Scentific journal.

Journal is published Aleksandras Stulginskis University with the Lithuanian Institute of Agrarian Economics.

Agriculture and food sector accounts for 7.4% of the total gross value-added created in the Lithuanian economy, comprises more than 14% of the total foreign trade turnover, guarantees workplaces for nearly one tenth of the employed population.

In recent time the types of support for Lithuania and other EU-27 countries are as follow: structural support, compensatory and direct payments, and state aid. Direct payments play essential role in total support. Because of producer price fluctuation impact on economic processes, direct payments are used to be the maintenance of farmers’ income.

Rapid change in the world economy required revision of the rural policy paradigm and adaptation to the values of post-industrial society. The new “place-based” paradigm requires important changes for setting rural policy measures that intend to have multi-level approach and orientation towards sustainable development of the entire rural region rather than support to an individual farm or a settlement. Therefore, new rural policy paradigm focuses on administrative-territorial regions instead of individual settlements. Lithuanian government need to do adjustments along new trends in rural policy and administer these policies effectively.

Lithuanian Institute of Agrarian Economics turned co-publisher of periodical scientific publications journal MANAGEMENT THEORY AND STUDIES FOR RURAL BUSINESS AND INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT (ISSN 1822-6760). In 2006 the journal was entered in the international database Business Source Complete (EBSCO) (Peer-Rewieved) approved by the resolution of the Science Council of Lithuania of 19 December 2005. Subscribers to this database can find articles of this publication at http://search.ebscohost.com, and the title of the journal in the public list of publications at http://www.epnet.com/titleLists/bt-other.htm. The journal is also entered in international databases Ulrich's and IndexCopernicus.

In November 2011 the Lithuanian Institute of Agrarian Economics (LIAE) started implementation of the international project 'Interactive Strategic Management Methodology for Improvement of Agricultural Entrepreneurship in Central and Eastern Europe' funded under the European Union Leonardo da Vinci programme 'Transfer of Innovation'.

Is it really organic?

– European scientists will spend the next 3 years searching for a unique chemical fingerprint in organic food products.

Lithuania's rural areas cover more than 97 % of countire’s territory and are home to 33 % of people. However, despite the EU and the Lithuanian resources allocated to rural and agricultural development, rural areas continue to decline. In order to manage this process, it is necessary to identify the processes that taking place and critically evaluate to take appropriate decisions on the future development of rural areas.

Statistical publications “FADN survey results” are annually published since 1996. The publication of 2010 is based on accountancy data of 2010 from 1300 family farms and 48 agricultural companies. Selected farms cover all districts, natural zones and reflect different farming conditions.

The territorial issue is one of the key aspects of EU structural policy, which emphasizes the need for a strategic planning process to take advantage of the location, physical, human and social capital and natural resources. It is also increasingly recognized the need to promote cooperation of different levels of government, organizations and people, as well as dialogue and partnership between local actors, directly linked to the enlargement process.