Ekonomika poljoprivrede

RURAL TOURISM IMPACT ON THE LIFE QUALITY OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY: A CASE STUDY OF WESTERN SERBIA

Aleksa Panić — 2024-10-04

This study analyzes the impact of rural tourism on the quality of life in Western Serbia, focusing on four tourist villages: Koštunići, Vraneša, Sunčana reka, and Sirogojno. Utilizing a mixed-methods approach with 469 respondents, we assessed local perceptions of economic, social, and environmental influences resulting from tourism development. The Likert scale revealed positive economic effects, significant shifts in social conditions and thinking, and concerns about environmental degradation. The study underscores rural tourism’s multifaceted nature, emphasizing positive economic impacts, socio-cultural improvements, and environmental considerations. The conclusions highlight the need for responsible, sustainable practices to optimize benefits while mitigating negative consequences. Recommendations include addressing gender disparities and prioritizing environmental concerns in future rural tourism development. This research contributes to understanding rural tourism’s implications, offering insights for policymakers, local communities, and practitioners striving for balanced, prosperous, and sustainable rural development in Western Serbia and beyond.

ASSESSMENT MODEL FOR SUSTAINABLE RURAL DEVELOPMENT AT NUTS 3 LEVEL: A MULTI-CRITERIA APPROACH

Mateja Jež Rogelj — 2024-10-04

Sustainable rural development, encompassing economic growth, social equity, and environmental protection, is a multifaceted concept with inherent complexities. Achieving it often involves navigating trade-offs between these three pillars. To effectively allocate resources and achieve convergent development in the EU, measuring rural sustainability at the regional level is crucial. The multicriteria approach addresses this challenge by considering the diverse perspectives of stakeholders involved in rural development. This paper presents a model for measuring sustainable rural development at the NUTS 3 level in Croatia, utilizing the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) within a multi-criteria analysis framework. Based on a survey of rural development stakeholders, 15 indicators were selected, weighted, and incorporated into the model. The survey revealed that economic indicators received the highest weight (0.415), followed by social (0.309) and environmental (0.275) considerations. This model offers a valuable foundation for local and regional decision-makers to develop strategies and implement actions that promote sustainable development in rural areas.

ORGANIC AGRICULTURE PERSPECTIVES IN DEPENDENCE OF SOIL TYPE: COMPARATIVE ANALYSES OF SERBIA, MONTENEGRO, BULGARIA AND CROATIA

Aleksandra Stojkov Pavlović — 2024-10-04

Unlike traditional agriculture, which is characterized by the use of large quantities chemicals, the development of organic agriculture helps to conserve natural resources, and influences employment growth and the opening of new jobs in rural areas. For the development of organic farming, one of the main factors is soil type. This article analyzes soil resources, explores prospects for the growth of organic agriculture in Serbia and provides a comparative analysis of the development of organic production in Montenegro, Bulgaria and Croatia. Using official statistics, the situation in the production of organic products in individual countries is analyzed. The results of the growth of organic agricultural land and the share of organic agricultural land in the total volume of agricultural land are presented according to indicators. The comparative analysis carried out in this article is based on available statistical data on the land area and the types of the soils.

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF SERBIAN AGRICULTURE AND AGRICULTURE OF OTHER HIGH MIDDLE-INCOME COUNTRIES

Tiana Andjelković — 2024-10-04

The goal of countries that have excellent comparative advantages for the development of agriculture, such as Serbia, is rural development and the general development of agriculture as an economic branch. This is logical, given the great importance of food available to everyone. According to the World Bank classification, Serbia belongs to the group of countries with high middle income. The aim of this paper is to present the impact of the economic development of the observed countries on the production of food. Methodologies applied for this research are: single correlation and single and multiple regression models and indicators such as global food security index, gross domestic product per capita, share of agriculture in gross domestic product for the year 2022 will be used.

SOCIETY 5.0 AND ITS IMPACT ON AGRICULTURAL BUSINESS AND INNOVATION: A NEW PARADIGM FOR RURAL DEVELOPMENT

Cariša Bešić — 2024-10-04

This paper analyzes the impact of Society 5.0 on agricultural business and innovation, proposing a new paradigm for rural development. Society 5.0 represents the evolution beyond previous societal models, aiming to harmonize economic progress with solutions to social issues through the integration of cyberspace and physical space. Central to this model is the application of advanced technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, big data, and augmented reality. The study focuses on the significant changes within agricultural practices and business models. Through a review and analysis of current trends, the paper presents a theoretical framework The paper also proposes the Agricultural Business and Rural Development Potential (ABRDP) index as guide for future trends and potential outcomes in the agricultural domain, offering insights into optimistic, conservative, and pessimistic scenarios for rural development.

VALUE ASSESSMENT OF FRUIT ORCHARDS BASED ON THE COSTS OF ESTABLISHMENT

Mirjana Lukač Bulatović — 2024-10-04

The necessity for value assessment of fruit orchards (an orchard as a whole and/or individual fruit trees grown therein) arises in instances of the damage or destruction of orchards caused by climatic factors, intentional harm, expropriation, the construction of public facilities at the orchard site (such as highways, railways, power lines, etc.), changes in ownership, and expert mediation in various legal disputes. The value assessment of orchards based on the total costs of establishment involves determining all expenditures incurred from the very establishment of the orchard until its full development, id est until reaching such productivity that the value of production exceeds the incurred production costs and the annual annuity payment. The theoretical-methodological procedure for assessing the value of fruit orchards based on the total costs of establishment, or their cultivation value, is illustrated using a peach orchard as an example.

MULTI-CRITERIA MEASUREMENT OF AGRI-ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE IN EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES

Milan Marković — 2024-10-04

The purpose of the paper is to assess the agri-environmental situation in the European Union at the national level. To realize that goal, a multi-criteria analysis of indicators from the official European database was used. The results of the ranking show that Portugal, Estonia, and Ireland are at the top according to agri-environmental performance, while the worst ranked countries are Malta, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Cyprus. The common agricultural policy of the European Union must be designed to improve the position of certain countries, based on the experience and sustainable agricultural practices of the leading countries in this area, considering the obtained research results. This study can contribute to the creators of agri-environmental policies in the preparation of the future strategy of the agricultural development of the European Union countries.

AGRICULTURAL INPUTS USE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: THE INNOVATIVE COUNTRIES AND THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Miloš S Dimitrijević — 2024-10-04

Bearing in mind the increasingly pronounced world challenges such as the growth of population on the world, climate changes and pandemics, there is an increasing emphasis on healthy and safe food, as well as environmental protection. Organic production achieves the best ecological advantages compared to all other agricultural production methods. However, its application is limited due to lower yields, which requires increasing productivity. The aim of the paper is to differentiate between conventional and organic inputs (resources) and their impact on agricultural production, economic and sustainable development. Ordinary Least Square (OLS) panel regression did not show a significant difference between conventional and organic inputs for agricultural production, where it is only important to increase the amount of inputs for higher production, while the increase in total factor productivity of inputs has a positive impact on the economic and sustainable development of the observed countries.

RURAL AREAS MANAGEMENT AND STRATEGIC DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES WITH EMPHASIS ON SUSTAINABLE ISLAND DEVELOPMENT

Dominik Paparić — 2024-10-04

The main constraint of strategic development and management of rural areas is rooted in resource management and insufficient holistic approach to all available resources and its interdependence. Management of such areas involves thorough planning on all levels and management of changes to achieve the best competitive advantage possible. In this paper, the focus is on the strategic management of the destination (Croatian islands), the concept of sustainable development of rural areas on Croatian islands, level of permanent education of local population on the concept of sustainable development and existence of even distribution of opportunities that can enable local community to achieve socio-economic benefit. The primary survey is conducted in the observed area in 2019. The total sample of respondents is 243.

GENDER PERSPECTIVES OF TWIN TRANSITION IN AGRICULTURE AND FOOD SECTOR COMPANIES: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE FROM SERBIA

Mihailo Paunović — 2024-10-04

This paper investigates the gender perspectives in the twin transition of companies in Serbia’s agriculture and food sector, focusing on their adoption of information and communication technologies (ICT) and green/ environmental activities. Using primary data from computer-assisted telephone interviews, a comprehensive survey was conducted among sector companies. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics and non-parametric tests to compare differences between groups. The results highlight the significant impact of gender diversity on digitalisation adoption. However, disparities emerge in the green transition, particularly in waste reduction through recycling, raw material reuse, and supplier selection based on environmental criteria. No gender-specific differences were found in reducing harmful emissions or using ecofriendly packaging. This study enhances understanding of gender dynamics in the agri-food sector’s twin transformation and highlights how gender perspectives influence digital and environmental practices. The findings inform policymakers and businesses on promoting gendersensitive strategies for sustainable development and economic growth in Serbia and beyond.

EXPLORING THE CRAFT BEER EXPERIENCE IN SERBIA: THE CONSUMER PERSPECTIVE

Danijela Pantović — 2024-10-04

One of the main things driving the growth of culinary, or more accurately, beverage tourism, is the “beer revolution,” or the proliferation of craft beer production. Investigating the reasons and perceptions of tourists about the beer tourism experience is vital in the lack of comparable studies. The purpose of this study is to add to the extremely little that is currently known about Serbia’s beer tourism industry. Authors specifically looked at the factors that affect craft beer experience and customer loyalty among craft breweries’ consumers. Considering that consumers of craft beer have different motivations, it was discovered that craft beer experience has a positive but the lowest impact on perceived quality.

THE IMPACT OF RAKIJA CULTURAL HERITAGE AND RAKIJA MARKETING ON THE CONSUMER PURCHASING DECISIONS

Slobodan Adžić — 2024-10-04

This is the first study on the tradition and cultural heritage of the rakija market based on consumer behavior analysis. The primary objective is to investigate the impact of cultural tradition on consumer behavior regarding the purchase of rakija, the national alcoholic beverage of Serbia. The secondary objective of this research is to measure the magnitude to which the marketing program of distilleries influences consumers’ purchases of rakija. The research data were collected in Serbia from December 2023 to March 2024 utilizing a survey approach. Electronic data collection was carried out through an online questionnaire. The study sample comprised 608 valid respondents (n=608) who were chosen randomly. Traditional cultural heritage affects the purchase of rakija; however, the UNESCO recognition of šljivovica as part of its intangible heritage list does not. Moreover, the marketing program of distilleries affects the purchase of rakija. However, the effect sizes of these phenomena are insignificant.

ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF DIGITALIZATION IN SERBIAN AGRICULTURE: FARMERS’ ATTITUDES

Natasa Kljajić — 2024-10-04

One of the ways to achieve economic, environmental, and social sustainability in agriculture is to introduce digitalization in the production process or its digital transformation. The primary research objective in this paper is to obtain empirical knowledge about the various economic aspects of investing in digitalization in Serbian agriculture. The research relies on interviews conducted in the period April-October 2023 using a semi-structured questionnaire, covering a sample of 53 agricultural holdings on the entire territory of Serbia. The results show that the interviewed farm managers do not show a high degree of satisfaction with the achieved level of digitalization on the farms they manage. Nevertheless, based on the analysis of economic parameters of investment in digital solutions (return on investment period, perceived benefits, costs, investment limitations, financial support), the largest percentage of respondents (56.6%) intends to intensify investments in digitalization on their farm in the next period.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN AGRICULTURE: THE IMPACT ON LABOR PRODUCTIVITY

Jasna Soldić Aleksić — 2024-10-04

The last few years have seen the artificial intelligence technologies’ potential to radically transform many industries, including agriculture, by optimizing the use of resources, increasing productivity, work efficiency, and resistance to climate change. The basic research question here is the degree of connection between the level of productivity in agriculture, on the one hand, and the degree of acceptance of AI technologies and a number of agriculture-related economic indicators, on the other hand. For this purpose, an empirical data analysis was carried out for EU 27 member countries. The results of the analysis show a moderately strong positive relationship between the level of the Labor Productivity in Agriculture and the AI Readiness Index score. Also, there is a statistically significant, but slightly less pronounced, positive relationship between the level of the Labor Productivity in Agriculture and GDP per capita and Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing, Value Added (current US$) in Millions.

ENHANCING AGRICULTURAL PROGRESS VIA SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION

Bianca-Florentina Nistoroiu — 2024-10-04

The paper’s main aim is to discuss the importance of reducing environmental impact, conserving biodiversity, and addressing socio-economic concerns within the context of agriculture. The research methodology involves a comprehensive review of existing literature, and data analysis to address the following research questions: By emphasizing the interdependence of ecological, social, and economic factors, the paper provides insights into holistic approaches to sustainable agriculture. The paper contributes to the field by offering practical recommendations and policy implications for policymakers, practitioners, and stakeholders involved in agriculture. It highlights the importance of collaborative efforts among various stakeholders to foster innovation, promote knowledge sharing, and drive systemic change towards a more sustainable food system. Through its interdisciplinary approach, the paper bridges gaps in understanding and offers pathways for achieving agricultural progress while safeguarding the environment and ensuring food security for future generations.

INHERITANCE AS A BASIS FOR THE ACQUISITION OF OWNERSHIP RIGHTS OVER REAL ESTATE AND AGRICULTURAL LAND BY FOREIGN CITIZENS

Dalibor Krstinić — 2024-10-04

The subject of research in the paper will be the right of foreign citizens to inherit real estate and agricultural land in the Republic of Serbia. By using the methodologicaltheoretical framework, the aim of the work will be the analysis of the inheritance institute, which represents the basis of acquisition of property rights on real estate and agricultural land by foreign citizens. The era of globalization favors the movement of people between countries, but each country determines the availability and scope of rights of foreign nationals according to its interests. Therefore, in order to analyze the research subject, we will use historical, descriptive, normative and content analysis methods. The conclusion will summarize the results of research on inheritance as a basis for acquiring property rights on real estate and agricultural land by foreign citizens.rights over real estate and agricultural land by foreign citizens.

CONDITIONS OF OBTAINING LOANS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF MANAGEMENT OF AGRICULTURAL FARMS AND MEDIUMSIZED AGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISES, THE EXAMPLE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Jelena Lutovac — 2024-10-04

A number of factors can affect getting a loan. The aim of the study was to determine the possible influence of the following factors: interest rate, loan repayment term, user participation, VAT lending possibilities, agricultural equipment as a pledge, simplicity of the lending procedure, minimum loan amount, adjustment of repayment and total score in the period 2022- 2024 on getting a loan. The application of the t-test revealed that there is a strong influence of all the mentioned factors on obtaining loans in agricultural holdings, that is, in the operations of medium-sized agricultural enterprises. The next conclusions would be that the mentioned factors affect the prediction of the interest rate in the business of agricultural farms (F=185.24, p<0.0005) but also in the business of medium-sized agricultural companies (F=106.51, p<0.0005) in the Republic of Serbia.

ANALYSIS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE IPARD II PROGRAM IN SERBIA

Gordana Radović — 2024-10-04

In Serbia, high expectations were focused on the IPARD Program, considering that in the entire transition period, there was a greater demand for favorable sources of financing for agriculture and rural development compared to their supply. The purpose of the paper is to analyze the implementation of the IPARD II program in Serbia, in the current period, that is, ending with the end of February 2024. The paper uses the following methods: desk research, method of descriptive statistics, as well as methods of analysis and synthesis. The authors conclude that there was a significant utilization of funds from the IPARD II Program in Serbia, ending on February 29, 2024, but also that less than half of the submitted projects met the set criteria. In order for this method of financing to have the best possible effect in Serbia, better education of the inhabitants of rural areas is needed for writing projects. Also, greater financial resources from the European Union are needed in future support programs.

FACTORS AFFECTING FINANCIAL REPORTING QUALITY IN AGRICULTURAL COMPANIES IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Milica Djordjevic — 2024-10-04

The research objective is to establish the factors that influence financial reporting quality (FRQ) in agricultural companies in the Republic of Serbia. Based on a sample of 99 large and medium-sized companies in this sector (86.09% of the total population), and following the analysis of 2018-2022 financial statements and auditor’s reports, we examine the conditionality of earnings management (EM) as a FRQ determinant at enterprise level. In order to achieve the defined objective, we apply statistical methods, i.e. correlation and multiple linear regression. The research results indicate that more profitable companies have better FRQ, i.e., a higher return on assets, then companies whose financial statements are audited by Big 4 audit firms and companies with low debts. Also, the research results indicate that FRQ of the sampled companies is not affected by their liquidity, board size and audit tenure.

SOLAR ENERGY AS A DRIVER OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN AGRICULTURE: POTENTIAL AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR IMPLEMENTATION IN THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA

Nadežda Ljubojev — 2024-10-04

The authors analyze two very important topics, which are intertwined, and relate to the legal regulation and application of solar energy in agriculture in our country. Solar energy reduces the costs of agricultural production in the long term and increases sustainability and competitiveness. Therefore, when it comes to the application of solar energy in agriculture, an important factor that directly affects market positioning is the greater competitiveness of food produced using clean energy. In addition, legal frameworks significant for the use of solar energy in agriculture at the European level and within the borders of the Republic of Serbia were considered as the subject of the paper. The Republic of Serbia has real potential for the production and application of solar energy, but these potentials are not sufficiently used, and the experiences of EU countries can be significant when adopting measures from the sphere of energy policy, especially if one takes into account the context of European integration in accordance with environmental protection.

BEYOND DISPOSABLE DESIGN: CHALLENGING PLANNED OBSOLESCENCE THROUGH CIRCULAR ECONOMY PRACTICES

Vesna Alivojvodic — 2024-10-04

The notion of obsolescence has transitioned from a naturally occurring phenomenon to a planned obsolescence, a strategic business model influenced by consumer demand, market forces, and technological progress. This paradigm began to take shape in the early 20th century and entails the production of pre-designed goods with a limited lifespan. Its widespread implementation has given rise to environmental degradation and increased waste generation. To tackle these challenges, we need to adopt responsible manufacturing practices. Currently, circular economy business models offer a chance to use more conscientious production methods. These methods focus on increasing output efficiency using fewer natural resources and materials. In addition, there is a focus on prioritising material reutilization and recyclability. This paper offers a detailed analysis of the development of planned obsolescence, including its historical evolution, causes, consequences and potential for modification of existing production practices to more fully implement the principles of the circular economy.