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        <title>European Countryside Feed</title>
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        <copyright>All rights reserved 2026, Mendel University in Brno</copyright>
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            <title><![CDATA[Why Hungarian Farmers Hesitate to Adopt Organic Farming: Farmer Experiences and Practices]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/euco-2026-0024</link>
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            <pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This paper explores how Hungarian farmers perceive the shift to organic farming, focusing on its practical, economic, and knowledge-related challenges. It examines whether difficulties experienced in organic farming reflect genuine concerns for conventional farmers – potentially explaining their reluctance to convert – or whether they fear different aspects than the actual challenges in organic systems. The study draws on qualitative interviews with both farmer groups and content analysis. Results show that farmers view the shift as a broader transformation of farm management. Organic farmers see challenges as manageable through experimental learning and cooperation, while conventional farmers emphasize uncertainties related to markets, yields, and regulations. Findings highlight the importance of advisory services, knowledge exchange, and farmer networks.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Individual Characteristics and Hunting Practices Associated with Hunting Participation in Spain]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/euco-2026-0016</link>
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            <pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The decline in the number of hunters may affect wildlife management, while overabundant game populations pose challenges for human activities and ecosystems. In this context, understanding hunter recruitment and retention is increasingly relevant. We used a survey to examine how individual characteristics and hunting-related practices associate with hunting participation in Spain. Hunting interest in game species varied by sex, age and hunting type, being higher in women, declining with age, and generally higher for big game. Sex differences were bigger for big game, and age-related declines were more pronounced for big than for small game. The probability that the father was the first hunting companion decreased with age and was higher in women, while dog use declined with age and showed no sex differences. These findings provide insights for context-specific and socially informed approaches to hunter recruitment and retention strategies.]]></description>
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            <title><![CDATA[The Future of Entrepreneurship in Rural Areas of the Czech Republic: Expert Forecast Using the Delphi Method]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/euco-2026-0023</link>
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            <pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This paper examines factors that may influence the future development of economic entities operating in rural areas of the Czech Republic. Attention is also given to peripheral rural areas, as they face the greatest challenges regarding the future of entrepreneurship. Using qualitative research through the Delphi method, the authors gathered data from experts in academia and in rural development, as well as from mayors of rural municipalities. Expert opinions focused on factors affecting business opportunities and prospects for business development in rural areas of the Czech Republic. The spread of business innovations in Czech rural areas is generally slower. However, the education and competence of the local population, as well as infrastructure networks, are important for the practical spread of these innovations. The results confirmed that the factors influencing the future of entrepreneurship in rural areas are the quality of transport infrastructure, population ageing and subsidy policy.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Lithuanian Women in Agriculture: Gendered Farming Practices and Landscape Diversification]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/euco-2026-0018</link>
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            <pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This article aims to contribute to the production of knowledge on gender dynamics in the European farming sector. It explores women’s roles in Lithuanian agriculture and their impact on the rural landscape. The study employs a mixed-methodology approach that combines statistical analyses, interviews with 50 farming families, and farm visits. The results highlight distinct characteristics of the Lithuanian context, both specific to Lithuania and common to other CEE countries. Women constitute a larger portion of the agricultural workforce than the European average. However, they primarily participate in small-scale farming, are less eager to expand their farms compared to men, and claim less aid than their male counterparts. Their roles mostly involve manual, low-skilled labour and subsistence activities. Finally, women farmers actively participate in conserving and diversifying traditional rural landscapes, thereby contributing to the Europeanisation of agricultural practices.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Place-Based Branding Through Regional Labels in Europe’s Peripheries: The Case of the Borsod-Torna-Gömör Brand, Hungary]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/euco-2026-0019</link>
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            <pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Regional labels are promoted as tools of rural identity and place-based development, but their role in post-socialist peripheries remains underexplored. This article examines the Borsod–Torna–Gömör regional label in Northeast Hungary and its contribution to agrotourism. The study combines aggregated survey results covering 56 certified members with seven expert interviews and document analysis. The findings show that the label strengthens territorial identity, cooperation and quality signalling, while weak marketing, limited digital visibility and fragile institutional support constrain its wider impact. The case shows that regional labels can act as institutionalised instruments of place-based branding, but their resilience-building capacity remains conditional.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[From Individual Initiatives to Networked Actions: Networking as a Solution for Sustaining Rural Community Activities in Lithuania]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/euco-2026-0025</link>
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            <pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Despite long-standing EU support for regional development and rural revitalisation, many rural community initiatives struggle to sustain their activities once project-based funding ends. While instruments such as the LEADER programme have been effective in mobilising local actors, building capacity, and initiating community-led projects, they have been less successful in ensuring long-term continuity and coordination of supported initiatives. This paper examines networking as a means to overcome fragmentation and ensure the continuity of rural community activities that contribute to local economic development. The analysis combines a review of European rural policy developments since 2000 with an in-depth case study from Lithuania. The case focuses on the evolution of the public organisation Salty Winds, which emerged from LEADER-supported initiatives in 2014, initiated by the Druskininkai Local Action Group and later transitioned into a network-oriented organisation. This research was conducted within the framework of ESIRA (Enhancing Social Innovation in Rural Areas), a Horizon Europe project funded by the European Union, which supported living-lab collaboration in the study region. Using a design thinking approach as the main analytical framework, the paper examines how rural actors reframed their challenges, developed new organisational arrangements, and strengthened cooperation among community groups, businesses, and public authorities. The findings demonstrate that networking can enhance the sustainability of rural community initiatives by improving coordination, enabling joint marketing and branding, and embedding initiatives within broader governance structures. The paper contributes to debates on post-LEADER rural development by highlighting the importance of network-based governance and adaptive innovation tools for sustaining local economic activities in rural regions.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Administratively Urban, Functionally Rural: Misclassification of Ukraine’s Territorial Communities and Implications For Governance and EU Integration]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/euco-2026-0022</link>
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            <pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This article examines the functional rurality of Ukraine’s territorial communities by applying European approaches to territorial classification. Specifically, it applies Eurostat- and OECD-based criteria, namely population density (the OECD threshold of 150 inhabitants per square kilometre) and the share of the rural population, to the level of local administrative units (territorial communities), drawing on pre-war 2020–2021 data. It shows that more than 90% of communities have a rural or mixed urban-rural character, encompassing over 95% of the rural population, although current administrative and statistical categories do not reflect this reality. This mismatch weakens the visibility of rural needs in local governance and complicates the targeting of rural development policy. The findings are particularly relevant in the context of Ukraine’s EU integration and post-war reconstruction, where a function-based understanding of territorial communities is essential for effective governance and policy design.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Analysing Stakeholders in Geographical Indications: Patterns, Gaps, and Research Implications – A Systematic Review (2014–2024)]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/euco-2026-0021</link>
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            <pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Geographical indications (GIs) are frequently framed as collective, place-based arrangements. However, the literature varies in how stakeholders are conceptualised, made visible, and related to one another. This PRISMA-guided review examines how GI studies conceptualise stakeholders, make them visible, and describe relations. Scopus and Web of Science searches (2014–2024) yielded 35 journal articles. Visibility was coded as explicit naming of stakeholder groups in full texts. Results show a post-2018 surge, a European core, and mainly qualitative case-study designs. Producers and public authorities are the most consistently represented groups, whereas the visibility of other stakeholders varies across the literature. Participation, authority, coordination, and inclusion–exclusion are frequently discussed, but conceptualised and examined in different ways. The review offers a comparative synthesis of stakeholder-oriented GI scholarship and identifies implications for stakeholder analysis in territorial GI contexts.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[The Impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on Tourism in a Rural Borderland National Park: Evidence from Bohemian Switzerland]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/euco-2026-0020</link>
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            <pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This paper examines how the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the volume and spatial distribution of recorded passages in a rural borderland national park, using the Bohemian Switzerland National Park as a case study. The region is embedded in transnational day-trip and cross-border mobility systems and is therefore particularly sensitive to disruptions of international movement. The paper questions the widespread assumption that rural tourism is inherently resilient during the pandemic. The analysis utilizes automatic pedestrian counter data from 2019 to 2022, with 2019 serving as the baseline, combined with spatial analysis and a functional–visibility typology of monitoring locations. Quantitative results are contextualized by desk research on mobility restrictions and accommodation statistics. The findings reveal a pronounced and lasting decline in recorded passages at monitored sites, particularly during periods of border closures, with the greatest losses occurring at flagship attractions that rely heavily on foreign day-trippers. A temporary redistribution toward peripheral routes occurred but weakened as restrictions eased, indicating that tourism resilience in border regions is highly context-dependent.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[The New Neighbors. German Immigrants in Hungary Since the 2010s]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/euco-2026-0017</link>
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            <pubDate>Fri, 25 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Contemporary migration is increasingly shaped by globalization, digitalization, and lifestyle considerations, moving beyond earlier models of unidirectional, economically driven mobility. In Europe, these processes affect not only metropolitan areas but also rural regions experiencing demographic decline. This article examines the migration of German citizens to rural Hungary, focusing on the roles of class position, life-course trajectories, and changing social expectations. Drawing on a one-year qualitative study conducted in four villages in southern Hungary, the analysis shows that later-life relocation is closely linked to “mobile aging” and the pursuit of active lifestyles. In addition to economic and lifestyle motivations, political factors emerge as a distinctive pull factor, including preferences for Hungary’s conservative political climate, limited EU regulation, and restrictive migration policies. The findings contribute to debates on lifestyle migration, geoarbitrage, and the socio-political dimensions of transnational aging.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Principles of Local Development and the European Leader Programme Applied to Fishing Areas: What are the Specific Features? Comparative Approach of Two Lags in France]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/euco-2026-0007</link>
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            <pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[The article focuses on the implementation of the European LEADER program in the specific context of fishing areas. Complementing the European Common Fisheries Policy, whose sectoral objective is to preserve fishery resources while ensuring economic competitiveness, this program introduces a cross-cutting and territorialized approach to development. It thus offers local Stakeholders greater legitimacy in implementing development actions and greater freedom to choose their development strategy by financing projects where the sectoral dimension takes a back seat to more territorial and cross-cutting issues. Beyond the traditional sectoral axes, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund thus supports the sustainable development of areas dependent on fishing and aquaculture, in line with the local development approach and within the framework of participatory mechanisms. Although this approach has only recently been applied in fishing areas (unlike in rural areas, where it was established in 1991), the international scientific community has already shown keen interest in the issue, particularly through empirical research. However, although these studies provide valuable insights into the successes and failures of implementing the LEADER program specifically in fishing areas, comparative research between “traditional rural” LEADER and “fishing” LEADER is very rare. The aim is therefore to address this gap by analyzing, within the same region, the differences and similarities in the application of the LEADER approach across fishing and rural areas. Using a comparative framework based on statistical and cartographic analysis of projects carried out during the 2014-2020 period in two local action groups in the Hérault department in France (one rural, the other linked to fishing), the paper aims to show that the socio-economic structures of the territories influence the different ways in which the LEADER approach is implemented.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Drivers of Introducing Innovations in the Field of Sustainable Land use in Slovak Agriculture: Exploring The Role of the EU Common Agricultural Policy]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/euco-2026-0014</link>
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            <pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Sustainable land use is increasingly recognised as a core condition for climate resilience, soil protection, and long-term agricultural productivity. The main objective of the study is to analyse and evaluate the significance of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy in supporting the introduction of innovations in agricultural enterprises that contribute to sustainable land use. The research employs a mixed-methods design, combining an exploratory logistic regression model with qualitative analysis grounded in Grounded Theory. Primary data were collected through a nationwide questionnaire survey of Slovak agricultural enterprises. The results show that funding from the second pillar of the Common Agricultural Policy is the main driver of innovation, leading to the delivery of new solutions in sustainable land use. Successful innovation implementation was also explained by the enterprise's technological maturity, collaborative networks, and a general orientation toward ecological agriculture. Qualitative findings further reveal that Slovak farmers face persistent financial, administrative, and knowledge-related barriers to the implementation of eco-innovation.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Gender and Rurality in Spanish Geography: A Systematic Literature Review]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/euco-2026-0011</link>
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            <pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This review examines the development of gender studies in Spanish rural geography over the last two decades. To achieve this, the PRISMA framework was employed. The analysis of 80 articles revealed three main trends: (1) the reconfiguration of gender relations in the rural labour market, (2) the demographic and cultural impact of women’s mobility and return migration and (3) the notable silences surrounding sexualities and environmental issues. The literature shows a strong orientation toward feminist qualitative traditions, partly due to the limitations of gender-blind statistical systems and a preference for empirical, locally focused research. Beyond mapping the current state of the field, Spanish studies offer valuable insights for rethinking core concepts in rural studies and for enriching debates on the challenges and opportunities of integrating a gender perspective into rural development policy, particularly within the broader European context.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Beyond Tourism-Led Rural Development: Territorial Governance and Local Value Chains in Peripheral Rural Regions (Evidence from Albania)]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/euco-2026-0012</link>
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            <pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Rural tourism is often promoted as a driver of development in peripheral rural regions, but its effects depend on local territorial conditions. This paper examines how territorial governance and local value chains shape the development effects of rural tourism in Fishtë, Albania. The study is based on 60 semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and field observations. The findings show that development in Fishtë does not result solely from tourism, but from its links with local agriculture and gastronomy, mainly through informal governance arrangements. These local value chains help retain value within the territory, but their benefits remain uneven. Rural tourism can support territorial development only when embedded in locally governed and more inclusive value chains.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Potato from Farm to Local Schools in The Czech Republic as a Means of Strengthening Local Collaboration: Quantification and Perspectives of the Dynamics]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/euco-2026-0013</link>
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            <pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This study examines the extent of farmers’ potato supply to local school canteens in the Czech Republic and the farm characteristics associated with such collaboration. Guided by structuration theory, a questionnaire was developed and distributed to all potato growers nationwide to explore supplied volumes, potential dynamics of supply in response to policy supports, and the structural and managerial traits of farms most inclined to engage in this arrangement. Descriptive statistics summarized the collected data, while analytical statistical methods were subsequently applied to examine the relationships among variables. Quantitative results were contextualized using farmers’ qualitative comments. Results show that one-third of farmers supply local schools, but supplies account for only 5% of their production. The proposed measures show the potential for a substantial increase in the volume supplied and number of farms involved. Both structural and managerial elements associated with the propensity to supply were revealed. By quantifying volumes and production shares from the farmers’ perspective, the study addresses a gap in research that has largely focused on qualitative aspects of collaboration. Insight into quantitative aspects, complemented by structural and behavioural farm characteristics, helps local governments understand the strength of local supply chains and the extent of collaboration between agricultural producers and public institutions like schools, and to design infrastructure developments and broader regional initiatives more effectively.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Can Small and Medium-Sized Mountain Farms Survive in a Globalized Era? A 10-Year Overview of Recent Common Agricultural Policy Implementation in Slovakia]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/euco-2026-0008</link>
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            <pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Almost 90% of Slovakia’s agricultural land is managed by holdings of 100 ha or more. The decline of small-scale farming stems from historical collectivisation, the persistence of large farms, and Slovakia’s entry into the EU CAP in 2004. In addition to global factors behind this trend there are also specific national and local issues that remain less visible. Which factors play a key role in the decline of small-scale farming? What are the implications of this trend for the rural mountain landscape? This study analyses farmland at the local level, recent CAP developments, and farmer responses through in-depth questionnaires. Findings show that small-scale mountain farming area is reduced, grazing is often replaced by mowing, and parcels are absorbed by larger farms. CAP’s administrative burdens and weak social capital are key barriers. Farmers managing up to 30 ha would benefit more from systematic support rather than small additional subsidies.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Agricultural Land Change and Rural Restructuring in Albania, 2000–2020: Patterns and Drivers]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/euco-2026-0009</link>
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            <pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This paper analyses agricultural land-use change in Albania as a long-term outcome of post-socialist decollectivisation and rural demographic transition. Following radical and egalitarian land redistribution in the early 1990s, Albania developed a highly fragmented farm structure that continues to shape land-use decisions. Using CORINE Land Cover status layers for 2000, 2012 and 2020 (released in 2020, based on 2018 data), the study examines both total agricultural area and its internal composition. While the agricultural envelope remained broadly stable (-1.3%), its structure changed markedly: arable land expanded, pastures increased, permanent crops remained stable, and heterogeneous agricultural areas declined by about 26%. These changes reflect the interaction of institutional legacies, labour scarcity driven by migration and ageing, and spatial variation in irrigation and market access. The findings identify a phase of recomposition (2000–2012), followed by stabilisation (2012–2020), with post-2020 adjustment increasingly driven by intensification and value-chain upgrading rather than land reallocation.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Unleashing Innovation in Rural Areas: Insights from Quadruple Helix Case Studies]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/euco-2026-0006</link>
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            <pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[Addressing complex and highly interlinked challenges facing rural areas is paramount. Innovation is key in addressing these challenges while creating economic gain and social capital to promote sustainable development. This work reviews existing rural innovation spaces, that follow the Quadruple helix innovation framework, a tried and tested knowledge economy model in the design of innovation spaces. This research identified three place-based themes across 11 worldwide case studies that can be utilised in future innovation developments: People as the Bridge, Geographic strategy, and Local Knowledge Integration. From this review authorities, businesses, universities, and the public can implement the three-theme model (using subthemes) to build successful innovation spaces for social, environmental, and economic good. This review provides the ‘how’ to support the ‘who’ of the Quadruple helix.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
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        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Innovation in Sparse Environments: The Geographical Innovation Dilemma of The Swedish Food Industry]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/euco-2026-0015</link>
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            <pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This article discusses how spatial organization can influence innovation capacity within the Swedish food industry. Although the sector is economically significant, it is characterized by relatively low levels of innovation and international competitiveness. The article argues that this pattern reflects not primarily weak innovative capabilities, but the geographical conditions under which the industry operates. To capture this, the paper develops the concept of a geographical innovation dilemma, referring to the tension between strong local embeddedness and limited access to external knowledge flows. Firms benefit from place-based knowledge and cumulative learning, yet their location in rural and peripheral regions may restrict access to research environments, innovation infrastructures, and broader networks associated with more transformative forms of innovation. By integrating insights from economic geography and innovation studies, the article proposes a conceptual framework for understanding innovation in geographically dispersed industries. It also highlights the need for place-sensitive innovation policies that account for the specific conditions of rural and peripheral contexts.]]></description>
            <category>ARTICLE</category>
        </item>
        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Financial Training and Sustainable Financial Performance in Smallholder Agriculture: Evidence from Lushnja, Albania]]></title>
            <link>https://reference-global.com/article/10.2478/euco-2026-0010</link>
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            <pubDate>Tue, 30 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
            <description><![CDATA[This study provides empirical and diagnostic evidence on institutions that offer financial training to farmers in a rural environment during the process of EU accession. The contribution is relevant for rural studies and future research that seeks to evaluate long-term effects and the impact of financial literacy in rural areas. This research documents how financial literacy training has been accessed, experienced, and perceived so far. Training participation, perceived usefulness, and relevant demographic data were the focus of the survey conducted in Lushnja, Fier. By mapping variables and their patterns, the study establishes baseline evidence on the alignment of current training and knowledge gaps, as reported by farmers.]]></description>
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