developing a sustainable agriculture. The study presented in this paper was carried out in the area of Oravița, Caraş-Severin County, Romania, and refers to the minimum tillage technology in wheat culture. The study points to the unfavourable effect of intensive soil works -- classic (conventional) system -- on soil erosion. This has led to the development of some research oriented towards new technologies of soil working in the conservation system. The purpose of this paper is to promote the introduction of alternative technologies in agricultural works, by dealing with the main technical, economic and environmental aspects that compete for the achievement of efficient agriculture. From an economic point of view, this method is less expensive because fuel consumption and machine working time are reduced. The use of modern mechanization technologies has a great economic efficiency due to the following aspects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to identify the main aspects of digitalization in the EU and Romania at present, in general, and emphasizing on agriculture, because in this sector has a deep impact on infrastructure and work resources. The EU average for DESI index quantifying digital economy performance was compared with the index in the member states to show the differences in the performance of the digital economy. The aspects related to the impact of digitalization in agriculture from many points of view, but mainly on human resources have also been highlighted. Index scores differ from one country to another and reflect the performance result of the efforts that each member state has made to implement digital economy. The higher the index value, the higher the digital economy performance in that country. During the period 2017-2022, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands and Sweden have maintained their top position in the EU, while Romania and Bulgaria are situated on the last places. Romania should be focused on the improvement of digital infrastructure, promotion of digital competences, innovation and entrepreneurship in order to increase its performance in digital economy. Major efforts should be done to improve connectivity, educational programmes in digital competences and to develop a favourable business environment for contributing to its digital transformation and integration into the EU digital unique market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The institutional environment in Bulgarian agricultural sector is a complex system of relationships, dynamically changing under the influence of national and sectoral legislation. Over the last 16 years, was characterized as a difficult period for agriculture and land relations in Bulgaria -- because of insufficient legislation the Ownership and Use of Agricultural Land Act about 34 changes have been made to the Act, which are directed in the interest of agricultural users. The changes made concern the concluded contracts for the use and lease of the agricultural land. The dynamics and future changes in land relations are inextricably linked to changes in European and national policy. Receiving European subsidies and financial support to the income of Bulgarian farmers deforms the economic environment in our country. The European subsidies are a key motive and priority for farmers. The purpose of this paper is to describe the state in Bulgarian agricultural sector which is characterized by intensity and dynamics, more complexity and instability. The value of the gross agricultural output had declined during the last years. This research work is based on the following methodological approaches: complex, structural and comparative. The theoretical framework of this article provides a summary overview of the main institutional changes in the agricultural policy and the structure of land relations in Bulgaria. For the purposes of the research different information sources have been used - scientific journals, as well as the author's own research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to present the procedure of managing public procurement contracts for sustainable agricultural products from the public entities perspective (with reference to setting criteria for selecting the suppliers, contract management, etc), but also from the perspective of the selling companies (from drafting the tender to products being delivered). The research is based on data processed by Eurostat (2012-2021), but also on information taken from the Romanian Electronic Public Procurement System (2018-2022). The analyses in the paper concern indicators such as: the procurement of agricultural products from Romania, and at European level the organic production of animal products, the number of processors of sustainable agricultural products, etc. In conclusion, since the public institutions buy large quantities of agricultural products, but the market for sustainable agricultural products is restricted, a global strategy for rethinking the public procurement in this area is clearly required. The work is relevant both for the contracting authorities with respect to the management of public procurement for agricultural products, but also for the companies with respect to the business management of public contracts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studied the performance audit regarding the management of the agricultural sector subsidy funds in order to determine to what extent the actions undertaken boosted the agricultural development process in the Republic of Moldova. The analysis revealed that the activity of subsidizing agriculture is primarily aimed at increasing competitiveness and the sustainable development of the agri-food sector. This situation leads to the modernization of the agri-food chain, facilitating access to capital markets for agricultural producers, adapting to climate changes and mitigating their effects on agricultural production, increasing rural employment opportunities, developing agricultural businesses, etc. The data on the subsidy activity were taken from the database of the Agency for Intervention and Payments for Agriculture from the Republic of Moldova, which is responsible for managing the subsidy fund. The results of the study highlight a fairly efficient management of financial means for subsidizing the national agricultural sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different capital structures and their impact on firm performance are one of the most studied topics in the finance literature. This study is an attempt to assess the impact of financial structure on profitability of agricultural enterprises in the Republic of Serbia, with the aim of evaluating the importance and nature of the contribution of the total, short-term and long-term aspects of debt to the success of the company. The financial performance of the selected sample of 38 medium and large agricultural enterprises in the Republic of Serbia was analysed in the period from 2018 to 2021. The findings of this paper indicate that total debt and short-term debt significantly determine the return on equity, while the effect of long-term debt is insignificant. The nature of the impact of all three aspects of financial structure is negative. The inclusion of size and growth of sales in the regression models showed that only annual sales growth significantly positively determines profitability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of the scientific and intellectual potential of the agri-food complex contributes to the achievement of sustainable socio-economic growth. The article proposes models for the development of the scientific and intellectual potential of the Russian agri-food complex. An analysis of the activities of existing institutes for the development of agricultural scientific research was carried out. The assessment of the state of scientific and intellectual potential was carried out on the basis of cross-country comparisons of indicators of the number of researchers and expenditures on research and development. Empirically, imbalances were identified between the number of researchers and internal R&D costs. The positive experience of forming the scientific and intellectual potential of countries with developed market economies has been systematized, priority directions and stimulation of innovation and investment development have been identified. The practical significance of the research results lies in increasing the efficiency of agricultural production based on the development of scientific and intellectual potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to highlight the role of computer based information systems in managing the resources of agricultural companies in order to forecast agricultural production and to study, from several points of view, the impact of climate change, respectively the changes brought by them. The Internet of Things involves the use of the Internet to connect different devices, services, and automated systems, thus forming a network of objects. Internet of Things devices will be integrated, connected to computer based information systems to increase the efficiency of agricultural production, by remotely monitoring sensors that can detect soil moisture and crop growth, ensuring (for example) remote management of smart combine harvesters and equipment of irrigation. The data provided by different sensors will be collected and the operational data obtained will be analyzed. The analysis will be performed using artificial intelligence methods that, through specific algorithms, allow the learning of new processing procedures, using data and previous knowledge collected, correlated with information obtained from meteorological services, to improve the making process. of decisions. Climate change is affecting agriculture by decreasing agricultural areas and reducing crops in the affected areas. These changes ultimately lead to a reduction in the amount of food available to humans and animals, to starvation, a phenomenon that still affects millions of people today. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents the characteristics of the agricultural sector in Romania, through the lens of the land grabbing phenomena. It is one of the latest additions to an already full agenda of challenges that rural development must address. Land grabbing deprives the population of the ability to make decisions about the national land (what is cultivated, what agricultural practices are used, what is the purpose of the land), nullifying food sovereignty. Also, the possibility of young people to choose agriculture as a field of activity is restricted by the privatization of land, although they receive subsidies for establishing themselves as young farmers. The analysis carried out in the period 2015-2021 indicated that approximately 40% of Romanian agricultural land is owned by foreign owners, while 46% of the population lives in the countryside and 1.6 million people are employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing. The results showed that the largest areas are owned by Italy, Denmark, Germany, Sweden, Lebanon and the United Arab Emirates. The main fields of activity are the following: agriculture, forestry, conservation and renewable energy. At the same time, subsidies can represent significant income for large areas of land. For the studied period, an increase in the prices of arable land in Romania was found, although they are lower than in other European countries. The biggest increases in arable land prices were recorded in the West, South-East and South-West Oltenia Regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing use of pesticides in modern agriculture has led to increased concerns about the risk of pollution of surface waters, soil and its agro-productive properties. The application of large doses of pesticides using outdated technologies and non-performing agricultural equipments, with poor application in terms of distribution uniformity and the lack of farmers’ knowledge and measures to prevent the drift phenomenon leads to their spread outside the targeted areas and implicitly to the increase of environmental pollution. In the present study, three anti-drift agents: EM260 (dodecilbenzensulfonat of calcium 50%, and butanol 18%), SC (heptametiltrisiloxan polietilenglicol) and respectively SO (surfactant non – ionic) have been tested according to ISO 22866, in the field conditions of Agricultural Research Development Station (ARDS) Caracal, Romania. The obtained results emphasized that the most valuable, among all variants, was EM260 (dodecilbenzensulfonat of calcium 50%, and butanol 18%) with smaller drift effect recorded at 1 meter distance (6.4%), followed by the second point, at 3 meters (3.1%) and at 5 meters with a calculated value of 2.1%. Also, at this variant the affected plants percent was smallest from the entire tested assortment, of 35.2%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important factor for local communities is education. Education has a long-term influence on the community development. Education has significant differences between urban and rural regions. The purpose of this study is to analyse how the extent education can reduce these differences and particularly, the online education contribution to the development of rural communities. Also, the economic and social factors relevant for rural development were studied. This study utilized a qualitative analysis of statistical publications, academic literature, and official data from the European Commission and Eurostat. The results showed that online learning technologies provide several benefits for rural development, such as: easy access to knowledge, build new skills, exchange information with peers with similar interests, raising individual awareness of the modern topics like smart agriculture. Additional to the key factors there are challenges posed to the development of the rural communities, from which the digital divide, limited broadband coverage and the ageing of rural population that makes the online education less effective in rural communities. Through this study, it is given a contribution on how to improve the understanding of the role of online learning technologies in a sustainable rural development and to provide insights to various stakeholders, including national and regional authorities, entrepreneurs, educators and researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need to increase the volume of domestic agricultural production and overcome the import dependence of hightech intermediate products actualizes the task of creating mechanisms to support and stimulate demand for innovative products of the agro-industrial complex. The purpose of the article is to develop theoretical and methodological foundations for the formation of scientific and technological policy to stimulate demand for innovative products in the agro-industrial complex. The theoretical foundations of the institutional interaction between the state, universities, academic institutions, agribusiness based on marketing and co-creation of values have been developed. taking into account the needs for innovation in the context of industries and regions. The study analyzes the innovative activity of some European countries, reveals disproportions between the costs of innovation and the volume of shipped products in various countries. The calculation of the index of marketing potential on the basis of a database for 83 regions was carried out and a comparison was made of the index of the country as a whole and a typical region in order to develop targeted strategies for state support. The practical significance of the research results lies in the possibility of their use in the development of mechanisms for state support of demand for innovations and digital technologies in the agro-industrial complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a world increasingly shaped by data, its exponential growth demands global organizations to swiftly embrace and synchronize with the prompt evolution of our lives. Innovations in storage technology, the advent of IoT (Internet of Things), and the emerging regulations of the European Union, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), all underscore how "Big Data" propels economic transformation. Amid the rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence and technology, Europe's digital overhaul assumes paramount importance, as recent crises underscore the urgency for more effective alternatives that fuel the imperative shift towards sustainability. The concept of "Big Data" has been integrated as a central pillar in the EU's digital transformation strategy, set for 2030, and consequently, within the ambit of its green strategy. This sector's inherent opportunities contribute to the EU's pursuit of climate neutrality by 2050. At its core, "Big Data" involves the amalgamation of extensive and diverse information, subjected to algorithmic analysis to drive decision-making. The data's significance extends beyond economic implications, permeating diverse domains such as safety, health, agriculture, environment, law, and even individual contexts, thereby accentuating the intrinsic essence of "Big Data". This paper addresses the intricate demands posed by the rapid expansion of this type of data, which is experiencing exponential growth in terms of accessibility and automated integration within digital landscapes. Its efficacy is contingent upon not merely the escalating capabilities of technology to facilitate the accumulation and retention of substantial data quantities, but also on its proficiency to conduct thorough analysis, comprehension, and effective utilization of the data's complete worth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper intends to address the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the development of rural areas in Galati County, after the application of the state of emergency in Romania. The article is based on the interpretation of the change of certain economic indicators in rural areas and their impact on the population, economic environment, industry, and agriculture. Supplementary research has been conducted by interpreting the changes triggered by the COVID-19 crisis on the decisions of local and regional authorities to develop certain strategies and projects before and after the end of the present crisis. At the same time, it is analyzed that rural areas were perceived as providing a defense wall against this pandemic, motivating the population in urban areas to seek shelter in rural areas, thus contributing to the development of the economic environment. However, in reality, rural areas have been the hardest hit, unable to provide the infrastructure needed for such a human wave. In the context of those presented, the paper is an analysis of economic and social factors but also of how the COVID-19 crisis has influenced the current situation in rural areas of Galati County. To reach the result of this analysis, research methods were used based on reports, studies, papers and specialized publications both online and offline. As a main result of this paper we can mention the identification at regional level of changes in social, demographic and economic factors with considerable impact on the rural economy in the coming years. Thus, agriculture will feel a decline due to this pandemic, after 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of publications of Russian and world scientists on the issues of digitalization of various sectors of the economy demonstrated a wide range of author's approaches to the sequence, speed and scale of the introduction of IT technologies, and also spectacularly showed the backlog of agriculture and the agroindustrial complex in the direction of introducing innovations. The purpose of the paper is to develop measures to accelerate and improve the efficiency of digital transformations in agriculture, the formation of the digital agricultural sector of the Russian economy. Research methods: monographic, logical, abstract-logical, computational-constructive, statisticaleconomic and comparative analysis. The main results of the study: the organizational and economic mechanism of digital transformation of an agricultural organization is proposed. The mechanism is a three-stage modernization process (starting, transit, terminal stages), implemented through organizational (management, administration, legal and regulatory support) and economic (costs, calculations, budget financing, subsidies) elements. Final conclusions: the development of the agroindustrial complex on the basis of the proposed mechanism will increase the efficiency and competitiveness of the products of Russian enterprises in the international market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of paper consists in developing the economic mechanism for increase in effective management of land resources in agriculture. Theoretical provisions of institutionalism, management, system approach, the general scientific and special methods were used in the course of the research. Considering influence of negative externalities on the market of the agricultural land and a deviation of the prices from equilibrium level, it is expedient to influence a market turnover of agricultural grounds by means of the priority directions of development: reductions of transactional costs for execution of transactions and registration of the property rights to the land plots, updating of cadastral cost of the land plots, accelerations of differentiation of the lands which are in federal, regional, regional property, etc. As a result of a research authors constructed the regional economic mechanism of management of land resources in agriculture on the basis of use of digital technologies. Thus, the mechanism includes the executive power, scientific centers, higher educational institutions, software products providing accumulation, updating, structuring, storage of cartographic and thematic information for adoption of optimal management decisions. The offered economic mechanism is recommended to be used when developing state programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investment support for the modernisation of agricultural holdings is an essential type of agricultural support in rural communities. This support could be accessed depending on many agronomic and socio-economic criteria. This article aims to observe whether the attractiveness in accessing the projects can be influenced by the size of the agricultural holdings and the level of direct payments received by development regions. It is also desired to see if access to these projects is sustained by the presence of agricultural income needs in the respective regions. By evaluating the data available on the Eurostat platform, we have assessed the number and average size of agricultural holdings in Romania at the level of NUTS 2 regions. In addition, with the help of the Farm Accountancy Data Network database, we have analysed the level of direct payment subsidies per farm. The results of this paper can provide relevant information on the current income needs of the analysed region. This can help us determine if, together with the number and size of the farms, it can influence the access to investment support projects through rural development measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "Farm to Fork" European Union Strategy sets as key strategic objective to reach “at least 25% of the EU`s agricultural land under organic farming and significant increase in organic aquaculture by 2030”. The purpose of this paper is to assess the main ongoing trends of the organic farming in Romania. Statistical data was collected from the official website of the Romanian Ministry of Agriculture by studying the conversion and ecological attestation certificates published by the local certification bodies. In Romania there are 11 inspection and certification bodies that have certified 7,977 producers in 2021, mainly having as main activity the vegetable sector. The results reveal that in Romania around 3% of the land is under organic certification that is far below the above mentioned EU thresholds. In conclusion, Romanian organic agriculture has many farmers who own small plot of land. Although there has been a growing trend of the organic certification over the past few years, the number and area of organic land is largely dependent on the CAP incentives and to a less extent to market opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to study the impact of agricultural enterprises' digitization and the performance and bankruptcy risk. Analyzing financial insolvency and predicting bankruptcy risk is a constant focus of research. Company managers and their creditors, auditors, counterparties, etc., are very interested in this issue. Many economists are constantly looking for adequate models and methods by which to establish the financial health of companies with the most significant degree of precision. This paper answers whether some of the most commonly used bankruptcy prediction models also apply in the agricultural sector. For this purpose, a study was made of the annual statistical reports of medium and large Bulgarian agricultural enterprises operating in this sector for five years. Next, the paper's authors also look for evidence that agricultural enterprises with a higher level of digitalization and application of information and communication technologies face a lower risk of bankruptcy and better performance, applying the fixed effect and probit models. The econometric analysis clearly shows a statistically significant relationship between the risk of bankruptcy and the productivity of agricultural enterprises, measured by ROA. Applying the probit model reveals a higher probability of bankruptcy for firms with lower productivity and higher leverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the factors of neo-industrialization and their impact on the functioning of Russian agriculture. The purpose of the work is to identify the key factors of neo-industrialization and assess their impact on the sustainable development of agriculture. The scale of technological changes has been studied, and a comparative analysis of neo-industrial trends in various sectors of the agro-industrial complex has been carried out. The specifics of neo-industrial processes in livestock farming are characterized in detail. A mathematical model of threefactor linear regression has been developed, characterizing the influence of parameters of technological development of Russian agriculture on changes in gross value added. The results of the empirical analysis allow us to conclude that there is a direct relationship between capital-labor ratio and gross value added, as well as between the number of highly productive workers and gross value added. It has been calculated that the investment component has the greatest influence. Thus, the increase in the share of investments in reconstruction and modernization in fixed capital affects the increase in gross value added by 223.7 billion rubles. The practical value of the results lies in the development of mechanisms to stimulate and support the introduction of innovations in agricultural production in order to accelerate neo-industrialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In ensuring the country's food security, the dominant role belongs to scientific activity and the development of advanced production technologies. Moreover, the process of implementation of innovations and further stimulation of demand for the results obtained are of greatest relevance. The purpose of the study is to develop theoretical and methodological approaches to assessing the implementation of scientific developments and new technical solutions in agriculture in the context of innovative transformation of the economy. The article reveals significant interregional and intercountry differentiation of patent activity, and notes the gap between the total number of patents and the inventions being introduced into Russian agriclture. Based on a scientometric analysis of patents with text mining, trends and patterns in the formation of promising patent developments in agriculture have been identified and a bibliometric map has been generated in the direction of the relationship between areas of patent activity in Russian agriculture. The predominant clusters have been identified - agricultural engineering; soil treatment, harvest, pest control, production of herbicides and their components. The results obtained determine the need to develop effective mechanisms for supporting patent activity in agriculture and stimulating the introduction of scientific developments and new technical solutions into the production process in order to determine the most promising areas of research in agricultural science. The practical implementation of the research results is associated with the justification of the necessary incentive measures and government support for scientific developments in the context of fundamental technological changes and innovative structural shifts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The socio-economic aspects of rural development in the context of decentralization of management, features of the organization of rural areas and the formation of potential for development is considered in the article. The necessity of intensifying activities in the direction of decentralization of power and introduction of modern principles of economic reform of rural areas is substantiated. The process of greening of agricultural production has been confirmed. The structure of production of the main types of agricultural products by agricultural enterprises and their profitability are considered. A quadratic trend model of the dynamics of the volume of profits of business entities in rural areas has been developed. Sufficient attention is paid to the formation and justification of scientific solutions aimed at building a new, more effective model of rural development management in Ukraine. Risks and threats to the development of entrepreneurship in rural areas have been identified and the probability of influencing the level of socio-economic development of rural areas has been substantiated. It is important to note that in order to increase the effectiveness of business policy, it is necessary to determine the main criteria that will shape the development of rural areas on the basis of the formed forecast indicators and determined factors influencing them. A number of important positions that influence directly or indirectly on the implementation of innovative projects of development of rural areas have been proved, in particular, the greatest weight have their own resources, which can be used in communities. On the basis of the conducted researches the whole model of innovation development is proposed, which includes all spheres that influence the development of entrepreneurship in rural areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to ensure the competitiveness of enterprises within the agro-industrial complex is largely determined by their strategic orientation toward the conduct of innovation activity. Based on the findings from a theoretical analysis, this paper cites the need for implementing innovative technology as a major factor for boosts in the competitiveness of enterprises within the agro-industrial complex. The paper employs the findings from an expert survey to provide an insight into the current state of affairs with regard to the implementation of innovative technology in the Russian agricultural sector. The authors have analyzed some of the key characteristics of innovative agricultural technology. The paper describes some of the key issues in and prospects for implementing innovative agricultural technology in the agro-industrial sector. The authors have formulated a set of proposals aimed at enhancing the implementation of technological innovation in enterprises within the agro-industrial complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aims to present the key vulnerabilities of small-holder farms while adapting prospective climate change conditions. Natural resources' productivity has declined under climate stress. The natural resources that lose their prolificacy negatively affect small-holder farms. Consequently, the agricultural sector will suffer from climate change impacts. The countries which have small-holder farms should be more careful while designing their rural policies. Indeed, small-holder farms lack capacity in management of agricultural risks. This phenomenon has the potential to trigger rural poverty in the medium-term. Many studies carried out on the African Continent indicates that adaptation costs of climate change account for 250-500 billion USD in the years between 2010 and 2050. Climate change adaptation policies are most effective when they are fully integrated within countries' national development strategies. Furthermore, adequate funding and technology transfer to small-holder farms are important in ensuring success of any climate action and initiative. The current paper will give information related with adaptation costs to climate change in various countries of the world. In addition, the paper discusses the possibility of agricultural adaptation policies coming from developed zones of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transition to highly productive and environmentally friendly agricultural farming is one of the priorities of the Strategy for Scientific and Technological Development of the Russian Federation. In the current conditions of sanctions policy, the need for a large-scale transfer of agriculture to organic farming increases. The purpose of the article is to develop methods and tools for the development of organic farming on an innovation and investment basis to ensure sustainable development of rural areas. The article presents the evolution of views and methodological approaches to studying the relationship between organic agriculture and sustainable development. The global trends in the development of the organic products market are studied, the dynamics of organic production in Russia are presented both in general and in the context of grain crops, legumes and vegetables. It has been empirically revealed that the bulk of the harvest of organic grain crops remains on the domestic market, and most of the leguminous crops are exported. The article examines global trends in the development of the organic products market. Methodological approaches and principles for the transition to the Organic 3.0 concept, aimed at intensifying the growth of organic product production, have been developed. Promising forms of organizing organic farming have been substantiated and conditions have been created for increasing the efficiency of organic production on an innovation-investment basis, taking into account regional specifics. The economic, social and environmental role of organic farming as a driver of sustainable development in Siberia is substantiated. Methods and tools have been developed to improve the state policy for the development of organic farming in rural areas of Siberia, including subsidies, subsidizing the purchase of certified planting materials, developing competency standards, and improving the regulatory framework. The practical significance of the results lies in the development of theoretical and methodological approaches and methodological tools for sustainable development of rural areas, based on the introduction of advanced organic farming technologies, as well as targeted mechanisms for stimulating organic production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to carry out an efficient and competitive activity, livestock holdings must follow both the technical efficiency, respectively the physical result per unit of the source's effect, as well as the economic efficiency of the activity and join the trends regarding the promotion of qualitative factors, among which they are part the application of modern technologies and computerization. The IT product ZooSyst is a web application intended for the analysis of economic efficiency for sheep, goats, bulls, and buffalo species, through which farmer users will have the possibility to calculate the economic efficiency for the specific activity and to choose the optimal option in the specific branch of activity, ensuring a more judicious matching of objectives with resources. This IT product made available to farmers raising sheep, goats, taurine, and buffalo species offers the possibility of calculating the technological estimate, the income, and expenditure budget, and economic efficiency indicators, for the milk or meat production activity. The online monitoring of agricultural expenses and income is of great interest due to the integration of information and communication technology with agricultural sciences, being based on specific concepts: client/server architecture, integrated platform software, decision support, remote relational communication with bases of web-distributed data, object-oriented programming, econometrical modeling, interactivity, etc. The ZooSyst computer system was designed and realized by the ADER 24.1.2 Project - "Research on the economic efficiency of raising sheep, goats, dairy cows, cattle and buffaloes". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To implement the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) in the Member States, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) was created by the European Union. The EAFRD finances the National Rural Development Program (PNDR), which in order to reach the priority objectives of Romania decides the financing lines. The National Program for Rural Development deals with the provision of non-reimbursable funds from the Government of Romania and the European Union for the development of rural areas in Romania. The increase and modernization of the meat processing capacities through the use of the funds offered by NRDP have as an objective the increase of the added value of the agricultural products of animal origin (meat processing). Sub-measure 4.2 ("Support for investment in the processing / marketing and / or development of agricultural products") is concerned with the modernization and creation of processing units and the introduction of new technologies in this field. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the situation of investments in meat processing units in the North-West Development Region of Romania, between 2015-2018, where 9 projects were financed (eligible value of 24,413,529 euros), representing 22% of the total, of 42 projects financed at national level (eligible value of 98,084,071 euros), by sub-measure 4.2, of the National Rural Development Program 2014-2020. From the correlation of the amounts invested (eligible value) from the counties of this area with the value of the total agricultural production (the live weight of the animals destined for slaughter), it follows that the projects were done randomly, independently of the animal agricultural production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper represents an analysis of the impact of the budget founds for agriculture have influenced the main macroeconomic indicators like: gross added value, gross domestic product. From the paper we can conclude that since 2007, the indicators reveal an increasing of efficiency in the agricultural sector: value of the agricultural production, share of the GDP from agriculture in total GDP and others. Agricultural sector has received different founds from European Union, as well from the national budget for investments in technology as well as for the direct payments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture 4.0 is seen as a new possibility in overcoming the global challenges related to the scarcity of resources, climate change and food security. In this context, the aim of the paper is to outline the main definitions, concepts, technologies and trends in Agriculture 4.0 development and discuss the challenges, as well as opportunities and prospects. Based on the literature overview, it can be concluded that Agriculture 4.0 will play a crucial role in transforming the agri-food sector and shaping future agricultural production models. On the other hand, the new concepts should be linked to the Green Deal and sustainable development goals to ensure a fair and resilient agricultural system. Along with the benefits of Agriculture 4.0, there are challenges associated with farmers' perceptions and ability to change, the development of infrastructure, especially in rural areas and the lack of standards for implementing the new technologies. The government and policymakers' role is essential and should be directed in supporting the implementation of the concept Agriculture, 4.0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, in the agro-industrial complex, the problem of import substitution of key technological solutions, innovative resources and digital technologies is becoming increasingly important for increasing agricultural production. The aim of the article is to study the prerequisites for accelerating the introduction of innovative and digital products in the agro-industrial complex based on NBIC convergence in the context of digital transformation and improving methods for stimulating demand for them. The article clarifies aspects of the phenomenon of NBIC convergence and its impact on the technological structure of economies. The analysis of indicators characterizing the dynamics of the volumes of innovative goods and services in the context of industries was carried out. An assessment is given of indicators of the digital economy in 2021. It is substantiated that at present the nature of the implementation of NBIC technologies is of a point nature, mainly in the leading agricultural holdings. According to the results of expert surveys, points in growth in terms of the development of digital transformation conditions have been identified. Directions for the development of strategic priorities are proposed in terms of optimizing the cost of introducing digital technologies, increasing digital literacy and competencies of employees, creating mechanisms to subsidize the development of domestic innovative and digital products, as well as stimulating demand for them. The practical significance of the results of the study lies in the possibility of their use in the development of a strategy for the scientific and technological development of Russia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to the problem of ensuring technological sovereignty in the agrarian sector of the Russian economy, its neoindustrialization. The purpose of the work is a scientific and theoretical substantiation of the possibilities of innovative and investment development of the agro-industrial complex in the context of modern trends in neoindustrialization. Empirically, the assessment of the scale of neoindustrialization in the agricultural sector was carried out, a conclusion was made about its initial stage, characterized by a lag in the technological development of agriculture from other sectors of the economy, insufficient use of the results of intellectual activity, and a lower scale of innovative products. A mathematical model of a two-factor regression is constructed that characterizes the process of neoindustrialization in agriculture in Russia, and a predictive assessment of the dynamics of indicators of neoindustrialization of agriculture based on trend analysis is presented. The calculations show that with an increase in the level of labor productivity by 1%, the share of innovative products in the shipped agricultural products will increase by 0.23 percent. The necessity of improving the organizational and economic mechanism for implementing the strategies of innovative and scientific and technological development in order to increase the innovative activity of enterprises in the agricultural sector is substantiated. The practical significance of the results of the study is to develop measures to improve innovation and science and technology policy in order to achieve positive effects from neo-industrialization in the agricultural sector during the transition to Industry 4.0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper studied the trends and opportunities of financial support for the formation of sustainable competitiveness of land use of agricultural enterprises in Ukraine. The results of analysis indicate a significant increase in the nominal volume of financial resources of agricultural enterprises of Ukraine during 2010-2018 (6.2 times), however, the structural ratio between the components of financial resources remained almost unchanged. The increase of all financial resources was carried out mainly in the conditions (and, consequently, due to) of inflationary-devaluation processes, and not a real increase in resources. Thus, the sum of financial resources of agricultural enterprises in US dollar terms increased only 1.82 times, and taking into account the inflation index - only 2.15 times during the analyzed period. A similar situation is also characteristic for the sources of formation of financial resources. It can be predicted further increase the amount of the net profit as the main source of own financial resources. The correlation analysis confirmed the hypothesis that the dynamics of profit is more connected to the variation of the exchange rate and the inflation rate than to the internal factors of the efficiency of agricultural enterprises. in the system of financial support for the formation of sustainable competitiveness of land use, the financial leasing, agricultural insurance and stock market has a significant (untapped) potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the comparison between Romania in relation to countries such as Poland, Italy, Germany, Hungary and Bulgaria, taking into account the similarities between them in terms of selling price of agricultural land, size of countries and agricultural area used. Current differences observed between the sale price of land in Romania, clearly express that there are various problems of agricultural activity in Romania. At the end of the paper, a model was created to see if there is a statistically significant linear relationship between the price of land the number of farms and the subsidy offered per hectare. The purpose of this paper is to identify and verify the correlation between the increase in selling prices of agricultural land, the number of farms and the single payment scheme per hectare. Germany ranks first among countries in terms of agricultural area, holding approximately 16.67 million hectares in 2020, with a negative growth rate of 0.04% while the only country with a positive growth rate is Italy, 0.47%, with a total agricultural area of 13.15 million hectares in 2019. In Romania, the price of one hectare of land is 5,339 euros and it is expected that the prices of agricultural land will increase in the coming years. Rising farmland prices can have a positive impact due to the European Union's financial support for the agricultural sector and agricultural activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of the balance sheet in the financial diagnosis of the company derives from the fact that it serves to determine the financial security margin through the working capital, which allows the company to face the short-term risks, guaranteeing its solvency. Based on these considerations, we elaborated this paper based on the information gathered from a commercial company with an agricultural profile by emphasizing the balance indicators based on the financial balance, namely: the net working capital, the working capital requirement, the net treasury, the net situation of the company. The sources of information for this paper were the company annual financial and accounting statements for the period 2015-2017. As a method, the comparative financial analysis was used, more specifically, the analysis of the company results based on the company balance sheet. The positive and growing net position highlights a sound economic management as a result of reinvesting part of the net profit and other capital items. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is part of the research area, which aims at the necessity and opportunity of adopting at the agricultural enterprise level geospatial and informational technologies, in order to practice an optimal management of terrain, machinery and input acquisition, taking into account the specific natural variation of environmental conditions. The paper briefly presents a series of particularities regarding the use of geospatial and informational technology in the process of taking, storing, analysing and processing spatially distributed information through a computerized process aiming to optimize the agricultural technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study analyzed how elements of crop management can contribute to increasing the yield of the winter rape crop. Field research took place in the area of Satu Mare locality, Arad County, Romania, in the period 2022-2023. The field experiments were organized in farm conditions, with accessible agricultural technologies. Two soil working systems (Sws) were considered: a classic system of soil preparation by disc tillage (SwsA), and a system of soil preparation by direct seeding (SwsB). Four treatments (T) of nitrogen and sulfur fertilization (T1, T3 and T4) were applied to the background of each system, compared to a classic fertilization (T2). In the case of soil tillage SwsA system, rape yield average was Y(AvgSwsA) = 3,537.50 kg ha-1 (T4 treatment generated increase yield, ΔY = 380.50 kg ha-1). In the case of soil tillage SwsB system, rape yield average was Y(AvgSwsB) = 3,795.00 kg ha-1 (T4 treatment generated positive growth, ΔY = 1,007.00 kg ha-1). At the experiment level, the average yield was Y(AvgSwsA&B) = 3,666.25 kg ha-1. A significant yield increase was recorded only in the case of the T4 treatment, with ΔY(SwsB-T4) = 1,135.75 kg ha-1. Multiparameter analysis (PCA, CA) facilitated distribution diagrams and classification of variants, under conditions of statistical safety (Coph.corr = 0.936). PC1 explained 40.35% of variance and PC2 explained 29.297% of variance. Mathematical models described the variation of yield (Y) in relation to biometric parameters of the plants (p<0.001, R² = 0.873 to R² = 0.989). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper aimed to analyze utilized agricultural area (UAA), number of agricultural holdings (NAH), average holding size (AHS), standard output per holding (SOH) in Romania and other EU countries with large UAA in the period 2005-2020 using the data from Eurostat and National Institute of Statistics in order to identify the trends and actual situation. Fixed basis indices, regression equations, R square, Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), Gini Struck Coefficient(GSC), structural indices, comparisons with the EU average and among the selected EU countries: Romania, Poland, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, United Kingdom were used as processing methods for reflecting the changes farmland and farm structures. In 2020, Romania had 12,763 thousand ha UAA, representing 7.6% of the EU's UAA and coming on the 6th position, after France, Spain, Germany, Poland and Italy. In 2020, Romania had 2.88 million AH and together with Poland, Italy, Spain, France and Germany, had 6.89 million AH (75.7% of the EU's 9.1 million NAH). The farms smaller than 5 ha represent: 90.3% in Romania, 64.1% in Italy, 52.3% in Poland, 51.6% in Spain, 19.6% in France and 8.2% in Germany, while the farms with 50 ha and over account for 7.5% at the EU level, 1% in Romania, 3.1% in Poland, 4.5% in Italy, 11.6% in Spain, 31.5% in Germany and 45.9% in France. To the EU's SO, all these six countries contribute by 71% to the EU's SO. In the EU, less than Euro 2,000 SO was produced by 35.7% farms, while Euro 50,000 and over was achieved by 12.9% farms. In Romania, 71.5% farms produce less than Euro2,000, while 0.9% achieve Euro 50,000 and over. Regarding the concentration of farms by SO size class, HHI and GSC reflected a high concentration in Romania, relatively moderate at the EU level, moderate in Poland and Italy, and a lack of concentration in Spain, France and Germany. The SO/AH in Romania was Euro 4,029, compared to Euro 38,703 at the EU level, Euro 19,680 in Poland, Euro 57,681 in Italy, Euro 44,124 in Spain, Euro 158,430 in France and Euro 167,631 in Germany. As a final conclusion, the gaps among these countries are caused by the unbalanced farm structure with the highest share belonging to the farms with less than 2 ha. Farms with 50 ha and over could assure a higher SO/farm. To diminish NAH and grow AHS has to continue for increasing the economic power in terms of standard output. Small and medium-sized farms have to be sustained to join their efforts for a higher concentration of land, production and economic efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovative development in the agricultural sector of the economy is a driver for increasing the efficiency of agricultural production. The purpose of the article is to develop mechanisms to stimulate the acceleration of innovative projects in the agro-industrial complex. The study clarified the theoretical and methodological aspects of the process of accelerating technological development. The restraining and accelerating factors of innovation processes in the agro-industrial complex are systematized. The analysis revealed disparities in the efficiency of investments in the agro-industrial complex and their contribution to the main macroeconomic indicators and export orientation. Mechanisms for stimulating technological acceleration have been developed: the introduction of an innovative lift for startups, the creation of technology platforms, and the improvement of regulatory and financial support. The practical significance of the presented mechanisms will stimulate the acceleration of innovative projects and increase the economic, social, technological and budgetary efficiency of agro-industrial complex management in industries and regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper, is to investigate the planning and development a mapping, georeferenced and analytical tool and the utility of this, in agricultural sector. The methodological approach followed is based on the research of scientific approaches and scientific bibliography, also using technological innovations and aims at the overall assessment of the usefulness of such a technological development in agricultural sector. As a result of this research, it is considered that proper planning and optimal use of all the data held in their hands by farmers, is necessary so that they have sustainability in agricultural sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic farming is a modern concept which combines several factors such as tradition, innovation, science with the principles of health and ecology. It uses the existing resources for the welfare of the humanity without harming the environment. Through its content, the aim of the paper is to present the evolution of the ecological agricultural sector at national level. The paper presents aspects regarding the data of the exploited surfaces, the number of certified operators, the average size of the existing operators, during 2010-2016 period. The analysis of the indicators in the present paper was performed using the method of comparison and the percentage method. In this regard, the relative importance of different types of activities in the vegetal sector is highlighted for the analysed reference market. The data presented indicate a certified average area of 252,752.08 ha, an average number of operators of 11,161 units and an average area of 22.64 ha per operator. In the studied range, grain crops prevail (35.17%), followed by permanent crops - pastures and hayfields (28.93%) and industrial crops (21.43%), while the lowest weights are held by other crops on arable land (0.14%). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education in rural areas, more and more frequently, takes place in agricultural holdings which address their educational offer, in particular, to specific groups of children and youth. The aim of the paper was to characterize such holdings in the selected EU countries. The characterization was based on the results of research obtained from two sources, firstly, the international FARMLAND project, secondly, the original study conducted by the authors in Poland and Romania. The research results clearly point to the development of educational activities in agricultural holdings, with the use of natural and cultural resources of the given areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper are presented the priorities for the Romanian agricultural sector for the period 2014 - 2020. European Union has allocated important founds for the Romanian rural that account more than 8 billion Euro. The most important priorities are increasing competitiveness of the agro-food sector through investments, diversification of economy in the rural area as well as sustainable rural development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study assessed the effects of information and Communication Technology usage among poultry farmers in Jalingo local government area of Taraba State, Nigeria. The data was collected using well-structured questionnaires and inferential and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. Multi-stage random and purposive sampling techniques were used to select ninety (90) respondents using for the study. Socio-economic characteristics of the respondents showed that 84.4% were male and 15.5% were female and 40.5% of them were within their productive age while 53.6% were married and majority was literate. The study also revealed that the most accessible and used ICT facilities in the area included: radio, mobile phones and television. The access and use of ICTs in the study area was also high. Some of the constraints associated with usage of ICT facilities were identified in the study include high cost, inconveniences, lack of availability and reliability. The major sources of information for farmers in the study area were telephone calls, radios, televisions, words of mouth, text messages and training. The main factors affecting the use of ICT facilities by poultry farmers in the study area were Sex, age, educational status and source of income. Based on these findings, the study recommended that relevant policies aimed at improving agricultural productivity should ensure farmers have adequate access to ICT facilities. Extension workers should also help to improve farmer’s knowledge and skills of ICT facilities to enhance adoption of ICT facilities by farmers and thus improve productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to complete the previous studies and to create an overview of the interest given to the field regarding the digitization of agriculture. The analysis was carried out on a sample of 604 scientific documents published on the Web of Science (WoS), using the VOSviewer software. The study first analyzes the annual trend of publications, the annual trend of article citations as well as the trend of keywords and co-authorship by country. In many studies, the process of digitalization of agriculture is discussed in which various technologies capable of facing the current challenges regarding the agri-food sector are proposed. However, bibliometric studies on the digitization of agriculture are few. The results emphasize the methodological approach, obtaining maps with the terms that appear frequently in the analyzed studies, being grouped into 6 clusters, two of which are representative. The yellow cluster consists of terms related to digitization, climate change, and machine learning while the red cluster consists of terms related to agriculture, performance, management, and big data. Out of the total of 604 published documents, Romania has a percentage of 26% of published articles, being the leader in the ranking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalization of agriculture has been identified as panacea to the problem of food security to teeming population, although its uses for agricultural extension services is still evolving and challenging among extension professionals. This study examined the opportunities and challenges of using AI-based digital tools for agricultural extension services in Nigeria; the study described the socioeconomic characteristics of extension professionals and identified the effects of its usage on extension service delivery. An online questionnaire was used to gather primary data from 131 agricultural extension professionals drawn across the states in Nigeria. Frequency counts, percentages and means were used to analyse and summarize the data collected. The result reveals that majority (75.6%) were male with a mean age of 48.1±15.8 years. The respondents mostly identified provision for real-time insights into the farms and landscape (97.7%) and provision of reliable farm data (75.6%) as the major opportunities for AI-based Digital tools for agricultural extension service, while lengthy technology adoption Process (94.7%) and higher technical skills (70.2%) were the major challenges identified with the use of AI-based digital tools for agricultural extension services by the respondents. The study also reveals that respondents mostly indicated timely enhancement of communication (88.5%) and provision of an update on best practices globally (64.1%) as the key effects of AIbased digital for agricultural extension services. The study recommends that capacity building of extension professionals and farmers; involvement of farmers and other agriculture value chain stakeholders in the development of digital technologies; as well as provision of digital infrastructures and enablers which are germane for digitalization and utilisation of AI-based digital tools for agricultural extension service delivery in Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the trade relationship between Turkey and Uzbekistan, particularly in sesame exports, with the aim of strengthening Uzbekistan's competitiveness. Based on the theory of comparative advantage and using key indicators such as the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) Index, the Revealed Symmetric Comparative Advantage (RSCA) Index, and the Normal Revealed Comparative Advantage (NRCA) Index, this study highlights the robust competitiveness of Turkey in exporting agricultural machinery designed specifically for sesame production. Through a comprehensive analysis of these indices, the study highlights Turkey's particular strength in this sector, sheds light on its comparative advantage and emphasises the country's strategic position in the global market for sesame-related agricultural machinery. However, Uzbekistan currently lacks competitiveness in sesame exports. The study underlines the key role of effective technology transfer, especially in machinery exports from Turkey, in improving Uzbekistan's position. Econometric models show the significant impact of exchange rates and domestic demand on Uzbekistan's sesame exports. The study's findings highlight ways to improve the efficiency of agricultural machinery exports between the two countries. This provides policymakers with valuable insights to strengthen sustainable trade relations and increase the volume of agricultural exports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the milestones of the Green Revolution, outlining its role in the development of today's sustainable and biotechnological agriculture. In order to do this we used the material found in papers and books on the research in agriculture from the 1940s to the late 1980s. Current sustainable agriculture and biotechnological advancement, incuding the creation of genetically modified organisms could never have been possible without the Green Revolution. Reducing the height of the stalk allowed the production of high-yielding cultivars that now are used and modified with genetic engeneering methods in the context of a sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The locally manufactured small-scale agricultural machinery in Egypt has recently acquired high importance in order to localize technology and innovation at the farm level. This study aims to design a cost-effective multi-seed planting raisedbed machine to rationalize water use and enhance land productivity in the Nile Delta of Egypt. The small farmers will adopt this technique to enable water, energy, seeds, and effort saving. The design of the machine went through a systematic process of tests to ensure that the design fit for purpose considering a set of design criteria such as soil type, crop type, and varieties as well as seeds size, planting rates, roads networks, farm sizes, cost-effectiveness, and available existing traction forces. The analyses using SolidWorks, a solid modelling computer-aided design and engineering application program, and Ansys simulation software were carried out to the loads and stresses subjected to different parts of the machine in order to identify the proper thickness and materials to manufacture the machine. Based on the stress and strain analysis, the machine structure and its components were designed. The main components of the machine include the main skeleton, seed drill box, planter seed box, feeding chambers, and cells as well as a feeding tube, gearbox, ditchers, ground-driving wheel and transmission mechanism, and mounting triangle. After building the machine components, various investigations were performed by subjecting the used materials to ascending loads to analyze shearing force, normal stress, shear stress, strain, and strength analysis in a micro meshes scale in all machine components. These tests enabled the identification of deformations, equivalent elastic strain, and Safety factor on different machine parts. The simulated values of the machine's parts in thicknesses and dimensions were in good correspondence and consistency with the actual design values. The model showed that the boundary conditions were accurate and rational, and it would provide a scientific basis for the optimum design of the raisedbed machine under multiple and interlinked loads. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, thousands tons of chemicals material are used to increase agricultural production that provides a risky situation for the communities. Recently, biological or organic agriculture is considered to get rid of such problems. But this style of agriculture is facing with many difficulties and challenges. The purpose of this research is to investigate the obstacles to the development of organic agriculture in Kohgiluyeh and Buyer-Ahmad provinces of Iran. This study was performed in three phases by using Delphi method. In this regard, the statistical population of the study were 32 experts of Jihad Agricultural Organization of Kohgiluyeh and Buyer-Ahmad Province, Iran. The results show that, regarding economic barriers, lack of governmental support; regarding social - cultural barriers, lack of consumption culture of organic products and regarding the political and administrative barriers, lack of clear policies and legislation in the field of organic farming are the main obstacles. Weakness in the education system for the production and consumption of organic products is also among the highest priorities in educational barriers. Education and culturalization in the field organic agriculture and appointing a special organization for this purpose seems to be essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]