Innovative agriculture in the context of Bulgarian rural areas (Rhodops area)

1. Innovative agriculture in the context of Bulgarian rural areas (Rhodops area) Prof. Atanas Atanassov AgroBioInstitute

2. Bulgarian agriculture: current problems • Bulgarian agriculture consists almost exclusively of small farms • Decrease in the pest & disease control: due to the difficult economical situation Bulgarian farmers do not use (modern) herbicides and pesticides- yield decrease • Global Warming Effect: hotter summers and more severe winters; decrease in the annual rainfalls - yield decrease • Agricultural products with decreased/ questionable/ uncontrolled nutritional value

3. Rodops region – model for a rural region in Bulgaria

4. Rhodops region – short “CV” • Relatively densely populated area • High unemployment level • Mountainous municipalities and uphill regions • Small-sized plots of arable land, low-fertility land • Traditional crops: potato, tobacco – hard market realization • New tendencies: organic farming, mushrooms, herbs • Subsistence livestock breeding • Pastures and meadows – not maintained properly

5. Agriculture Food industry Tourism SMEs Rhodops region – main industries for sustainable development

6. Rhodops– measures for development of agriculture • Alternative crops production: • High market demands, lower initial costs – herbs, essential oils crops, fruit species, technical crops (flax -> biofuels!), ray • Alternative livestock breeding: • Buffalos, goats, rabbits • Organizing commodity agricultural production: • Healthy food stuffs, gourmet products, high quality and environmentally friendly production • Clusters of producers, processors, scientists (optimization of cultivars, breeds and technologies) and financial structures • Training and demonstration sites

7. Rhodops– measures for development of food industry • Enhancing the viability of SMEs: • Finalization of privatization • Favorable business environment • Cooperation – processors & producers; Bulgarian & European industry • Encouraging high technology and innovative production: • linking science & business & state authorities in high-tech areas • Improving legal & fiscal environment • Encouraging export orientation: • Standardization & harmonization with EU

8. Rhodops– measures for development of tourism • Tourist product development: • Enlarging product variety: rural, eco (national parks), adventure, cultural (history, folklore), balneology, etc. • Marketing and promotion strategies • Human resources development and training: • Improving quality & variety of services • Promoting greater awareness among local people • Information management and Institutional development: • information to support all tourist activities • Organizational framework to link all stakeholders – locally, nationally, internationally

9. Rhodops– measures for development of SMEs • Encouraging start-up and SMEs development: • In agriculture, food production, tourism, services for community • Strengthening national network of support organizations – regional agencies for economic development & business centers • legislative & administrative simplifications • information, consultation and education activities • facilitation access to financial sources

10. Development of rural regions – need of holistic view • *- agriculture, food production, tourism • ** - diversification of value created by agricultural activities

11. Foresight – tool for getting a holistic view • Gathering and mobilizing stakeholders • Definition of goals and terms (e.g.“what is sustainable development for certain region”) • Accumulating of knowledge on the issue • Approaching consensus among actors • Building awareness and commitment among the stakeholders and the society • Engagement of political actors (regionally, nationally)

12. Agro-related research & innovation for rural regions • New quality of R&D activities – demand-driven, tailor-made for the rural regions: • High-tech parks • Genomic center • New types of links between science and other stakeholders – consortia, clusters, information “bridges” • New innovation culture: • Entrepreneurial (scientists) • Knowledge-based (society)

13. Ideas and visions… • Trans-national foresight (in general…): • To identify priorities, to gather stakeholders • To build strategies, networks • …and concrete: • How agro-related R&I contributes to sustainable development of rural areas (nationally, trans-nationally) • Transnational links of rural areas – on what base: innovations, exchange of best practices, common strategies • Other ideas …