The development of agribusiness sector is given gradually increasing importance. This works aims at identifying the elements that create the successful ecosystem for agricultural development, their benefits and application in agri-food systems; additionally, to bring on a light of the role of agricultural policies in these processes. For this purpose, the authors have carried out an analysis of the concern related literature and present a preliminary theoretical framework/model as a tool for supporting local development and incorporate a successful effective ecosystem. The key implications of this paper include an increased attention to agricultural research, to the role of the collaboration between relevant stakeholders, as well as of the agriculture, which uses information technologies for the better utilization of natural resources, and what is the most important is, the role of agricultural policies.

The idea of smart villages, though arising from the smart cities concept, seems to influence the rural reality as well, and this may, among others, be the effect of urban–rural partnerships. The smartness of villages, as it is significantly related to the innovative concepts in rural regions, refers to the innovative solutions which, in order to be implemented, need to go beyond the rural authorities and engagement of rural stakeholders. The main objective of the manuscript is to assess the role of partners from urban centers in the concepts of local development of rural areas in order to find the potential for future cooperation. As such, the evidence is based on the initiatives from three different agricultural regions located in Southern Poland, where engaged local stakeholders have commenced innovative activities. The research has been conducted based on an explanatory multi–case study method. These research findings reveal that despite direct lack of urban participation in the innovative developmental idea’s conceptualization, the need for and presence of urban partners exists, especially when the implementation is concerned. Additionally, the presence of urban support seems to be indirectly perceived by rural leaders, especially as the phenomenon of adaptation to the rural environment for the urban newcomer is recognized by the rural residents. The need for support from cities is first of all recognized in the following areas: content, obtaining financial resources for the implementation of projects developed by them, and choosing an appropriate organizational and legal form of implemented initiatives.

Social enterprise is a model of hybrid organization driven by the need to generate positive externalities by reinvesting their surplus for social and environmental objectives. One of the biggest problems arising from joining financial goals with social goals is the presence of increasing tensions between the members and stakeholders involved. Nevertheless, there has not been enough focus on how managers, employees, and stakeholders respond to the tensions caused by contradictions and how they try to reach a balance between financial, environmental, and social goals. Therefore, the present study is aimed at investigating how members of an agricultural cooperative in the Apulia region (Italy) try to join the organizational forms of business and social values, namely, the sustainable practices related to CO₂ emission reduction, resource use efficiency, and food waste mitigation. Additionally, the study goes further and explores whether and how these contradictory pressures are solved. Starting from the sensemaking approach, the study carried out an inductive case study through the use of a multiple case study design and in-depth interviews. The findings highlight the following two novel aspects: (1) Managers prefer to adopt a cumulative mitigating hybridization approach and (2) a weak integration can be noticed between social and commercial dimensions, originating from a lack of holistic perspective and poor interorganizational communication.

The paper investigates the attitude of farmers to participate in an on-farm conservation programme based on the cultivation of vine landraces in Apulia, southern Italy, in place of the current commercial varieties, as an adaptation strategy to climate changes. The results, based on choice experiments and assessed through a latent class model, highlight a general interest of the regional farmers toward the biodiversity-based adaptation programme for coping with climate change. In particular, three classes of respondents were identified: (i) farmers operating on the whole regional territory and willing to cultivate up to 50% of their farm area with up to two landraces and compensation in line with the aid set by the regional rural programme; (ii) winegrowers of the intensive rural areas and willing to cultivate up to 25% of their farm with up to two landraces and a compensation greater than 200% compared to the aid of the regional rural programme; (iii) farmers operating in the intermediate rural areas and willing to cultivate up to 50% of their farm with up to three landraces and a compensation greater than 50% compared to the aid of the regional rural programme. Policymakers should calibrate adaption actions depending on rural areas, since economic, social, cultural, behavioural and cognitive barriers, as well as structural characteristics of farms, impact the farmers’ attitudes toward measures aimed at coping with climate change.

Sustainable development is characterized by interconnected social, economic, and ecological aspects and it is at the core value of the worldwide economy. A participatory and accountable framework is a prerequisite for inclusive and sustainable development; so power is redistributed, reducing uncertainty, inequality and promoting shared prosperity. Despite its crucial importance and relevance, barriers remain in making progress towards its implementation, in particular for the agricultural sector. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of agriculture for sustainable and inclusive development, highlighting environmental, economic and social dimensions. Then, we aim at providing policy-makers more accessible results on trade-offs of alternative measures for greening the agri-food system. The research is based on method of analysis based on an extensive review of research evidence related in particular to Climate Smart Agriculture (CSA). Focusing on CSA role, a set of priority actions for greening systems are drawn up. Results of analysis provide an insight on a new System Dynamics model able to represent the complex causal relations and non-linear feedback loops among key dimensions and actors of sustainable development. Furthermore investments/ measures coordination in agriculture and higher farmers’ knowledge are crucial driver in reaching this ambition.