HUMAN CAPITAL AS A DEVELOPMENT FACTOR OF ORGANIC AGRICULTURE IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Mirela Tomaš Simin; Danica Glavaš-Trbić; Dragan Milić; Dejan Janković

doi:10.59267/ekoPolj2402485T

Authors

Mirela Tomaš Simin University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, Novi Sad, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1833-9857
Danica Glavaš-Trbić University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, Novi Sad, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5990-6558
Dragan Milić University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, Novi Sad, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0377-1540
Dejan Janković University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology, Novi Sad, Serbia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2609-125X

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59267/ekoPolj2402485T

Keywords:

Organic agriculture, human capital, development, sustainability

Abstract

Authors explore the role of human capital in organic agriculture in Serbia. Through semi-structured interviews with 64 individual farmers holding organic production certificates, key aspects of human capital, including education level, language proficiency and ICT usage were analyzed. Findings reveal a disparity between conventional and organic farming in terms of computer literacy and ICT utilization, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to enhance technological adoption in organic farming. Moreover, the study identifies the importance of membership in agricultural associations for organic farmers, facilitating knowledge exchange and market penetration. The results suggest that human capital plays a pivotal role in driving advancements in organic agriculture, with implications for the sustainability and growth of the sector in Serbia. This underscores the necessity for future research to go deeper into human capital dynamics and their implications for sustainable agricultural development.

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