2025 - Volume 127

Short food supply chains (SFSCs) are a model promoted among farmers in many countries. This model is popularised as an opportunity to increase the economic efficiency. However, the research results found in the literature are ambiguous. This study therefore aims to assess the impact of participation in short food supply chains on the productivity and efficiency of farms. Poland and the Czech Republic are taken as examples of countries with a contrasting agrarian structure and different size classes of farms are investigated. Primary data come from semi-structured face-to-face interviews conducted among 375 producers divided into two groups –participating and not participating in SFSCs. The indices of productivity and non-parametric data envelopment analysis (DEA) were applied to assess differences in efficiency for two groups mentioned above. It was demonstrated that in Poland small farms participating in SFSC achieve higher production efficiency than farms not participating in SFSC.

Rather than supporting small agricultural households and rural communities, governments frequently prioritise top-down, extractive, and resource-intensive approaches to agricultural development. This tendency promotes the expansion of large agricultural holdings, which increasingly undermines the viability of smaller farms. As access to land becomes more difficult and land-related inequality escalates, concerns regarding the sustainability of rural communities intensify. It is crucial for all stakeholders – policymakers, agricultural economists, researchers, and those involved in rural development and land use policies – to acknowledge their responsibilities and address these urgent issues proactively. This study employs the Gini coefficient to examine the fairness of accessibility to agricultural land use at the county level in Estonia. The findings indicate a decline in the number of agricultural households, coinciding with a rapid increase in the average land utilised per holding. Larger agricultural holdings are expanding their use of agricultural land, while smaller holdings are experiencing a reduction in their share. As of 2023, just 1% of all agricultural holdings in Estonia managed to utilise 31% of the total agricultural land area, whereas 74% of holdings accounted for only 9% of the area. These results underscore the pressing need to address issues of land concentration and inequality, underscoring...

The Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) are responsible for the flow of information, knowledge, and innovation between the actors of the agricultural and food sector, as well as between those engaged in education, research, and extension. Strengthening cooperation and interaction between actors has become a cross-cutting objective of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The CAP Strategic Plans in the Member States aim to develop agriculture through two interventions (support of EIP operational groups and the provision of knowledge exchange and dissemination actions). However, the AKIS goes beyond the CAP support, as several additional actions and incentives under national competence are needed for a modern, knowledge-based agricultural economy and well-functioning AKIS. Each EU Member State has developed its own AKIS, according to its specific conditions and needs. Previous studies on the comparison of AKIS across Member States have attempted to collect and analyse the specificities of each Member State, mainly through primary data collection. These studies are less capable of providing an objective comparison of AKIS systems in the Member States based on a common methodology. Although there are several indicator systems available to measure innovation performance, these indicator systems address the national/regional innovation performance but do not...

Alcohol misuse has been a persistent challenge in Hungary, and the COVID 19 pandemic intensified the complexities of how people respond to collective stress. This study offers several new insights into the problem. First, drawing on a nationally representative survey of Hungarian adults, we move beyond broad patterns to pinpoint which demographic and social factors most influenced alcohol consumption during the pandemic. The analysis shows that increased drinking was more common among older adults and women, and among those experiencing financial hardship, while caregiving responsibilities (children under 14 in the household) were associated with a greater likelihood of increase rather than protection. Second, this research deepens understanding by applying Schwartz’s Theory of Basic Human Values in combination with a Heckman selection model. This approach distinguishes not only who drinks, but also how intrinsic values shape drinking behaviour under stress. Disaggregating the ten basic values reveals that Power (status/dominance) was a robust predictor of increased alcohol use across models; Achievement (competence/goal attainment) showed a modest protective tendency; and Hedonism, net of thrill seeking and status, was negatively associated with escalation. In contrast, social focus values (e.g., benevolence, universalism, tradition) did not consistently predict change once other values and covariates were considered....

The study aims to explore the role of social embeddedness in consumer shopping behaviour across different retail environments, with a particular focus on farmers’ markets. Drawing on a sample of 1,800 European consumers from Hungary, Italy, and the United Kingdom, the study examines apple purchase preferences regarding different product attributes (e.g., price, origin, quality certification) using a discrete choice experiment. A hybrid logit model is estimated to capture the impact of social embeddedness on purchase decisions. The results show that, across the three countries, farmers’ markets are the preferred outlet, more so than supermarkets or greengrocers, especially by those consumers who are most embedded in community relations. For Italian consumers, community and cultural aspects are key drivers of purchasing behaviour, while health and quality attributes are the most significant for their British counterparts. Hungarian respondents’ decisions are mostly influenced by price factors, although community-driven considerations also matter. The research confirms that farmers’ markets are not just places to buy food, but also community spaces where trust, personal connections, and local identity play a significant role. The findings have important theoretical, managerial, and policy implications, particularly for promoting more sustainable, community-based food systems, including short food supply chains.

This study examines the organisational readiness of the Hungarian agricultural and food industry to introduce and implement effective sustainability reporting regimes from a supply chain perspective, with a focus on knowledge exchange and practical partnerships with regulators and academic institutions. The methodology for this qualitative study was designed to capture the complexity of evolving sustainability reporting practices and organisational responses in Hungary’s agri-food sector. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with twelve companies, specifically selected as they are subject to the CSRD and EU Taxonomy. The findings reveal a dynamic and rapidly evolving landscape in the approach to sustainability and ESG reporting within the Hungarian agro-food industry, underscoring its practical impact on corporate strategies and reporting. By embracing standardised measurement systems and supporting public-private collaboration, Hungarian agricultural companies– and the rural communities that depend on them – can achieve measurable, internationally-respected progress in sustainability, resource use, and market resilience. This study provides practical guidance for companies and policymakers, prioritising comprehensive data models for supply chain disclosures and planning for multi-year capabilities development.

Global chicken meat production has continued to expand, reaching a record 103.8 million tons in 2023, representing a 1.6 percent increase compared to the previous year. Benchmarking and comparative farm-level analyses provide valuable insights for assessing performance at national, regional, and global levels. The agri benchmark Poultry Network applies the typical farm approach, working in collaboration with international research partners, producers, and local experts to collect and validate standardised farm-level data using harmonised procedures and a simulation model. This study analyses global chicken meat production systems and the conditions shaping them. It examines their economic aspects and identifies key critical success factors influencing production efficiency. The study reveals that high feed-use efficiency and farm performance in broiler production is often attributed to a combination of three factors which include: the rearing of high-quality chicks, the use of high-quality feed, and good animal husbandry practices. The study identifies feed and day-old chicks’ costs as the most important cost components for all typical farms included in the agri benchmark poultry network. A farm’s competitiveness in terms of production costs is therefore heavily dependent on its ability to effectively manage feed and day-old chick costs.

Global agri-food trade is undergoing profound structural change, driven by escalating geopolitical tensions, climate-related shocks, and evolving market dynamics. Agri-food trade has become central to food security, shaping access and availability across diverse regions. Recent trends indicate a modest resurgence in agricultural trade as a share of total global trade and a growing regionalisation of trade flows. While the European Union and Brazil have consolidated surplus positions through strategic policy alignment and export diversification, the United States faces declining competitiveness, trade stagnation, and a widening import gap. Simultaneously, China has emerged as the leading global importer, reshaping trade relationships and intensifying competition among suppliers. The volatility induced by trade wars, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine has been compounded by the proliferation of trade restrictions, which pose acute risks for import-dependent countries. These developments underscore the fragility of global food systems and the strategic implications of trade balances. As trade agreements are reconfigured and economic nationalism rises, long-term sustainability will hinge on investments in domestic agricultural capacity, modern infrastructure, and multilateral cooperation. Future trajectories of agri-food trade will be shaped by structural shifts in global demand, persistent trade costs – including tariffs, transportation bottlenecks, and non-tariff measures –...

Over the past quarter of a century, the European Union has transformed itself from a defensive agricultural trade player into the world’s largest agri-food exporter and importer, driven by successive Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reforms and market-oriented adjustments. This paper traces the evolution of EU agri-trade, highlighting the role of decoupled payments, structural competitiveness, and diversification of trade flows. It assesses the EU’s resilience to recent crises – from COVID-19 to energy shocks and the Ukraine war – while examining growing tensions between trade liberalisation, environmental standards, and geopolitical fragmentation. The analysis stresses the mounting challenges in reconciling climate goals with food security concerns and warns against regressive policy trends that ignore past reform achievements. Ultimately, the paper argues for maintaining evidence-based, market-oriented strategies to preserve the EU’s global leadership in sustainable agri-trade amid rising demands for food sovereignty and strategic autonomy.

This paper examines the evolution of China’s agri-food trade over the past two decades amid increasing global uncertainty. Using a combination of quantitative trade data and qualitative policy analysis from 2000 to 2023, it explores how China has navigated crises such as the global financial crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and geopolitical tensions. The findings highlight that China’s agri-food trade growth has been driven by trade liberalisation, domestic support policies, and a strategic focus on diversification and food security. However, challenges remain, including heavy import dependence, rising production costs, and environmental pressures. The study concludes that strengthening domestic capacity, investing in green innovation, and expanding trade partnerships are critical for long-term food system stability. These insights offer valuable lessons for other agricultural economies striving for greater resilience in a volatile global environment.