We investigated the resilience of small-scale family farms because of the contemporary importance of both the farms’ resilience and the role of these farms in five countries of Central and Eastern Europe. The authors addressed a research gap concerning cross-sectional research on the resilience of farms by combining determinants from various fields. Thus, the primary goal of this article was to identify microeconomic and political factors and links to markets that affect the resilience of small-scale family farms in Lithuania, Moldova, Poland, Romania and Serbia. Using a database of over 3500 farms, the resilience of the farms was calculated, and then the impact of selected factors on that resilience was determined. The research showed that the production scale was the key determinant of the resilience of farms. To achieve higher benefits, increasing the production should be combined with strengthening the market integration of agricultural producers. The position of the producer in the food supply chain determined the income situation of the farm (economic stability). This shaped the quality of life of the family members (social stability). Identifying the effects of those dependencies may provide recommendations for the policy of supporting small-scale family farms in the analysed countries.

Distribution of agricultural products from the aspect of farms is a continuous issue. Efficient application of the distribution model should provide a farm owner with regular income, as well as with a competitive advantage. Assessment of distribution channels in the context of an agricultural producer is subject to multi-criteria decisions, including both qualitative and quantitative factors. The aim of this paper is to develop a model which enables a structured analysis and an efficient assessment of distribution channels. The methodology based on the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) will be a useful tool in setting various criteria for deciding on distribution channels, as well as a tool for managing a multi-variant qualitative assessment of data included in decision-making processes. The survey results show that the most important distribution channel for agricultural products is the channel of sales via processing plants (cooling and drying facilities, silos and agricultural combines), compared to sales through advertising (which significantly increased its share with the COVID-19 pandemic), sales through sales channels or at farmers’ markets.

Economic overview of the distribution channels used by Eastern European small farms for their agricultural products | Vladimir Ristanovic, Aleksandra Tošović-Stevanović, Silvia Maican, Andreea Muntean | Agricultural Journals

The aim of the article is to assess the environmental sustainability of small-scale faming. The authors tried to reach the farmers' subjective opinion, their way of thinking, attitudes and determinants affecting environmental performance. The use of in-depth interviews gave a chance to draw reliable and accurate conclusions on the analysed topic and register many elements that could be omitted using quantitative methods. Thus, the work forms a complementary part of research on the sustainability of small-scale farms, which is its main added value. Furthermore, the use of data from three EU member states - Poland, Romania and Lithuania - provided a basis for comparative analysis. Conclusions proved that small farms perform important environmental functions in rural areas. It results from the very essence of this type of farms, based on the cultivation of traditions and experience passed down from generation to generation, as well as from the family nature of these units.

The paper focuses on the socio-economic factors of small farms in Serbia. Small farms occupy most of the farmland and, therefore, are very important to economic and agricultural development, although they achieve lower income and are not as productive as large farms. The authors conducted research and addressed the key related to the functioning of small farms in the context of the population working in agriculture. The primary goal of this article was to identify the share of the population working in agriculture and their income structure, level of education, age, gender, working hours etc. Using a database of 550 farms, the socio-economic factors were calculated, and then the impact of the selected factors on economic and sustainable development. Identifying those socio-economic effects may provide recommendations for the policy of supporting small-scale family farms in the analyzed country.

With the aim of constantly increasing economic development, and with the constant growth of the population, there was an excessive use of natural resources, which caused the search for a long-term solution and the creation of a concept of sustainable development. For this reason, the paper pointed out the basic aspects of sustainable development in current conditions, considering that modern society puts a heavy burden on the environment and all segments of the socioeconomic system. The paper focuses on the challenges of sustainable development, according to the 2030 Agenda, more precisely on Sustainable Development Goals and challenges in implementing in Serbia and countries in the region. The biggest challenge that hit the world in 2020 and which the Serbia and the countries of the region also faced was the Covid-19 pandemic, so this challenge was singled out and dealt with separately as a challenge to the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. With conclusion that today sustainable development cannot be spontaneous comes the realization that the process must be guided by international organizations, national states, local governments, all the way down to companies and individuals. That is why the paper outline the basic guidelines and principles of sustainable development of Serbia and the countries in the region, present the current situation in Serbia and future tendencies, and a comparative analysis of the countries in the region in terms of compliance with the guidelines, as well as the challenges in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals.