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The primary trends defining the paths toward sustainable development in rural areas of Bulgaria underscore the significant influence of human resources., and the priorities are oriented towards stimulation of the vocational training and science based skills, obtained through appropriate education and specialized training, and leading to success in the development and management of the local economy. The tendency, related to the problem is highlighted as the shortage of adequately educated and skilled entrepreneurs capable of harnessing technological advantages in agricultural production and implementing innovative technologies. The goal of our study is related to investigation and summarization of basic tendencies in this aspect, within Bulgarian agricultural enterprises, the emphasis lies on the crucial connection between theoretical knowledge and hands-on experience, particularly highlighting the importance of educating and training agricultural producers. The education and practical application of scientific knowledge by those engaged in agriculture are vital components for achieving success and ensuring the sustainability of economic endeavours at the local level. By promoting education and training for individuals involved in agricultural activities in the agrarian sector, the agriculture guarantees its sustainable and efficient development, which without doubt reflects on the increase of the sustainability of the rural territories, as a whole. The results of the study formulate guidelines, conclusions and recommendations related to recognition of the need of ensuring the proper education and training of agricultural producers, especially in the realm of environmentally friendly practices and innovative technologies. In conclusion, the synthesized research findings provide insight into the tendencies in basic strategic documents supporting knowledge, as well as data for the educational status in the Bulgarian agrarian sector regarding the potential and significance of the human factor. Future guidelines for the study in the sphere of human resources are outlined in the modern agriculture and the Bulgarian rural territories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Bulgaria, according to the Institute for Market Economics, 16 economic centers have been defined, which form a large part of the national economy. The paper focuses on the economic centers located in the territory of the North Central Planning Region and the North Western Planning Region, emphasizing their role in revealing the potential for development of the rural areas within their scope. In this context, the specific features of their development have been analyzed and the possibilities for future development have been assessed in order to achieve the goals of sustainable development of the territory, to increase the living standards of the population, and to reduce the risk of poverty in rural areas. The study utilized statistical methods for analyzing dynamic trends, hypothesis testing, regression, and correlation analysis. It was found that the indicators for the municipalities within the economic centers are more favorable compared to those outside of them. The results of the analysis demonstrate that the presence of economic centers in the region has a statistically significant impact on indicators such as population, age dependency ratio, population density, average annual salary of employees under labor and service contracts, and unemployment rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on the agrarian question in Latin America have dealt with the role of capital in the area of agriculture and forestry while paying scant attention to its role in other areas, such as mining. Research on mining extractivism, for its part, has privileged recent socio-environmental conflicts without delving into the configurations of social classes and labor relations as it relates to agriculture. This article integrates these topics, analyzing the connections between copper extractivism, the commodification of the yareta plant, and indigenous peasant labor. We studied the medium-upper basin of the Loa River, in northern Chile, where one of the most important copper mines in the world (Chuquicamata) has been operating since 1915. Using ethnography and bibliographic analysis, we provide an account of how the expansion of extractivism requires a mixture of properly capitalist labor relations mixed with customary Andean practices. The latter are subsumed by capital and have played a key structural role during certain periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This article aims to define the category of energy colonialism in order to analyse the conflicts that are arising due to the deployment of renewable energy megaprojects in the Global South and in the peripheries of the Global North. First, the limits of the corporate energy transition are questioned, and based on an exhaustive bibliographic review, the category of energy colonialism is formulated along with six dimensions that characterise it: geopolitical; economic and financial inequalities; power, violence, and decision making; land grabbing and dispossession; impacts on territories and commons; resistance and socio-territorial conflicts. Based on this framework, we analyse and juxtapose different expressions of energy colonialism in four case studies; the isthmus of Tehuantepec (Oaxaca, Mexico), the territories of Western Sahara occupied by Morocco, the Saami territory in Norway, and the rural territories of Spain. The results from this study allow us to conclude that energy colonialism is a useful concept for understanding and critiquing the effects of the corporate energy transition and establishing a base for grassroots and decolonial alternatives in both the Global North and South. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring balanced spatial development of Russia is not possible without the implementation of measures for accelerated development of rural areas. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the need to adjust the priorities of rural development in the North of Russia based on the analysis of the regional state program “Integrated development of rural areas of the Vologda region”. The methodological basis is the developments of regional and spatial economics and economy of rural territories. The information base was the data of Federal State Statistics Service, reports of the Vologda Region state authorities, the results of surveys of the Vologda Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences. We used methods of analysis, synthesis, comparison and correlation as well as regression analysis. The elements of scientific novelty are consideration of rural areas as an integral part of the region’s space as well as integrated use of monographic, statistical and econometric methods in justifying the need to change the priorities of rural development. The expediency of adjusting the priorities of rural development in the direction of active advancement of their economy is revealed. It seems relevant to adjust priorities by including measures for the development of the rural economy, enshrined in the Strategy for Sustainable Development of Rural Areas of the Russian Federation for the Period up to 2030, and measures to form a single rural-urban space. The prospect for research is justification of social and economic efficiency from the implementation of measures to improve the rural economy.

Introduction. The adoption in 2019 of the new state program of the Russian Federation “Integrated development of rural territories” determines the relevance of the evaluation of the program-target method in the development of the Russian village (taking into account the specifics of the subjects of the Russian Federation and municipalities that differ greatly from each other). The purpose of this article is to identify possible shortcomings and existing problems in the implementation of the state program “Integrated Development of rural areas” as a key tool for the implementation of the program-target method of rural development of the regions of Russia and, based on this, substantiate recommendations to the authorities on improving the measures and tools for the implementation of this method in relation to rural development. Materials and Methods. To achieve the purpose, we have used the methods of economic, statistical, and comparative analysis, generalization and analysis, sociological researches. Information basis consists of Rosstat’s official statistics, as well as reporting documents of the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation, the results of a questionnaire survey of heads of municipalities of the Vologda region, publications of scientists and experts in journals and on the Internet. Results. The results of the analysis made it possible to identify the key shortcomings of the program and the problems of implementing the state program “Integrated Development of rural territories”, including a reduction in the amount of financial support for this state program for 2020–2025 in comparison with its original passport, imperfection of approaches and criteria for selecting projects for rural development, the problem of lack of qualified personnel for project development and limited powers of local self-government bodies. The specifics of the implementation of this state program within the framework of the proposed typology of the subjects of the Russian Federation according to the level of development of agricultural production and the overall level of their socio-economic development are revealed. The directions of improvement of this state program and approaches, mechanisms of its implementation are substantiated. Discussion and Conclusion. According to the results of the study, it is shown that the mechanism of implementation of the program-target method for the development of rural areas of Russia does not yet allow to provide for their complete and real comprehensive and sustainable development. The materials of the article can be used by federal, regional, and local authorities to improve the approaches and methods of implementing policies for the development of rural areas.

At present, GIS technologies penetrate various spheres of socio-economic life of humankind. In this paper, based on GIS technologies, the main classes of the land cover of Ukraine were analysed with further in-depth study in terms of regions and rural and urban areas. The results of this study are based on ESA WorldCover data; according to them, 32% of Ukraine’s territory can be attributed to urban areas, while 68% – to rural areas. In general, the analysis showed that Ukraine is characterised by a high degree of land using, so the land that was cultivated in 2020 accounted for 55.5% of its area. 70% of rural areas comprise cultivated areas, 30% – in urban areas. The leaders among the oblasts with the largest share of cultivated lands are Zaporizhzhia (76%), Kirovohrad (76%), Mykolaiv (77). An inherent feature of Ukraine’s land structure is a considerable share of land (15.3%) under meadows, hayfields, and pastures, which are vital in restoration and preservation and as an essential element of regional ecosystems. 66% of the territories of this class are concentrated in rural areas, on urban areas – 34%. Most of them are in Luhansk (26%), Lviv (24%) and Volyn (22%) oblasts. The level of forest cover in Ukraine is 23.3%, with 17.7% being forests and the other 6% – protective forest belts, orchards, and arboretums. Rural areas account for 64% of forested areas. The most forested areas are Zakarpattia (68%), Ivano-Frankivsk (54%) and Zhytomyr (45%), while the least forested are Kherson (4%), Zaporizhzhia (5%) and Mykolaiv (6%). In general, 71% of forested areas are rural and 29% are urban. In Ukraine, the share of surface waters covering the geographical area is 2.4%, of which 71% is in rural territories and 29% – in urban territories. Cherkasy (5%), Zaporizhzhia (6%), and Kherson (8%) oblasts are the top three oblasts in terms of surface water supply with 64%, 63% and 82% in rural areas, respectively (Figure 8). In turn, the oblasts with the smallest share of open water areas are Zhytomyr (0.5%), Luhansk (0.4%) and Zakarpattia (0.3%) oblasts, with 77%, 33%, and 46%, respectively

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The decline of mining activities in Romania has led to the appearance of large areas of mining waste, buildings and decommissioned equipment. Known by the name of mining wastelands, they challenge both the environment as well as the communities in which they are located. The problems created by the mining wastelands generate shock waves in the development of the rural territories hosting them and block their sustainable development. This paper highlights the stages of the evolution of different types of mining wastelands in Bukovina, with an emphasis on the environmental component, as well as on their possible integration using various forms of valorization. The data was gathered in 2017 as part of a research called “La dynamique des paysages culturels intégrant des aires avec des friches minières. Rétrospectives et perspectives géographique en Bucovine (Roumanie) et en Wallonie (Belgique)”, funded by “L`Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie”. We used the Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM) methodology to assess the environmental impact of mining wastelands, which included 5 evaluation criteria and 15 components investigated (6 physical-geographical and ecological components, plus 9 socio-economic and cultural ones). The findings indicate that the ecological impact of abandoned mining areas is directly related to the area they occupy as well as the morphoclimatic system in which they are located. The socioeconomic component analysis highlighted the role of mine closure in increasing unemployment and lowering living standards, as well as a community takeover of some infrastructure elements through direct involvement of local government.

This article deals with the recomposition of relations between public actors and citizens in the definition and the management of rural village sustainable planning projects, based on the analysis of the case of Volonne (Alpes-de-Haute-Provence). In a form of extension of the participatory dynamic initiated during the creation of the Ecodistrict, combining consultation, cooperation and co-building mechanisms, this rural municipality has seen the emergence of a multi-faceted citizen engagement studied in this research. In this perspective, we question the ability of rural municipalities to support and sustain citizens’initiatives in their efforts to transform the built environment and to develop “living together” in rural areas. The research shows the diversity of citizens' initiatives and their contribution to the improvement of the living environment but also the need to change traditional policy frameworks. The association of public actors and citizens calls for adjustments, articulations that remain partly to be found in order to respond to the difficulties of coordination or to the risk of shortening initiatives around a small group of participants.

In the modern conditions of transformation of entrepreneurship in rural areas, management of financial and economic activities of enterprises is a dynamic process that requires the use of modern methods and concepts that could increase competitiveness and efficiency of activity, as well as neutralize possible negative consequences of the influence of external environmental factors. The lack of their clear classification makes it difficult to choose the appropriate methods, taking into account the needs and goals of a particular enterprise. Based on the literature review and the implementation of the method of decomposition, the article defines the nature of the term «management methods for the enterprises’ financial and economic activities in rural areas». It also describes the management methods for an enterprise and the financial and economic activities of business entities. Taking into account the methods of comparative assessment, a set of management methods has been created. Business entities located in rural areas of Ukraine can use it to manage their financial and economic activities. The article has focused on the comparative assessment of special methods (change management methods) in the context of their implementation to manage the enterprises’ financial and economic activities in rural areas of the country. It is clarified that the set of concepts presented in the article should be aimed at optimizing business processes and improving the quality of production activities and form separate cycles of improving the mechanism of managing the financial and economic activities of the enterprise, as a result, the improvement process itself becomes permanent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Although studies on food and tourism have gained terrain within tourism research, especially in the last decade, the connections of food tourism with rural territories have remained underexplored. This is particularly significant in the context of an increasing recognition that food should be understood as a distinguishing feature of rural tourism destinations, at the same time as displaying specific heritage and traditions as and contributing to the development of rural territories. The intention of this article is to shed light on the connection between food tourism and rural territories by exploring its potential through a systematic literature review on this untapped topic. Based on 73 articles focusing on those connections, the paper reviews and further explores what is already known on the topic, examining the different research methodologies and approaches used, as well as the dimensions analysed and results obtained. Research on the links between food tourism and rural territories seems to be geographically marked and particularly relevant in Southern European countries (such as Spain and Italy), as well as in North America (mainly the USA). Impacts on local development, together with production and commercialization strategies, are the main dimensions analysed by the articles, revealing indeed some of the potential virtuous bonds deriving from the connection between tourism, food and rural territories.

This article aims to define the category of energy colonialism in order to analyse the conflicts that are arising due to the deployment of renewable energy megaprojects in the Global South and in the peripheries of the Global North. First, the limits of the corporate energy transition are questioned, and based on an exhaustive bibliographic review, the category of energy colonialism is formulated along with six dimensions that characterise it: geopolitical; economic and financial inequalities; power, violence, and decision making; land grabbing and dispossession; impacts on territories and commons; resistance and socio-territorial conflicts. Based on this framework, we analyse and juxtapose different expressions of energy colonialism in four case studies; the isthmus of Tehuantepec (Oaxaca, Mexico), the territories of Western Sahara occupied by Morocco, the Saami territory in Norway, and the rural territories of Spain. The results from this study allow us to conclude that energy colonialism is a useful concept for understanding and critiquing the effects of the corporate energy transition and establishing a base for grassroots and decolonial alternatives in both the Global North and South.

The possibilities of small-scale economic activities, which include peasant (farm) farms, in the preservation and development of rural areas of the country, in solving the problems of employment and income of rural residents require a deep interdisciplinary analysis in order to develop effective support measures in the future. Farmers are a significant subject of socio-economic processes in modern Russian rural areas and the implementation of state food security programs. Most of their farms are multi-industry, they are engaged in grain growing, animal husbandry, vegetable growing, beekeeping, etc. In order to understand what processes are taking place in farms, what factors constrain and what, on the contrary, contribute to their development, how the farming way of life adapts to the conditions of constantly changing socio – economic reality, how farmers are integrated into the activities of rural societies, it is important to use various research practices to study the various aspects of farms in different regions of the country. This article uses sociological information obtained from rural residents of such large agricultural regions as the Republic of Kalmykia, Astrakhan, Volgograd regions, and Stavropol territory.

The objective of this study is to demonstrate the importance of the existing Ways of Saint James in Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, in the northern interior of Portugal, and that being integrated in soft tourism, can constitute a mechanism that allows the revitalization of rural areas, especially the sparsely populated areas, because it allows a series of benefits such as the increase of tourists and pilgrims, the creation of new services, among other structures, thus boosting tourism development. Above all, these Paths linked to soft tourism, allow us to highlight the predominance of tourism linked to nature tourism and slow mobility. In order to carry out this study, the methodology used will be based on interviews to tourists and pilgrims in order to obtain testimonies that can characterise the impact of the Ways themselves on rural territories.

Copyright of Gestão e Regionalidade is the property of Universidade Municipal de Sao Caetano do Sul and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revue d'Économie Régionale & urbaine is the property of Librairie Armand Colin and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The paper considers scientific approaches to determining the essence of rural tourism and agrotourism. The authors conduct a review of the current state and trends in the development of tourism, including rural tourism, in the Vologda region. The article characterizes the activities of the government bodies of the Vologda region to create conditions for the development of the tourism industry. The study proves the prospects for the development of rural tourism in the region, shows the possibilities of forming complex tourist products. The article identifies the main problems of rural tourism development in the region and determines the directions of their solution. The paper considers the role of local governments in the development of rural tourism. The authors justify the necessity of more active implementation of the project approach in the practice of municipal administration in order to fully apply the tourist potential of the region’s territories. The study emphasizes public-private and municipal-private partnerships as one of the most effective ways to attract investment in the development of tourist infrastructure.

The article investigates the structure of regional economic policy in historical context, from first years of market economy development in Russia to the current period of passing-over to digital economy. On the basis of dialectical method, system approach, practical analytical instruments, method of experts’ estimation reasons and consequences of evolution changes in regional economic policy were analyzed. Factors influencing the nature of social and economic processes on sub-national level were studied. The article shows today’s trends of space development characterized by the objective global process of raising the role of agglomeration in speeding-up economic growth, increasing labour productivity, incomes and standard of living of the population. Long-term prospects of development and functioning of rural territories were not evaluated adequately, though they play one of the key roles in growing geo-political influence of Russia in the world. Detail study of the theoretical base of regional economics allowed us to substantiate the issue of shifting the focus in managing the territorial development to macro-regional level and in this connection to renew instruments used for analytical purposes. By analyzing the home practice of state regulation a conclusion was drawn about the necessity to set up a specialized state structure for observing the process of strengthening the role of macro-regions and efficiency of shaping the adequate bodies of power to manage the space social and economic development.

The qualitative peculiarity of the existing land market in rural areas requires constant assessment of both the mechanisms that control its development and the direction of changes in its segments. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to analyze the territorial features of the development of the agricultural land market in modern conditions of the implementation of the import substitution policy. The research was carried out across the constituent entities of the Russian Federation of the Northwestern Federal District (NWFD) and in more detail on the example of the municipal districts of the Leningrad region using data from Rosstat, Rosreestr, the Ministry of Agriculture of the Russian Federation and other sources. Statistical methods of information processing were used. Based on the analysis of the dynamics of changes in the size of the cultivated areas, it was concluded that there were unfavorable tendencies as to the demand for arable land in the conditions of the Northwestern Federal District. Due to it, the reduction in the area under crops occurs in regions with more favorable conditions for agricultural activities. As the result, the growth in the number of transactions for the sale and purchase of agricultural land in the regions of the Northwestern Federal District is not sustainable. On the example of the municipal districts of the Leningrad region, the features of the primary and secondary market for agricultural land were revealed: the supply of land plots exceeds demand and is localized in the suburban area, such types of land turnover as the purchase and sale and lease of land plots have limited development. Depending on the location and other rental characteristics, the level of land prices, even within the boundaries of one municipal district, varies from 2.5 to 15 times. It has been established that the development of subsystems of market turnover of agricultural land is closely related to the conditions and results of economic activity in rural areas.

The importance of innovation in all disciplines and sectors in the current economic dynamic is unquestionable. For several decades, it has been considered as the major force behind the promotion of economic expansion and development. However, the economic models are characterized by their constant change, transformation, and complexity, regarding relationships and interactions, as well as regarding agents and actors involved in such processes. In this regard, the objective of this analysis was to enhance the understanding about the performance of innovation agents and to clearly identify their characteristics, roles, and functions, in order to facilitate the design of strategies that enable the acceleration of the innovations diffusion within the agri-food sector. The definition of agent and its relationship with the territory are discussed as an important element, because the territory is the geographic space in which the innovation process takes place. Regarding the characteristics, roles, and functions, a summary about the identified innovation agents is carried out, along with an analysis of how their interactions enable innovation. Consequently, a characterization of the agents that develop, use, manage, and diffuse innovation allows the integration of clearer and more appropriate studies on the innovation processes that are being developed in the agri-food sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of the tourism superstructure in rural areas is a driving force for the diversification of opportunities for economic progress in rural areas. On the one hand, it provides opportunities for sustainability in a rural area by using its resources for agricultural purposes. On the other hand, there is a prospect for the realization of alternative forms of tourism business. This paper examines some opportunities for development in the direction of sustainability of the tourism superstructure in rural areas in order to integrate and balanced territorial development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. The aims of this paper are (i) to explore public-private partnerships as a tool for economic development of rural economies in developing countries and countries with economies in transition in order to ensure sustainable use of nature and increase public welfare of rural communities through the added value chain; (ii) to develop proposals for the implementation of public-private partnerships on land management and land use in Ukraine. Methodology / approach. The methodological approach involves study of the world’s PPP practice in land management and land use (including the use of land in forestry), study of the connections between PPP projects and scientific approaches to the concept of sustainable development and the added value chain, as well as analysis of domestic scientific bibliography, which relate to the subject of this study. Results. The authors found that the declared priorities of the Agenda for Sustainable Development until 2030 require the application of integrated approaches. In particular, the programme in the mechanism of sustainable development management in the form of PPP to ensure sustainable use of nature and increase the social welfare of rural communities. Because the programme approach here involves investing in natural resources and environmental protection and should cover the entire value chain, which directly or indirectly affects the efficiency of natural rural assets, as well as the use and application of innovative technologies. Originality / scientific novelty. It is substantiated that progress in achieving the declared priorities, in particular in the field of environmental protection, growth of public rural welfare, etc. is possible only in a combination of strengths of all PPP partners, which will eliminate the shortcomings and weaknesses of rural communities. In contrast to existing approaches to the development of the land use economy of rural territories, the basis of the synergy of the parties to PPP is a special natural resource – land, which performs environmental, economic, legal and socio-cultural functions, and determines the form and content, which actually builds sustainable development, including rural. A wide range of PPP forms has been further developed, varying in the degree of involvement and risk taken by the private party in relation to the development of the land use economy of rural territories. The approach to the value chains organization in the development of PPP projects on land management and land use and providing security of land use in terms of taking into account the land use of farmers, formed on different rights, has been improved. The author’s project PPP in the production of pellets a private investor in lumber logging waste provided by some state-owned enterprise both subject to the extension of the moratorium and without its effect is developed. Practical value / implications. The authors’ research shows that the introduction of the value chain in the mechanism of public-private partnership will lead to significant effective changes in the development of the land use economy, in particular of rural territories. Namely, with the use of appropriate policies it will ensure the provision of sustainable use of natural resources and growth of public welfare, in particular rural communities. This approach allows to involve all stakeholders (government, community, business) for effective management of natural assets in general and agriculture in particular and will increase their level of capitalization and investment attractiveness.

The subject of the research is theoretical and practical aspects of the formation, development and growth of human potential in rural areas of Ukraine. The purpose of the work is to identify the problems of forming the human potential of rural areas of the country and substantiate strategic guidelines and promising areas and means of solving them to ensure its growth and sustainable development. Methodological basis of the article is the use of modern theoretical provisions of the economy of the national economy, rural territories, the reproduction of human potential; General scientific and special methods of knowledge: demographic, statistical-economic, economic-mathematical, graphic. Results of work. It is determined that the human potential of rural areas of Ukraine is formed by demographic factors, employment and employment, income level, quality and social and environmental conditions of life. However, it is the narrowed natural reproduction, high unemployment and low incomes of rural residents that cause its deterioration and degradation. It is found that these and other problems should be solved by implementing state programs to support rural fertility, developing alternative activities and increasing employment, social and environmental development of rural areas. The field of application of results. The conclusions and suggestions of the article can be used by local governments, rural communities, public organizations, charitable foundations in solving problems of human development in rural areas, educational and scientific institutions in educational and scientific activities. Conclusions. Financial sources for the implementation of proposals can be monetary and other resources of agricultural enterprises, rural residents, rural communities, targeted state programs, public organizations and charitable foundations. Public-private partnership, social responsibility, social innovation, information and digital technologies should be used as tools for achieving these goals. When determining priorities for implementing these measures in practice, it is necessary to take into account the specifics of each locality, the region where they are located, as well as the decisions of rural communities. This will contribute to the revival of rural areas, increase the prestige of rural life, preserve the rural way of life, expand the reproduction of human capital and personal growth of human potential.

The articles aims to substantiate the socio-economic, environmental, historical and cultural role played by green tourism and its contribution to the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals based on current innovative trends and capabilities of tourism in the face of challenges posed by the ongoing crisis in global economy caused by the latest pandemic. The objectives of the research were to detail the theoretical, methodological and applied approaches to the development of green tourism, which is a market sector providing travel services. The definition of green tourism has been made more profound through connecting it with the Sustainable Development Goals, which is rather logical. The motivating factors for the development of green tourism have been analyzed taking into account the model of multifunctionality in agriculture and its importance in rural development policy. The nature of changes in the green tourism sector has been identified with respect to the peculiarities of the current global situation, when a pandemic is restraining the world tourism intensity, on the one hand, and is stimulating local tourism, on the other. It is worth adding that local tourism is mostly green and focused on the conservation of the environmental and natural resources, as well as sustainment of mostly rural areas. The research carried out shows that green tourism can become a driving force for economic growth in rural areas, a motivator for employment, a factor in preserving rural culture and traditions in a particular area. At the same time, the results of the research prove the existence of a link between green tourism and national economic, environmental, socio-cultural, intellectual, energy security due to the most typical development priorities of such tourism. On analyzing the experience of the countries that suffered the pandemic most, we have found some prospects for green tourism development. It is a new system of partnership between the state, business and civil society which can become an additional incentive to preserve the potential of green tourism. Thus, strategic guidelines for green tourism development based on institutional priorities, with the current economic crisis challenges in mind, have been designed.

The project Cultrural+ (an Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership project in the field of Adult Education) is funding research and education to deal with major demographic challenges in some regions of the participant countries (Extremadura in Spain, Tràsos-Montes in Portugal, Central Massif in France, Thessaly in Greece and province of Latina in Italy). The paper will discuss the particular problems that European depopulated areas are facing and how cultural heritage and cultural tourism could act as resilience factors. Research is showing that though the different countries’ regions face similar demographic challenges, strategies and planned actions are different. The levels and indicators to measure and understand depopulation processes are also diverse, as are the levels of actualization of the data in each country. International comparative interdisciplinary research allows transfer of best practices cases and models as the “learning territories” and to deepen in the analysis and prospection of the socio-cultural major changes that are affecting the European countryside. This paper analyses the criteria that can help evaluate and acknowledge best practices.

It is revealed that there is no definition of a state agricultural policy that reflects its European integration orientation. It is proved that since the signing of the Association Agreement, the process of European integration for Ukraine has become a priority. It was stated that the state agricultural policy should be based on the introduction of a set of legal, organizational and economic measures aimed at the implementation of the Association Agreement in the field of agriculture and rural development. A detailed analysis of the legislation defining the state agrarian policy in the context of European integration has been carried out. The conclusions were drawn about: a large number of legal acts, which are exclusively declarative, since there are no mechanisms for their implementation; lack of a single legal act that would determine the strategic goals of the state agricultural policy, both in the field of agricultural production and social development of the village; lack of a systematic approach, and the adoption of regulations is aimed solely at solving current problems. It is stated that the main priority of the state agricultural policy should be the concept of sustainable rural development, which envisages integrated development of economic, social and environmental spheres of the village, which must be in interaction and interconnection in order for the use of natural resources of rural territories to meet the needs of the present generation. and was done without sacrificing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. It is proposed to develop the Fundamentals of The State Agrarian Policy in the form of a Law that would provide a set of legal, organizational and economic measures aimed at implementing the Association Agreement in the field of agriculture and rural development. It is pointed out that the structure of this normative act should reflect the strategic priorities of the state, among which the priority should be: measures aimed at ensuring food security; development of value-added agri-food chains and sustainable rural development in the context of European integration.