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In this study, we attempt to infer the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the intra–European Union (EU) agrifood trade from out-of-sample forecasts. We compare the actual level of trade during the COVID-19 period with counterfactual values derived from univariate forecasting models [regARIMA (Linear regression with autoregressive integrated moving average errors) and Holt-Winters methods]. We analyse agrifood imports and exports of specific EU countries and the EU-27 aggregate on the basis of monthly data for the period from January 2010 to February 2022. The findings reveal a significant decrease in trade activity in the first year of the pandemic that was negatively correlated to COVID-19 restrictions applied by EU countries. Surprisingly, COVID-19 restrictions do not significantly explain the diversified agrifood trade response among EU countries during the pandemic.

The dominant agricultural sector in Slovakia is crop production, with the majority of arable land dedicated to cultivating cereals (57%), followed by fodder crops (20%) and industrial crops (19%). Slovakia has technical and biophysical potential for expanding biomass production. However, it is crucial to identify optimal production practices, alternative costs, and environmental outputs. Farms become more vulnerable to the worldwide threat posed by climate change. Based on research, farmers can effectively mitigate the adverse effects of climate change by making necessary adjustments to their current farming techniques. Thus, by using an advanced tool like integrated farm models, farmers can evaluate and manage a range of risks related to their activities. This paper aims to present the application of integrated modelling frameworks at the farm level and propose a framework for studying the consequences of climate change through a scenario-based approach at the farm level. Integrated assessments provide new insights that complement those derived from more detailed assessments. Based on the model developed, the results of two research questions are provided. Since, from the viewpoint of the farmer, risk and unpredictability associated with lower yields are frequently the main causes of lower income, spatially explicit integrated modelling is applied, enabling economic optimisation of crop production on a selected farm with a focus on maximising net returns while considering biophysical parameters. The modelling results depict the distribution of selected crops on arable land and the most suitable management practices for crop production in terms of nitrogen application and irrigation utilisation. Additionally, we develop an integrated model proposing the estimation of the risk of yield variability and nitrogen emissions for three climate change scenarios for the simulated period of 2020–2100 on the model farm. In response to the problems posed by climate change, this integrated approach can assist evidence-based decision-making and sustainable agriculture practices.

While the benefits of using futures to manage price risk are widely recognised, only certain groups of farmers have suitable futures at their disposal. This paper discusses an innovative instrument, developed in the Belgian-Dutch pear market, that provides an alternative to futures markets by creating a market for price swaps. Thus, the instrument provides some benefits of market-traded derivatives (like futures) while remaining a relatively simple instrument, which requires fewer market transactions. The paper describes key properties of the swap contracts and the platform used to trade them. In addition, it compares the conditions required for establishing price swap markets and futures markets. Thus, our study informs the design of similar risk management instruments for commodities and contexts where futures are absent.

The research article's primary aim was to provide a comprehensive and systematic view of a new dimension of logistics in the form of logistics innovations in agricultural enterprises in Slovakia. The intention thereof was to define and then analyse selected logistics innovations in agricultural enterprises. The research object was formed by 95 agricultural enterprises in Slovakia. A questionnaire was used as the research instrument. MS Excel and IBM SPSS Statistics 20 were used to process the data in the questionnaire. The univariate descriptive statistics and multivariate descriptive statistics were used to interpret the data. The research results were tested and evaluated by means of Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Medium-sized agricultural enterprises in Slovakia represented the largest segment (68%) of the study. The agricultural enterprises mostly understand the use of smart technologies as an innovation in logistics (mean = 4.43). The results of the research showed that the analysed agricultural enterprises intend to innovate mainly the production logistics (mean = 3.20). Out of the logistics processes, the agricultural enterprises want to innovate mostly the inventory management (mean = 4.55). Lean logistics is the most frequently implemented logistics innovation in agricultural enterprises (mean = 3.64). The hypothesis testing has proven that there is a statistically significant relationship between the utilisation of lean logistics and production logistics innovation. In addition, it was proven that there is a statistically significant relationship between the utilisation of radio frequency identification (RFID) and the logistics process innovation - inventory management.

Biofortification is a strategy to reduce micronutrient deficiency in humans by fortifying food through natural processes, agronomic practices and genetic modification. In this study, we seek to shed light on what consumers understand by the term 'biofortified products' and thus to understand their level of knowledge about these products, as well as the reasons that dictate their purchasing choices and the relationship between consumption choices and lifestyles. The analysis focuses on vegetables and, in particular, on tomatoes with a high lycopene content. Research shows that consumers of biofortified food products are generally confused and uninformed, even though they show a high willingness to pay. This confusion seems to result, moreover, from the lack of a clear definition of a biofortified product, as well as from the lack of clear information on the specifics of biofortified products and the benefits they can bring. The future of biofortified products can, therefore, be improved by the creation of clear standards and reference definitions and better information and transparency that would benefit the consumer.

The basic characteristic and comparison of the community-led local development tools: Local Agenda 21, used in public administration generally, and of the LEADER method, used within Local Action Groups (LAGs), is presented in this paper. It analyses their application in the Czech Republic. It discusses the potential synergistic effects of the application of these tools in two rural locations - the areas of two towns (Chrudim and Litomerice), which are leaders in the application of Local Agenda 21 in the Czech Republic. Both towns are members of LAGs - LAG Chrudimsko and LAG Ceske Stredohori. This combination of Local Agenda 21 and LEADER method are mutually supportive. The conclusion discusses recommendations for the improvement of community-led development.

The aim of the paper was to define the effect of the pandemic on employee motivation. Following the questionnaires, the level of motivation in agricultural and forestry organizations before the COVID-19 pandemic in the years 2018-2019 and after the crisis in the years 2020-2021 was defined. The hypotheses were tested using the variance analysis with interactions. The analysed field (financial, social, work, and career-related) was presented by the dependent variable. The categorical independent variables were used to describe the age, gender, and the time before or after the COVID-19 pandemic. A reduction in the level of the requirements in all areas of motivation in terms of age and gender is the result of the study. The needs and requirements of the employees of agricultural and forestry organizations are reduced. The order of importance of the groups stays almost the same. The finding that the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has, besides others, effect on human resource management, especially on employee motivation, is considered the main contribution of the study. The results of the study result in enhancing the knowledge about economic development through human resource management at the time of the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, agricultural commodities had significant price increases, which inevitably implies high risk. In this article, we try to mitigate the extreme risk of corn and soybeans by constructing multivariate portfolios with developed and emerging European stock indices. We measured extreme risk via conditional value at risk. To address different goals that investors might prefer, we produced portfolios with the lowest risk and highest return-to-risk ratio. According to the results, corn and soybeans had relatively high portfolio shares. However, they are the riskiest assets because they have a very low pairwise correlation with the stock indices. Portfolios with emerging European indices had better risk-reducing results, considering both agricultural commodities because these indices are less risky than developed indices. In particular, the risk reductions of corn were 38% and 50% in the portfolios with developed and emerging stock indices, respectively, whereas, for soybeans, the results were 28% and 41%, respectively. In optimal portfolios, emerging European stock indices had the upper hand in most cases.

To understand and promote the importance of business sustainability in agriculture as an important societal issue, one must use the circumstances to force modern-minded management to abandon the classical model of only complying with statutory obligations and to structure the knowledge to coordinate interdisciplinary approaches to ensuring sustainable innovation. The paper analyses the role of business sustainability in promoting sustainable innovation in agriculture. The study used a factor analysis applied to a sample of 183 companies (n₁ = 183) and qualitative research through focus groups (n₂ = 5). The main objective was to identify the factors influencing the innovated areas in relation to sustainability. The results of the factor analysis showed a six-factor solution: process approach, corporate social responsibility, quality management system, supply chain operation processes, demand for production, and employee performance.

This study examines the impact of agricultural support on crop diversity measured by a diversity index. Our results indicate that agricultural subsidies have a limited effect on agricultural biodiversity. By using unique farm-level data, we show that subsidies support the income of farmers rather than the agricultural biodiversity. The results are robust regarding the size, practice management and altitude of the agricultural holdings' operations and various measures of agricultural biodiversity. However, when interpreting the results, the limitations of biodiversity indices should be considered.

Understanding buying behaviour for sustainable products is important for food producers and distributors. This study aims to examine the effect of knowledge of the product, interest in sustainability, and characteristics of consumers on the frequency of buying sustainably produced butter using the Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR) model. In this study, two different types of butter were used, one produced by a well-known brand and the other by a less-known dairy. Data were collected through a structured online survey of 825 respondents from Poland. The research found that knowledge about the product and the sustainability-related product attributes does not positively influence the frequency of purchasing sustainable butter. The results indicate that consumers living in smaller towns, having higher incomes and smaller households, are more frequent buyers of sustainably produced butter.

The draft Strategic plan of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for the Czech Republic has provoked the displeasure of many entrepreneurs in agriculture due to the redistributive payments, to which 23% of the total volume of direct payments will be directed instead of the originally planned 10%. According to the creators of the Strategic plan, this should support the fairer distribution of payments, respecting the benefits arising from the scale of production of large companies. Critics of the plan claim that operating subsidies are already degressive and fear an adverse impact on medium-sized companies, which, given the structure of the companies in the Czech Republic, will affect a large part of agriculture. This article aims to identify the farm size for which direct payments will be reduced and the likely degree of the impact on the farm economy. Our results suggest that the new payment system will lead to a reduction in direct payments for farms larger than 313 ha and, from a farm size of 873 ha, direct payments will fall below 85% of the average, which may cover around 50% of the agricultural land in the Czech Republic.

The challenges smallholders face in agricultural management between developed and developing countries differ and can also impact the smallholder's well-being. The purpose of this study is to identify factors that affect the well-being of smallholders. We conducted a systematic literature by applying the Preferred Reported Item for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) and extracted 30 articles from Scopus and Web of Science. These articles show three main factors that drive well-being: technology, optimal resource, and insurance, and two additional factors: market pricing and tax policy. Findings show that all the above factors will first impact economic well-being and, subsequently, social well-being. When COVID-19 struck, the smallholder's well-being was also affected in addition to the destabilised food chain. Travel restrictions have led to a labour shortage. The smallholders had to turn to e-commerce to sell their products. They also incurred losses and experienced difficulties in procuring agricultural intermediate inputs. The absence of agricultural insurance worsened the impact on the well-being of the smallholders. To safeguard the well-being of these smallholders, the study suggests that stakeholders should encourage local labour participation, increase investment in human capital, adopt e-commerce in marketing, offer agricultural insurance schemes against various disasters and continuously provide or increase subsidies to smallholders.

In this paper, an original analysis of the direct payment rate shaping mechanism – in terms of the process and from the perspective of game theory – has been carried out. The factors determining the direct payments rates were identified. The results of measuring the impact of these factors on payments rates fluctuations were presented. The territorial scope of the study is Poland. The time range covers the years 2016–2020. The objective scope of the analysis includes four direct support instruments. It was found that the rates of sectoral area payments vary to a greater extent than the rates of general payments due to fluctuations in the area approved for a payment. The findings of this study can be used to develop a method for predicting payments rates based on the analysis of the fundamental factors. The prediction of payments rates could be used to support decision-making processes in agricultural policy. Therefore, the research results involving the decomposition of payments rates are of significant practical value in addition to their cognitive significance.

In recent years, progress has been made towards incorporating the sociocultural perspective in the assessment of ecosystem services (ES) to identify the relevant services according to the different needs and perceptions of the populations consulted. New sociocultural assessment methods are being explored to respond to this emerging line of research, without a generally accepted alternative being found thus far. Aiming to contribute to this line of research, this article proposes a new methodological approach for the sociocultural assessment of ES. The new methodological approach is based on combining two different measurement procedures: a traditional Likert scale and the Kano model. The case of ES provided by forests will be considered for its development and application. With the application of the proposed methodology, the sensitivity and consistency of sociocultural assessments of ES would be improved, and the development of longitudinal analysis would be facilitated.

A reassessment of factors related to milk production economics is needed because of continuing genetic improvements within the main dairy breeds and changes in farm management and the economic environment. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to evaluate the development of economic indicators between 2016 and 2020 on Czech dairy farms that kept either Czech Fleckvieh or Holstein breeds and that had different average milk yields. We used a questionnaire to obtain data from 66 dairy farms from different regions of the Czech Republic. The farms were divided into four groups according to breed and 2016 milk yield. Production costs increased during the period in all groups by 13% to 17% because of increasing milk yields, the associated higher feed consumption and increasing input prices. We observed a higher annual growth rate of costs per litre of milk on farms with above-average milk yields compared with the groups with below-average yields. The highest profitability before subsidies was achieved on farms with Holstein cows and above-average milk yields. Higher-income over feed costs were consistently observed in groups with higher milk yields. Because of low farm gate milk prices, profitability was significantly lower across all groups during 2016 than in other years.

Optimizing current assets and their financing resources is of great importance for firms to sustain their existence with the highest level of profitability. However, empirical evidence from the food and beverage industry on the effects of working capital management (WCM) on profitability is scarce and mixed. This study aims to understand how various components of WCM affect the profitability of listed European food and beverage (F&B) companies. For this purpose, static panel data methodology was used to test the relationship between profitability and WCM measured by the cash conversion cycle and its components. The results were checked for robustness by using dynamic panel data methodology. Our results indicate a negative relationship between profitability and the cash conversion cycle. Unlike previous studies that have analysed a single country, this study provides evidence based on analyses of the largest possible sample of listed European F&B companies.

The escalation of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine had a detrimental effect on the global agricultural and food market and the price movements of essential commodities. In this study, we aim to investigate the effects of geopolitical risk on the prices of selected agricultural and food commodities using the linear and nonlinear ARDL (autoregressive distributed lag) model. Our results show evidence of the asymmetric impact of geopolitical risk on the prices of rapeseed, sugar, sunflower oil, and wheat. The findings also show no long-term link between geopolitical risk and corn, cotton, lumber, milk, oats, rough rice, and soybean prices.

In recent decades, farmland markets have risen sharply due to their attractiveness as safe investment and savings allocation instruments. This growth has occurred globally at different rates due to the uneven expected returns, and potential land uses in different regions. This paper provides evidence of the convergence of Italian farmland markets between 1990 and 2019 by using data on average land prices with a geographically detailed resolution that considers both administrative and altitude aspects of territories. The analysis combines traditional economic convergence approaches with spatial data exploration techniques. The results are consistent and show that territorial disparities in Italian farmland markets tend to increase over the study period. This proves that divergence patterns reflect the well-established North-South dualism and disparities in socio-economic characteristics.

Considering the relevance of the agricultural sectors for the European countries' development, but also the volatile features of agriculture, with unforeseen risks induced by climate, ensuring durable economic progress is foremost for the companies. This paper aims to assess the associations of the key parties in corporate governance (directors, managers, advisers, and shareholders), employees and the independence level with the main outcomes and capacity/size of the European companies operating in agriculture, fishing, and aquaculture activities. Using a newly compiled and complex dataset of 3 184 active companies from Europe, provided by the ORBIS database, advanced modelling approaches were employed, based on the robust regression (RREG) and Gaussian Graphical Model (GGM). The main findings emphasised that: directors, managers, and advisors had a strong positive influence on the firms' size, boosting their turnover, and the shareholders' funds; advisors induced positive connections with the companies' liquidity; the number of employees exerted positive impacts on the firms' size and outcomes of these companies; the independence level exerted a negative impact on the firms' size and outcomes. Finally, specific measures must be addressed to primarily reconsider the number of directors and managers and the shareholders' participation in the ownership of these companies due to their unfavourable exerted effects.

Pest control is one of the ecosystem services most affected by the intensification of agriculture. Pests can lead to significant losses in crop yields and jeopardise food security. In this context, installing hedgerows around greenhouses is presented as an opportunity to improve the presence of natural enemies and favour the control of pests. However, the adoption of this practice has not spread among farmers. The objective of this article is to determine the factors that affect the decision to adopt hedgerows around greenhouses by studying the case of southeast Spain. A binary logistic regression model is developed from a farmer survey of 189 farmers in the study area. The variables that are significant when explaining the installation of hedgerows are the size of the farm, the expenses, the number of methods used to combat pests, technical advice, and environmental awareness. Based on these results, action measures are proposed to promote the adoption of this practice.

Political and security stability have the potential to support developing countries‘ efforts to achieve Sustainable Development Goals, as this region is home to the majority of the global population. This study examines the impact of political and security stability and other factors on food security [as measured by the prevalence of undernourishment (PUN)] in developing countries. We analysed 2002–2020 data from 83 developing countries across Africa, Asia, and Latin America and the Caribbean, using the system General Method of Moment (sys-GMM). Our study indicates that political and security stability and the use of the internet can increase food security or reduce PUN in developing countries. Other factors contributed to an increase in PUN: the previous year’s PUN, the cereal import dependency ratio and the unemployment to total population ratio. Meanwhile, other factors have varying effects on the PUN in developing countries.

Food surplus recovery is one of the priorities of modern society. Mass distribution allows one to reserve goods unsuitable for selling for organisations able to distribute them to people in need. This work contributes to this direction by considering a reward programme for donors. A methodology for supporting the cycle of the reallocation of the food surplus to people in need usingblockchain technology to support the traceability of the flows and to allow the exact evaluation of the rewards to be assigned to each retailer is described. A mathematical model is proposed for calculating the reward. An actual application of the methodology is also described.

Gardening and food self-provisioning motivations are changing with the country’s economic development. While food security is often the main driver for self-provisioning in low-income countries, more diverse motivations exist in high-income countries. This study investigates the motivations for self-provisioning in the Czech Republic and the role of the family composition on the rate of self-provisioning to explore its social benefits. A two-step analysis was employed using data collected from 1 214 respondents. First, an exploratory descriptive statistical analysis was conducted to gain insights into the motivation of different households participating in self-provisioning. Second, binary probit models were used to investigate the characteristics influencing the main motives for self-provisioning. The results of the models revealed that the educational level, income per capita, family structure and area of residence influence the motives for self-provisioning.

This paper aims to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 crisis on small family farms in Visegrad countries and to provide evidence of how they have responded and coped with the crisis. We conducted our investigation using an exploratory qualitative research design based on 86 semistructured in-depth interviews with owners or responsible managers, and explored the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on different areas of their businesses, such as human resources, supplier-customer relations, production, distribution channels or strategies, price of inputs and outputs and business models. Our findings showed that small family farms have been resilient in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Several negative impacts were identified, such as a decrease in sales due to the closure of accommodation and restaurant services, delays in the supply of inputs, and minor problems with the availability of workers, but those were perceived to be moderate. However, the COVID-19 pandemic created not only difficult challenges but also opportunities for small farms. Based on our findings, three main recommendations regarding the adaptability and resilience of family farms in Visegrad countries have been formulated: i) the importance of a diversification strategy, ii) selling through short supply chains, and iii) digitalisation of agriculture.

In this article, we explore multiscale extreme risk interdependence between four soft agricultural markets – coffee, cocoa, cotton and orange juice. Wavelet correlation and cross-correlation are used to investigate this interlink, and dynamic conditional Value at Risk is used to measure extreme risk. Wavelet correlation results suggest a very weak connection between the markets in the short-term and midterm horizons, which means that investors who operate in the short term or midterm do not have to apply hedging measures against extreme risk. However, the situation is different in the long term, where relatively high correlations are found on the highest wavelet scale in all pairs, except coffee–cocoa. Complementary cross-correlation analysis indicates a lead–lag relationship between the markets. The results are mostly in line with expectations, as bigger markets lead smaller markets. Only in the cases of cocoa–cotton and cocoa–orange juice does the opposite happen.

Land trusteeship involves farmers entrusting the farming and managing of their land to trustees, who manage the land on their behalf in exchange for a commission fee. Land trusteeship has been an important approach to bridging the gap between smallholder farmers and modern agriculture in China. Because of the information asymmetry in land trusteeship, farmers have higher uncertainty and perceived risk, so social trust and institutional constraints are particularly important in promoting farmers’ participation in trusteeship. The objective of this study was to examine the impact of trust evolution and institutional constraints on smallholder farmers’ decision-making in green prevention and pest control trusteeship. Our research was conducted in Shandong, China, utilising factor analysis and binary regression. The results revealed that trusteeship decision-making combines trust governance and institutional governance, with significant roles played by institutional trust, institutional supervision, institutional regulation, and interpersonal trust. As part-time farming became more prevalent, the importance of institutional trust and institutional supervision increased, indicating a shift in trusteeship governance from social relations to institutional contracts and the maturation of land trusteeship models. In addition, we also tested the interaction effect of social trust and institutional constraints and the heterogeneity effect of different trusteeship contracts. To improve the land trust system, we must enhance farmers’ institutional trust and leverage the active role of intermediary supervision organisations such as village collectives.

The last years have seen a momentous transformation in Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The focus of interventions has shifted from production toward rural development but recognising the role of farmers. Although the attitudes of farmers to CAP have long been previously studied, little attention has been focused on the views of citizens. Using data from the ‘Special Eurobarometer 520: Europeans, Agriculture and the CAP’, we sought to provide a clearer understanding of citizens’ opinions about the future of agriculture and rural areas in the European Union. In particular, we assessed rural-urban differences and examined disparities across countries, paying attention to the importance of rural development in the planned expenditure under CAP 2023–2027. The results showed that the perceived importance is higher for respondents living in rural areas and that there are disparities across countries. From a policy perspective, targeted efforts should be made in each country to address the specific challenges each country faces.

The Russian-Ukrainian armed conflict significantly affected wheat production and its export from Ukraine, mainly during the war outbreak. Since both countries rank among the major global wheat producers, the warfare disrupted wheat supplies, hastily pushing the prices. Based on the analysed data, we carried out research using multilayer perceptron networks. The findings suggest the biggest price increase between February and March 2022, witnessing wheat prices at about 1 400 USD per t. We predict a decline to the pre-war values until the end of 2025, estimating its rates between 600 USD and 800 USD per t. This price slump may involve signing an agreement on unblocking Ukrainian seaports, which would restore wheat exports. Yet, our survey is confined to historical data, which do not suggest any dramatic event that would alarmingly sway wheat prices.

We examine the determinants of off-farm work in Swiss agriculture between 2003 and 2013. By differentiating between the between-farm effects and the within-farm effects, our model provides new insights into the labour allocation process as compared with standard cross-sectional or panel data models. As regards the between-farm variations, our results show that younger farm families without children and farm households with higher non-agricultural education levels of both the farmer and the partner are more involved in working activities outside the farm. However, the within-farm time effects provided a more differentiated picture: impacts of changes in most variables over time tended to be smaller, and in case of two variables show opposite directions. In addition to a negative between-effect of farm income on the allocation of off-farm labour, our results on within-farm effects suggest that an increase in farm income per annual family work unit could be compatible with a higher share of off-farm work during the analysed period.