In this paper, the authors analyze products from the organic farming system from consumption and consumers. The research aimed to determine the characteristics of the Serbian organic market, discover attitudes, practices, and features of different organic food consumers and identify factors that influence organic products’ purchase. This was done following the theoretical framework of green marketing, which refers to the holistic management process responsible for identifying, anticipating, and satisfying customers and society’s needs for profitably and sustainability. The research for this study was conducted in Novi Sad and Belgrade in late 2015 and early 2016. The sample included 496 respondents over 18 years of age, varying levels of education, marital status, and other sociodemographic characteristics. The sample was divided into three internally homogeneous yet mutually heterogeneous clusters according to three criteria: factors that generally influence their food purchasing decisions, their opinions regarding characteristics of food products and their eating habits, and their sociodemographic characteristics. The analysis shows that organic consumers can be divided into three clusters with corresponding components related to aspects of products that are sold in the Serbian market. In Cluster 1, respondents who assign the least importance to whether they eat “healthy” products and to the number of calories in those products are presented. Cluster 2 respondents care most about what they consume, and in Cluster 3, respondents assign importance to eat “healthy” food. The findings of this study show that the decision whether to buy organic products or not is predominantly determined by the price and quality of products (which is also related to the socio-economic characteristics of consumers) so that eco-marketing should therefore be more directed towards those consumers who are already “more environmentally and health-conscious”, because in this way, the desired results of improving the domestic market of organic products will be achieved.

The level of production in a variety of organic production systems is often lower than in other traditional production systems. In poultry production, there is also a direct negative effect of the small scale regarding sustainable organic poultry production. Regardless of differences between organic and conventional production systems, this experiment aimed to investigate the usage of tea tree Melaleuca alternifolia (Maiden and Betche) Cheel essential oils as a natural alternative to antibiotics in hen nutrition on productive parameters, table egg quality and eggs fatty acid profile as a promising sustainable organic agricultural tool. A total of 360 Lohmann Brown hens, aged 54 weeks, divided into three different treatment diets, were supplemented with 0 (T1), 40 (T2) and 80 mg/kg (T3) of M. alternifolia essential oil, respectively. Experimental treatments were replicated four times within 30 birds each. The experiment lasted for a total of 56 days (55 to 62 weeks of hens age). A 56-day experimental had two timetable periods of 28 days each: period 1 (55 to 58 weeks of hen age) and period 2 (59 to 62 weeks of hen age). For compound feed supplemented with M. alternifolia essential oil, daily egg production and the efficiency of nutrient utilization (FCR) was improved significantly (p < 0.05) until the end of week 58, with a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the thickness of eggshell, as well as egg production (p < 0.05). However, egg mass, feed consumption, FCR and albumen height, Haugh unit, and eggshell strength did not show any significant (p > 0.05) differences influenced by essential oil feed supplementation. Lower concentrations of saturated fatty acid (SFA) and monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA), and higher concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), were recorded with M. alternifolia essential oil supplementation, but without significant (p > 0.05) differences. At the end of the experiment, the obtained results showed that the addition of M. alternifolia essential oil to hen nutrition had a positive effect on production parameters and eggs fatty acid profile, with increased eggshell thickness (p < 0.05).

The authors discuss the possibility of applying the theory of diffusion of innovations in the concept of organic farming. Agricultural and food sector has been exposed to significant changes over the past two centuries. That was very significant for the theory of diffusion of innovations that sought to better understand the process of knowledge transfer and adoption of innovations. Organic farming has developed as a response to the environmental and other problems of conventional agriculture. Also, it is a reaction to some issues regarding rural development. By introducing the theory of diffusion of innovation, the aim of the paper is to take into the consideration the possibility of its application to the organic system analysis. By that, we wish to take into account all the specifics which enable to observe the system of organic farming as an innovation itself. The authors conclude that the theory of diffusion of innovations can be used in the research of organic farming systems, with the respect of all characteristics and particularities of organic farming.

Flame weeding is an alternative method of weed control. Essentially, it is a supplement to other physical and mechanical processes used in organic production. Weed control costs have a large share of the total cost of crop production. This study aimed to investigate hand weed hoeing’s cost-effectiveness, accompanied by inter-row cultivation and flame weeding applied in organic maize production using two different machines to determine the economically best solution. For this purpose, the prototype flame weeder and commercial flame-weeding machinery were used. Designed primarily for smaller fields, the prototype flame weeder was equipped with a cultivator and a 70 kg propane bottle. Commercial Red Dragon flame weeder, fitted with an 800 kg propane tank and featuring no cultivation implements, is designed for larger areas. The analysis has shown that hand hoeing produced a higher yield (8.3 t/ha in total), but it contributed significantly to the production costs. The costs per hectare decreased when the prototype flame weeder and the commercial Red Dragon flame weeder were used compared to hand hoeing. More beneficial economic impacts were recorded when the prototype flame weeder was used (489.39 €/ha) than in applying the Red Dragon flame weeder (456.47 €/ha). The efficacy of flame weeding is somewhat limited and could be enhanced by additional hand hoeing, if the effect of the machine in terms of weeding is observed. However, the analysis has shown that, in this case, investments in additional hand hoeing are not economically justified because the operating costs incurred therein (168 €/ha) were not met by a yield increase of 500 kg/ha, i.e., a surplus revenue of 100 €/ha. Moreover, the economic impacts of flame weeding would be considerably more significant in larger fields.

The aim of the paper is to enlighten the role that organic agriculture can have in the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Currently, sustainable agriculture systems are not adequately recognized in SDG and supported by the decision-makers. Given that agriculture plays one of the key roles in sustainable development accomplishment, the introduction of an organic agriculture can be a basis to implementing SDG. Organic agriculture has multiple benefits as most valuable option in redesigning food systems to achieve ecological, economic, and social sustainability. Moreover it could encompass and establish food system from field to fork necessary to complete the SDG without oversize resource depletion and negative impact on the environment. The study showed that by placing organic agriculture in the agenda of SDG it is possible to create conditions for sustainable development while identify and manage trade-offs in agriculture and maximising co-benefits.

The concept of sustainable development has been widely analyzed in scientific literature and is understood as a process aimed at balancing human activities with the environment. Sustainable agricultural systems generate economic value, manage natural resources responsibly, and support rural development. Modern agricultural production, however, faces challenges across these dimensions, making their assessment essential for the long-term viability of farms. This paper introduces indicators of economic, ecological, and social sustainability for agricultural holdings, using the FADN (Farm Accountancy Data Network) database as a foundation. The structured nature of FADN allows for consistent analysis of sustainability, while additional indicators assess the impact of agricultural policy on farm performance. Together, these provide a comprehensive framework for understanding and improving farm sustainability. The main contribution of the study is the establishment of a set of feasible indicators that can be derived from the FADN database to support comprehensive sustainability assessments.