This paper consists of three parts. The first part outlines the characteristics of NGCs, defines their activities, and explains differences from traditional cooperatives. It also discusses advantages that NGCs have in promoting the development of local rural communities. The second part analyses...

Agricultural cooperatives play an important role in the development of the agriculture and rural areas, especially in developing countries and in the time of economic crises – like the current started in 2008. In order to raise global awareness of the importance of agricultural cooperatives,...

Objectives of this paper is to verify whether the relationship between the level of per capita income and the environment quality, for the Italian regions, follows the prescription of an Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC), taking into account the contribution of agriculture and rural areas. The...

Payments to the agricultural sector are designated to decrease gradually. One of the consequences of such a process will be a reduction in the number of farms and thereby in the defence of territory. The expansion of areas with hydro geological problems is a global matter. During the 2011 the...

Rural areas in Kosovo, although covering 60 per cent of the population, do not contribute much to the economic growth. One of the reasons for this situation is that agriculture is stagnating because most of the farms produce for self-consumption. Imports are thus required to meet the urban...

The accession of ten countries from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has dramatically increased the rural population and territory of the European Union (EU). The success of EU enlargement will thus depend to a significant extent on the resources of rural areas in the NMS and the ability of...