Kinga Nagyné Pércsi

This paper explores how Hungarian farmers perceive the shift to organic farming, focusing on its practical, economic, and knowledge-related challenges. It examines whether difficulties experienced in organic farming reflect genuine concerns for conventional farmers – potentially explaining their reluctance to convert – or whether they fear different aspects than the actual challenges in organic systems. The study draws on qualitative interviews with both farmer groups and content analysis. Results show that farmers view the shift as a broader transformation of farm management. Organic farmers see challenges as manageable through experimental learning and cooperation, while conventional farmers emphasize uncertainties related to markets, yields, and regulations. Findings highlight the importance of advisory services, knowledge exchange, and farmer networks.

The Agro-Ecological Programme, launched in 2023, is one of the most important instruments of the European Union’s new Common Agricultural Policy. It aims to encourage environmentally friendly farming practices. This study analyses responses from 80 Hungarian farmers regarding their participation in the programme, motivations, and attitudes towards sustainability. The research employed quantitative methods, with particular attention to farm size, income level, and environmental awareness. The results indicate that participation decisions are motivated not only by economic considerations but also increasingly by sustainability values, especially among younger and more highly educated farmers. The study is primarily recommended for agricultural policy makers, professional agricultural organisations, and agricultural advisors, as its empirical findings contribute to the more effective design and targeted development of agri-environmental programmes, particularly the Agro-Ecological Programme. It may also prove useful to researchers in agricultural economics and rural development, as well as to students at higher education institutions, who examine the connections between sustainable agriculture, agroecology, and farmer decision-making in the context of the new Common Agricultural Policy.

The shift towards sustainability in European manufacturing has garnered heightened interest due to urgent environmental issues and the changing regulatory landscape established by the European Union. This systematic literature review, based on the PRISMA 2020 framework, examines the strategies employed by European manufacturing industries as they pursue digital and circular transformation pathways to enhance sustainability. By examining peer-reviewed articles published between 2013 and 2024, this research consolidates evidence from specific sources found in Scopus and Web of Science, enhanced by a compilation of 50 rigorous academic studies. Important themes highlight the fusion of Industry 4.0 and 5.0 technologies, the adoption of circular economy concepts, the facilitation of green finance, incentives shaped by policy, and the distinct challenges encountered in sectors like textiles, food supply, automotive, and urban smart manufacturing. The analysis shows that even though digital and circular strategies hold great promise for enhancing sustainability, their practical application is restricted by technological, financial, and organisational issues. The study argues that sustainability transitions are socio-technical processes requiring coherent policy mixes and capacity-building. In its conclusion, the paper offers recommendations for both research and policy, emphasising the crucial need for cohesive transition models, collaborative networks, urban production paradigms, and infrastructures that support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Agroecology offers a transformative pathway toward sustainable food systems by integrating ecological, economic, and social dimensions of farming. While its conceptual and policy foundations are increasingly recognized in European Union (EU) strategies, the practical adoption of agroecological principles at the farm level remains uneven, particularly in socio-economically peripheral Member States. This article investigates the enabling and constraining factors of agroecological uptake in three EU countries—Czech Republic, Hungary, and Portugal, using a mixed qualitative approach that combined literature review, policy mapping, and 42 in-depth farmer interviews conducted in 2020–2021. Data were analyzed through a shared coding framework, iterative team discussions, and a standardized comparative matrix to ensure cross-country validity. The results reveal shared barriers, including limited institutional coordination, subsidy dependency, and structural land inequalities, alongside country-specific dynamics such as farmer-to-farmer learning in Portugal, family-farm identity in Czechia, and trust-based advisory relations in Hungary. The findings underscore that systemic constraints, rather than conceptual gaps, impede agroecological transitions, and highlight the need for context-sensitive policy instruments, advisory reforms, and training programs aligned with agroecological principles. The paper contributes to the literature by providing empirical insight into farmer attitudes and practices in Central and Southern Europe and by offering actionable recommendations for designing policies and training.

This study investigates the access to and impact of agricultural extension services on crop yield among smallholder farmers in Farta Woreda, Ethiopia. The research addresses a critical gap in understanding the factors influencing farmers’ access to extension services and evaluates the overall benefits of these services on crop production. Using a multi-stage stratified simple random sampling technique, data were collected from 356 rural households and analyzed using descriptive statistics and an endogenous switching regression (ESR) model. Results from the selection equation of the ESR model revealed that off-farm income, credit access, livestock ownership, mobile phone ownership, and membership in farmer associations as key determinants of access to agricultural extension services. The findings also revealed significant differences between extension service receivers and non-receivers, with the former achieving 12.27% higher yields. The study highlights that households receiving extension services produced an average of 0.6 quintal (ATT) more crop yield per hectare than they would have without the services, while non-receivers could have achieved approximately 28% (ATU) higher yields had they participated in extension programs. These results emphasize the transformative role of extension services in enhancing farm productivity and call for policy interventions to strengthen farmer associations, integrate financial literacy training, and promote inclusive extension service delivery. By addressing these issues, policymakers can improve agricultural productivity and livelihoods for smallholder farmers in Ethiopia and similar contexts.

Agroecology offers a transformative pathway toward sustainable food systems by integrating ecological, economic, and social dimensions of farming. While its conceptual and policy foundations are increasingly recognized in European Union (EU) strategies, the practical adoption of agroecological principles at the farm level remains uneven, particularly in socio-economically peripheral Member States. This article investigates the enabling and constraining factors of agroecological uptake in three EU countries - Czech Republic, Hungary, and Portugal. Combining literature review, national policy mapping, and 42 in-depth farmer interviews, the study identifies shared challenges such as limited institutional coordination, subsidy dependency, and structural inequalities in land ownership. Despite these constraints, country-specific dynamics - such as farmer-to-farmer learning in Portugal, family farm identity in Czechia, and high trust in advisors in Hungary - reveal unique pathways for agroecological transition. The findings highlight that systemic barriers, rather than conceptual misunderstandings, impede agroecological adoption, and that context-sensitive strategies are essential for meaningful transformation. The paper contributes to the literature by providing empirical insight into farmer attitudes and practices in Central and Southern Europe and by offering actionable recommendations for designing policies and training aligned with agroecological values.

In the 21st century, the primary concerns within our society and economic framework revolve around securing a sustainable future and ensuring our future prospects. The crises witnessed in recent years have both introduced new challenges and revived existing difficulties. The crucial question emerges: can societies and economies demonstrate the resilience necessary to avert impending dangers during such circumstances? This consideration holds particular significance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in the global economy. SMEs play a vital role in national economies, and their importance is even more pronounced within our national societies. Addressing threats and challenges in the SME sector proves to be more challenging due to their compact size, which lacks the protective shield against various environmental impacts enjoyed by larger enterprises with their greater size and capabilities. On the other hand, due to their smaller size, SMEs may be able to overcome these obstacles more successfully than large enterprises by using the appropriate tools and investing in opportunities. The aim of this article is to investigate to what extent environmental protection investments and other sustainability-related developments increase the resilience of SMEs. In connection with the above mentioned, it was investigated how the combination of marketing communication and sustainability goals, and how appropriate communication of sustainability, contributes to increasing the resilience of Hungarian SMEs. The analysis is based on a grouping of 266 small and medium-sized enterprises using the variables created based on the literature review and expert interviews.

Food production and consumption have a major impact on the environment and human health. Therefore, it is important to achieve transformations towards greater sustainability in the food sector. As in other countries around the world, Hungarian organic food consumers are characterised by the fact that they consume organic food primarily for health reasons. Direct forms, including online purchase, are preferred in the choice of channels since direct contact with producers is very important due to mistrust, which is one of the barriers to the further growth of consumption. Empirical tests of well-known and frequently applied theories also shed light on the connections above. First, an examination was conducted through logistic regression to determine if there exists a correlation between organic food consumption and environmentally and socially conscious consumption traits (such as supporting small-scale producers) within the broader sample (1148), encompassing not just organic food consumers. Subsequently, concentrating solely on organic food consumers (944), factor analysis was employed to reveal connections among the analysed variables and to group Hungarian organic food consumers into clusters based on their consumption and purchasing habits. In conclusion, it is reasonable to assume that organic food consumers are more likely to be environmentally conscious, as they are more aware of the environmental impact of their food choices. Three clearly distinguishable groups were obtained using cluster analysis. These groups can be targeted with different means in order to develop the sector.

The paper presents the experiences and survival strategies of small family businesses engaged in multifunctional agricultural activities in Hungary during the COVID crisis. The following topics were examined: human resources, supplier-customer relations, production and sales, distribution channels, inputs and outputs prices, strategies and business models, and subsidies in agricultural sectors combined with financial assistance. The study was conducted using a qualitative research methodology, with the help of structured in-depth interviews made with 22 small family businesses. The results show that multifunctional family businesses performed well. The health consequences and the measures taken by the government caused disruption but did not completely hinder the operation of businesses.