Introduction. Since the mid-twentieth century, research has focused on agriculture as an important and structurally determining economic sector, constructing a significant part of the production infrastructure that serves an important function in generating economic growth in society. The asymmetry in the development of the territories and the general problems in the lagging areas are the subject of regional policy at the national and community level, to which a serious financial resource is directed, seeking a synergistic effect of the various support instruments on the entire territory. Over half of Bulgaria's territory is used for agriculture, and in rural areas it is also the main economic sector and source of livelihood. It is of crucial importance for the overall economic development of rural areas. In-depth research is needed to assess the infrastructure potential and analyze its impact on the generation of gross value added (GVA) and cohesion between regions. Aim and tasks. The aim of this paper is to analyze and evaluate the infrastructural potential of rural territories and its impact on the GVA generated by the agricultural sector. Results. The analysis compares the infrastructural potential of the districts with the production of the agricultural sector, the leading sector of the Bulgarian economy, and seeks ways to optimize it. Within the framework of the present research, the social, transport, tourist, and production infrastructure at the regional level is analyzed, and their relation to the GVA generated by the agricultural sector is examined. The social, transport, tourist, and production infrastructure by regions in Bulgaria and their impact on agribusiness were analyzed, and the results were summarized and mapped. As a result of the research, the territories were systematized depending on the ratio between the GVA from the agricultural sector and their infrastructural potential, and the trends in their development were outlined. Conclusions. The well-developed infrastructure in rural territories is a driving force for diversifying the functional use of the territory and the optimal utilization of available resources, ensuring not only economic progress but also sustainability in the development of rural territories. Improving infrastructure has a positive effect on the GVA of the agricultural sector, encourages diversification and the use of available resources, and helps make rural territories more sustainable.

The EU policy is aimed at raising the standard of living in rural areas and supporting the processes related to uncovering and utilising their full potential. Rural territories in Bulgaria have unexploited potential, both in the use and protection of available resources and their social economic development, as well as in the generation of additional income. Through their sustainable development, a balance between economic, social and ecological growth would be achieved and the quality of life in them would be significantly improved. The purpose of the research is related to the study of the contribution of a sustainable organic agriculture model to achieve a multiplier effect on the rural area, as well as the linkage between organic agriculture and alternative tourism. The innovative organic agriculture model is undoubtedly one of the possibilities with a significant influence to achieve greater sustainability in the development of the rural economy in a territorial scope. The strong connection and interdependence between the economic entities in agriculture and tourism sectors is fully manifested when the interests of all interested parties in the development process of the specific territory are well combined.

The European Green Deal creates both opportunities and challenges in the process of transition to sustainable farming models. In modern conditions, it is crucial that this transition leads to a higher degree of sustainability of a healthy and environmentally friendly food system. The role of farmers is becoming particularly prominent due to their efforts in introducing environmentally friendly agricultural practices for effective combat against climate change, protection and conservation of biodiversity and the environment. On the one hand, agriculture stands at the “front line” as regards the consequences of climate change and biodiversity loss, and on the other hand, unsustainable agricultural practices are a major factor in biodiversity loss. The aim of this study is to identify the differences or the regional specificities of an innovative agricultural model and its potential for developing and strengthening socioeconomic indicators on a national scale. The thesis of the study is that organic agriculture in Bulgaria, as a sustainable model for agricultural production, not only has the potential for development but is also an opportunity for diversification and development of agricultural business on the regional level, with a key role and priority in the national agricultural policy.

The number of unemployed persons in different sectors of the economy, including those at hotels and restaurants, has grown rapidly due to shrinking economic activity as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, the state has introduced some measures to counteract negative consequences and ensure positive social effects for businesses. The aim of this research is to present implemented social measures and their effects on preserving employment in the sphere of hotel and restaurant activity in Bulgaria during the COVID-19 crisis. The research methods we employ are analysis and synthesis; content analysis; situational analysis; deduction; induction; comparative analysis, etc. The findings of the research present the nature and the progress of social measures adopted to preserve employment in the researched sectors since the outbreak of COVID-19 in Bulgaria, as well as the achieved results. They also outline the condition of employment in the hotel and the restaurant business in Bulgaria during the pandemic and the efficiency of applied mechanisms. Within this context, some opportunities for the further development of the researched economic sphere are presented.

The establishment of trends and intensity of ongoing processes is important for revealing the causes and differences in the development of regions, the disproportions that have arisen and the need to apply adequate measures for their reduction and limitation. In today's economy, undergoing increasing transformations towards sustainability in each of the developing sectors in Bulgaria and especially in the sensitive regions, sustainability in the context of sustainable development is becoming even more important. Two of the poorest regions in EU are located in Bulgaria – the Northwest and the North Central Region (NWR and NCR), and this is the main reason to analyse the indicators characterizing their economic, social, demographic and environmental condition in this article. The main objective of the study is to analyse important indicators for two of the statistical regions in Bulgaria (NWR and NCR) related to the current vision for their economic, socio-demographic and environmental condition. The study found that, unfortunately, the negative trend of the NWR and the NCR being the least populated regions in the Republic of Bulgaria is still growing, where the population in the NWR manages to stay within the upper limit, while the NCR is emerging as the region with the fastest depopulation. Enterprises with high risk potential have a larger relative share in the NCR, and those in the NWR have lower values. The higher relative share of enterprises with low risk potential in the NWR indicates the possibility of increasing sustainable territorial development and connectivity between different territories, between urban and rural areas. A sustainable trend is observed towards reducing the carbon dioxide values in the sectors of construction, energy, industry and waste. The same trend is noted for methane in the sectors of agriculture, construction, transport and waste, and for the nitrous oxide component in the agriculture, construction and energy sectors. Alarming is the trend in both studied regions for increasing values of CO2 in the agriculture and transport sectors, and of methane in the energy and industry sectors.

The development of the tourism superstructure in rural areas is a driving force for the diversification of opportunities for economic progress in rural areas. On the one hand, it provides opportunities for sustainability in a rural area by using its resources for agricultural purposes. On the other hand, there is a prospect for the realization of alternative forms of tourism business. This paper examines some opportunities for development in the direction of sustainability of the tourism superstructure in rural areas in order to integrate and balanced territorial development.