The increase of living standard requires ever more energy, despite energy saving measures. Domestic growth was 100 PJ between 2000 and 2006, and 77% of the total utilization was imported (Hungarian Central Statistical Office, 2008). Sustainability was endangered not only in our energy and...

This paper aims to clarify the direction of change in rural employment on short- and medium term in Romania, while CAP regulations are being introduced and the global economic crisis emerges. First we put into evidence the decrease of the role of agriculture as buffer for unemployment and the...

The main objective of the AHEAD project is to establish new BSc and MSc programmes in Croatia at two Faculties of the University of Zagreb. These are as follows: Agricultural and Rural Development, Food Safety and Quality Management and pilot MSc training in Agribusiness and Rural Development....

The field of Public Relations has undoubtedly been assuming growing importance in Poland. Understood as an element of marketing communication or a function of company management, it has a significant impact on company’s external and internal environment. According to Puls Biznesu3 the...

The Agriculture Research Group on Sustainability (ARGOS) monitors a wide ange of environmental, social, economic and management parameters on matched cohorts of organic, conventional and integrated farms in the sheep/beef and kiwifruit sectors. Over six years significant differences have been...

In New Zealand, regional councils have the task of sustainably managing rivers and their flows. In trying to achieve this task they face enormous challenges including the need to allocate flows amongst often highly disparate in- (e.g., angling, kayaking, native fish and birds) and out-of-river...

In an attempt to value soil natural capital, we use the inherent characteristics of soil and land valuation data to examine the relationship between soil characteristics and rural farmland values in the 6000ks2 Manawatu catchment in New Zealand. The study applies a hedonic pricing method to...

Data from a choice experiment on the community’s preferences for water quality improvements in streams was used to assess the effect of using a fixed status quo versus people’s perceived status quo on willingness to pay values. More than 50% of respondents perceived the quality of water in...

Agriculture is the foundation of the Manawatu/Wanganui region’s economy, which consists of 300,000 ha of highly erodible land. Past land management practices caused a major threat to the long-term sustainability of the region. Horizons Regional Council introduced Whole Farm Plans (WFP) as part...

The practice of extension of environmental Best Management Practices (BMPs) involves the integration of a range of complex issues. Currently the practice of this in New Zealand is somewhat piece-meal, ad-hoc, and not well coordinated amongst the organisations involved. There is also a strong...