Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
7.7
3.3
Journals
Sustainability
Special Issues
Innovative Strategies for Rural Development: Advances in Sustainable Agriculture and...
sustainability-logo
Submit to Special Issue Submit Abstract to Special Issue Review for Sustainability Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

► Journal Menu

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser
share announcement

Innovative Strategies for Rural Development: Advances in Sustainable Agriculture and Responsible Agritourism

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Agriculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 14 February 2026 | Viewed by 3653

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jarosław Uglis

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Law and Enterprise Management in Agribusiness, Faculty of Economics, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznań, Poland
Interests: agritourism; tourism; ecoagritourism; rural development; agriculture progress; economic diversification; rural revitalization; entrepreneurship growth
Prof. Dr. Gniewko Niedbała

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Environmental and Mechanical Engineering, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 50, 60-627 Poznań, Poland
Interests: artificial neural networks; artificial intelligence; machine learning; yield modelling; predictions; forecasting; crop production; agritourism development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Anna Jęczmyk

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Law and Enterprise Management in Agribusiness, Faculty of Economics, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 28, 60-637 Poznań, Poland
Interests: entrepreneurship development in rural areas; development of rural tourism and agritourism; local heritage (culinary heritage, local and traditional products); short food supply chains

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Innovative strategies for rural development are transforming traditional agricultural practices and local economies by integrating advances in both agriculture and tourism.

Agritourism is the combination of agriculture and tourism. Thus, responsible agritourism promotes sustainable agriculture and creates opportunities for economic diversification by immersing travelers in farming practices, experiencing local culture, enjoying farm-to-table dining, engaging in hands-on agricultural activities, and supporting local communities.

These initiatives generate additional income streams and foster a deeper appreciation for rural lifestyles and the natural environment.

This emerging approach encourages rural communities to adopt eco-friendly farming techniques, utilize renewable energy, and implement precision agriculture technologies that optimize resources while minimizing environmental impact.

This Special Issue explores the intersection of agriculture and agritourism, focusing on innovative strategies that promote sustainable growth in both sectors, while also addressing potential conflicts and negative impacts. The topic of agritourism has recently gained momentum due to its potential to enhance rural economies, promote cultural exchange, and ensure environmental conservation.

Dr. Jarosław Uglis
Prof. Dr. Gniewko Niedbała
Dr. Anna Jęczmyk
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • rural development
  • sustainable agriculture
  • regenerative agriculture
  • rural and agritourism
  • responsible agritourism
  • regenerative agritourism
  • ecoagritourism
  • farming tourism
  • rural revitalization
  • animals in tourism

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

26 pages, 1929 KB  
Article
Socio-Economic Determinants of Climate-Smart Agriculture Adoption: A Novel Perspective from Agritourism Farmers in Nigeria
by Ifeanyi Moses Kanu and Lucyna Przezbórska-Skobiej
Sustainability 2025, 17(12), 5521; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17125521 - 16 Jun 2025
Viewed by 1439
Abstract
The existing body of scholarly work on the adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) in Africa and Nigeria has predominantly concentrated on the experiences and practices of smallholder farmers. While these studies offer valuable insights into the general factors that influence the adoption of [...] Read more.
The existing body of scholarly work on the adoption of Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA) in Africa and Nigeria has predominantly concentrated on the experiences and practices of smallholder farmers. While these studies offer valuable insights into the general factors that influence the adoption of CSA practices, their findings may not be fully applicable to the burgeoning agritourism farmers in Nigeria. This study presents a novel perspective on the socio-economic determinants of CSA adoption among the nascent agritourism farmers in Nigeria. The data were collected through a well-structured questionnaire administered to 436 agritourism farmers in Nigeria. The five mutually inclusive endogenous variables that capture the impact of CSA practices were agroforestry system, improved livestock management, organic farming, crop rotation/intercropping, and farmer field schools. While the agritourism farmers possess moderate experience and education, significant gaps exist in access to critical resources like credit, climate information, extension services, and membership in agritourism cooperatives/associations. The multivariate probit (MVP) model revealed that agritourism farming experience significantly boosts crop rotation/intercropping adoption. Education enhances organic farming uptake but negatively impacts improved livestock management. Similarly, extension services access promotes farmer field schools while discouraging organic farming. Significant negative covariance matrix between CSA practices suggests overlapping demands for limited farm resources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Strategies for Rural Development: Advances in Sustainable Agriculture and Responsible Agritourism)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

28 pages, 8091 KB  
Article
Research on the Evolutionary Game of Quality Governance of Geographical Indication Agricultural Products in China: From the Perspective of Industry Self-Governance
by Guanbing Zhao and Kuijian Zhan
Sustainability 2025, 17(8), 3414; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17083414 - 11 Apr 2025
Viewed by 767
Abstract
Clarifying stakeholder demands and establishing an efficient quality governance system are key to geographical indication development. Current frameworks focus on government oversight, neglecting industry self-governance through associations. A four-party evolutionary game model—production organizations, governments, associations, and consumers—was developed to explore the impact of [...] Read more.
Clarifying stakeholder demands and establishing an efficient quality governance system are key to geographical indication development. Current frameworks focus on government oversight, neglecting industry self-governance through associations. A four-party evolutionary game model—production organizations, governments, associations, and consumers—was developed to explore the impact of self-governance on quality. Results show association-led self-governance reduces government burdens and improves efficiency. Its success depends on government support and fair interest distribution. Additionally, the evolutionary system exhibits two optimal equilibrium points at different stages of geographical indication development. Even under relatively relaxed supervision by local governments, the governance system remains functional during the mature development phase. Lastly, a reputation mechanism incorporating consumer participation can effectively shape the decision-making processes of production organizations, while the costs associated with governance participation and complaints play a critical role in influencing consumer strategy choices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Strategies for Rural Development: Advances in Sustainable Agriculture and Responsible Agritourism)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

17 pages, 508 KB  
Review
Decision Support Systems in Integrated Pest and Disease Management: Innovative Elements in Sustainable Agriculture
by Anna Tratwal, Magdalena Jakubowska and Aleksandra Pietrusińska-Radzio
Sustainability 2025, 17(18), 8111; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17188111 - 9 Sep 2025
Viewed by 561
Abstract
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a system that combines ready-made plant protection methods. IPM guidelines apply to all users of plant protection products and require the prioritization of preventative methods. Adherence to IPM principles contributes to the production of healthy and safe food. [...] Read more.
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a system that combines ready-made plant protection methods. IPM guidelines apply to all users of plant protection products and require the prioritization of preventative methods. Adherence to IPM principles contributes to the production of healthy and safe food. In Poland, the implementation of IPM into agricultural practice remains a solution to the problem. Furthermore, it is necessary to ensure education and implementation of IPM at the basic or implementation level. The IPM element, particularly emphasized in the 2009/128/EC Directive, is the use of so-called warning systems, tools that address the issue of plant protection application. In this regard, it is necessary to use decision support systems (DSSs). DSSs are digital solutions that integrate meteorological, global, and field data. They include the risk of disease and pest occurrence and the timing of the application. DSSs are not part of the farmer’s experience or presentation but support them in making sound decisions. DSS reduces costs, the side effects of plant protection, and energy consumption. Examples of such solutions in Poland include the eDWIN platform and OPWS, classified, among others, in cereal protection against fungi. The aim of this article is to present the role, capabilities, and limitations of decision support systems in modern agricultural production and their importance in the context of the Green Deal and digital agriculture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Innovative Strategies for Rural Development: Advances in Sustainable Agriculture and Responsible Agritourism)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop