Contemporary Challenges of Agriculture and Rural Areas in the Context of Sustainable Development

Dear Colleagues,

The image of world agriculture and rural areas is constantly changing. These changes are influenced, among others, by social expectations and policies of individual governments, which in many cases declare support for sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas. Regardless of the global downward trend of the share of agriculture in the creation of gross domestic product and employment, its role does not weaken, while its functions are changing. In addition to production functions, more and more attention is paid to the importance of agriculture in preserving environmental values, which is part of the concept of sustainable development.

Sustainable agriculture combines economic goals with environmental requirements through the management of production processes and the efficient use of natural resources in such a way as to meet the needs of farm owners and their families, consumers of food and other agricultural products, while maintaining the high quality of the natural environment and protecting its resources. Agricultural production in accordance with the principles of sustainable development requires farm owners to meet several criteria. It is connected with the need to maintain, as per the general theory of sustainable development, the right proportions between all aspects of life and with the need for harmonious balancing of economic development with social and ecological, which is not always an easy and simple task to fulfill. On the one hand, agricultural activity aims to meet the needs of farm owners and their families, must also accumulate the funds to restore production, and allow for further economic development. On the other hand, however, due to the close connection of a farm with the surrounding natural environment, the production taking place in it must be carried out in such a way that the environmental requirements are respected. Often, agricultural producers face the dilemma of choosing to achieve their economic goals at the expense of environmental requirements. The future of rural areas depends, to a large extent, on their decisions. The basis for making optimal decisions in the process of managing a farm should be current theoretical and application knowledge—including methods, technics, and tools used in the sustainable management of a farm.

However, it is important to remember that rural areas are more than just agriculture. Increasingly, they are also a place of residence for the non-agricultural population. In many countries, it can be seen that rural areas are increasingly taking on many non-agricultural functions. Various types of manufacturing and processing plants are located there, they are a place of residence, as well as rest and recreation, etc. The harmonious development of rural areas is a huge challenge facing the world today. Therefore, the purpose of this Special Issue of Agriculture is to provoke a scientific discussion on the contemporary challenges facing agriculture and rural areas today and in the near future. The collected articles will constitute a compendium of knowledge and will propose practical solutions to the burning problems that are currently facing both agriculture and rural areas in general.

Prof. Dr. Piotr Prus
Guest Editor

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