Year: 2024 | Month: February | Volume 69 | Issue 1Special
Development of Rural Areas: Strategies, Challenges and the Role of Agricultural Policy in Achieving Sustainable Rural Development
Ganna Korniyenko*
Tetiana Кurman
Tetiana Lisova
Svitlana Sharapova and Mykhailo Pokalchuk
DOI:10.46852/0424-2513.1.2024.3
Abstract:
Agricultural policy plays a vital role in achieving sustainable rural development. However, it requires detailed strategic planning based on regional issues and gaps in the implementation of previous sustainable development plans. This article aims to analyze the state and peculiarities of rural development in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. Specifically, it examines the importance of agricultural policy strategies in achieving sustainable rural development. The research methodology is based on a comprehensive systematic analysis of the strategic plans of the Common Agricultural Policy Strategies of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. Also, it includes structural indicators of regional development of the agricultural sector in these countries for 2017-2020. The results demonstrate that the Common Agricultural Policy Strategies of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Hungary are aimed at stimulating sustainable rural development. In Bulgaria, the agricultural policy for achieving sustainable rural development included creating workplaces, diversifying and developing small enterprises, implementing local development strategies, developing social infrastructure, financing inputs and young farmers, and infrastructure projects (e.g., irrigation). The Czech Republic has the following policy priorities at the European level: sustainability, modernization, workplaces, innovation and quality, and diversification. Direct payments and rural development programs were the main financing mechanisms according to specific needs. The following rural development mechanisms were used in Hungary: farmland management contracts, water and land management measures, social inclusion, investment projects, and special subprograms for targeted support of young farmers. Structural indicators of regional development indicate support for the sustainability of the agricultural sector in 2017-2020.
Highlights
- Policies and strategies for sustainable rural development in developing countries, such as Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, have a positive impact on the entire economy, emphasizing the need for comprehensive policies to stimulate rural development and harness resources for socio-economic growth.
- The European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy, implemented through financing mechanisms like the European Structural and Investment Funds, plays a crucial role in supporting rural development by allocating substantial funds, promoting environmental protection, and focusing on measures that contribute to sustainable ecosystem management, climate change adaptation, and the creation of job opportunities in rural areas.
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