Cities operate in a competitive social environment requiring local authorities to adopt marketing strategies with significant economic ratings. City marketing that is related to the meaning of a city’s name encourages activities in the city or region. The present study adopted a quantitative survey on a sample of 152 employees in companies to explore how important marketing is perceived for a city’s development. The research was done in Trikala, a city in Greece. The key conclusion was that the more critical the participants consider the interventions in the city’s natural environment, the more they believe that the city can benefit from corporate sponsorships. Subsequently, it appeared that the more they support the interventions in the structured environment of the city, the less they consider that corporate sponsorships can benefit it. It was explained that structured interventions usually involve very high investments that require funding from the central government, as sponsorships are not enough. The most substantial positive relationship was found between the importance of interventions in employment, entrepreneurship and tourism, and the importance of business sponsorships.

The European Union in recent years has adopted and implemented a new policy, the European Green Deal, which aspires to be a comprehensive plan to make the EU economy sustainable by turning climate and environmental challenges into opportunities. At the core of this strategy, is agriculture, as it both contributes to and is affected by climate change. This paper investigates the opportunities and challenges facing young farmers, small farms, and agricultural entrepreneurship under the framework of the Green Deal. Especially, it explores how the Green Deal's goals of climate neutrality, biodiversity preservation, and sustainable food systems impact young farmers, small farms and agricultural entrepreneurship, while identifying ways in which they can align their practices with this new policy framework. The paper concludes with policy recommendations to support young farmers and small-scale agricultural entrepreneurs in achieving sustainability while enhancing their economic viability.

The Farm to Fork (F2F) strategy, a key pillar of the European Green Deal, offers a comprehensive and sustainable solution for food systems, with particular benefits for rural communities. This strategy emphasizes the transformation of food production, processing, distribution, and consumption to achieve environmental sustainability, economic resilience, and food security. As rural communities often face unique challenges—such as limited access to markets, declining populations, and environmental degradation—the F2F strategy provides an integrated approach to addressing these issues. By promoting shorter supply chains, organic farming, reduced pesticide use, and climate-resilient agricultural practices, the F2F strategy can enhance rural livelihoods while contributing to global climate and health goals. This paper examines the economic, environmental, and social impacts of the F2F strategy on rural communities, and highlights the challenges and opportunities associated with its implementation. It argues that, while the strategy holds great promise for promoting sustainable rural development, its success depends on adequate financial support, infrastructure investments, and education for farmers and stakeholders.

In recent years, the European Union's rural policies have focused on balanced rural development and, in particular, significant support for less-favored areas. This can be achieved through diversification strategies that focus on supporting and promoting local products in each region. The aim is to create synergies between local producers and various distributors to create and increase added value in the final local product. The importance of product quality has created a global trend in nutrition by helping to create a highly competitive food market. The quality and place of production aspect is a unique asset for maintaining global competitiveness. Consumers, in recent years, are increasingly interested in the origin of food not only for health reasons but also for an internal need to satisfy the lack of "original" and "traditional" flavors and flavors of their daily lives (Theodossiou, Goulas, Duquenne, 2017) and secondarily to support the protection of the environment and the conservation of biodiversity at the place of production.The global trend that has prevailed around the standardization of agricultural products has created an alternative trend of valuing and consuming typical products of an area. In these typical products, social participation and their quality are considered to enhance economic activity and can be a competitive advantage in domestic and international markets (Goodman 2003; Bowen & Mutersbaugh, 2014).Concerns about the environmental, economic, social and health risks inherent in global food systems have attracted both public and scientific attention to sustainability and food security. In this way, it is considered that sustainable development of food systems will be achieved. Thus, in recent decades, an increasing number of people in high-income countries, mainly, have turned to "alternative food networks".In the present research paper an attempt to study and present the categories of markets created by the global tendency of citizens to be interested in the origin and place of production of the food they consume will be reviewed in the existing literature. Mainly, the inhabitants of the big urban centers show a special interest in the way and the place of production of their food. Thus, the creation of various citizen movements was the expected development of this trend. In fact, according to Hinrichs (2000), specific citizen movements, such as Socially Supported Agriculture and Community-Based Agricultural Production have conquered many countries in Europe, America and Asia. However, in addition to these, the international literature mentions other markets of agricultural products, such as urban agriculture, specific and specialized delicatessens on agro - products, as well as short food supply chains.

Modern societies increasingly recognise the need to redefine development models by incorporating both social and economic dimensions to ensure sustainable and inclusive growth. This paper examines the intersection of sports tourism and regional economic development, presenting a case study of the Thanasis Stamopoulos Half-Marathon, an annual event held in the prefecture of Trikala, Greece. The study highlights the event’s economic and cultural contributions, focusing on its ability to create and preserve jobs, promote local culture, and stimulate the consumption of regional products. The research methodology included focus groups with seven members of the organising committee, statistical analysis of event participation, and a review of relevant literature. Key findings revealed that the event, which attracts significant national participation, has a measurable economic impact on the cities of Trikala and Kalambaka. In the most recent edition, 1,572 athletes completed the half-marathon, 1,313 participated in the 5 km race, and 95 athletes with disabilities took part, highlighting its inclusivity and broad appeal. This paper highlights the novelty of examining a small-scale, region-specific sports event as a driver of local development. The findings demonstrate that such events not only foster community cohesion and cultural identity but also serve as practical tools for economic revitalisation. The insights gained can inform policymakers, event organisers, and regional stakeholders in leveraging sports tourism to achieve sustainable regional growth.

The need for a green, clean, and sustainable economy has pushed Western societies to create a new economic system to help local economies achieve their primary targets. Many scholars claim that the uncertainty of climate change and the contemporary necessity for environmental protection have led most advanced countries to reconsider and redesign their economies, adding environmental management into every reference system. The European Union’s response to that need is the European Green Deal (EGD). The EGD represents one of the European Union’s major strategies to achieve climate neutrality by 2050 and resets the Commission’s commitment to tackling climate and environmental-related challenges. Creating a fair, healthy, and environmentally friendly food system is essential for that effort toward sustainability, which is why agriculture and farmers play an important role in this transition. Understanding farmers’ perspectives on the EGD is essential for successfully implementing its policies. The EU has already launched a strategic dialogue on the future of EU agriculture. This research investigates farmers’ views on the EGD through a focus group approach, providing a qualitative understanding of their perceptions, concerns, and suggestions for policy improvements. In addition, this research will try to present recommendations for future research.