This book presents economic research on global paradigm shifts after the COVID-19 crisis. It explores some expected deep and long-lasting changes that are building up a “new normal”. Featuring select contributions presented at the 2021 International Conference of Economic Scientific Research - Theoretical, Empirical and Practical Approaches (ESPERA), this book explores topics such as digitalization and digital sovereignty, workforce management, virtual training, digital currency, de-carbonization in production processes, supply chains, cybersecurity, automation, artificial intelligence, machine learning, Internet of Things and blockchain technologies.

ESPERA was initiated in 2013 by the National Institute for Economic Research "Costin C. Kiritescu", Romanian Academy. The aim of the International conference is to present and evaluate the economic scientific research portfolio, to argue and substantiate development strategies, including European and global best practices. ESPERA intend to become a scientific support for conceptualisation and establishment of policies and strategies and to provide a systematic, wide and challenging dialogue within the European area of economic and social research. The 2018 edition of the Conference took place under the title "The Romanian Economy. A Century of Transformation (1918-2018)", as part of the Romanian Academy anniversary events celebrating the "100th anniversary of the Great Union of Romania".

This book is a pivotal publication that seeks to improve food security in the conditions of escalating protectionism in global agricultural trade. The authors argue that global trade systems have been increasingly distorted by emerging trade tensions between major actors such as the US, China, the EU, and Russia, as well as trade policies in many other countries. In view of the most recent disruption of global food supply chains due to the outbreak of the COVID-19, the book examines the effects of administrative restrictions, tariff escalations, and other forms of protectionism on food security. Over the decades, food security concerns have been emerging, along with the growth of the world population. More than two billion most impoverished people in the world spent up to 70% of their disposable income on food. In 2020, the running pandemic has unraveled accumulated problems. As many countries rely on agricultural imports, lockdowns and disrupted food production and supply chains tremendously threaten food security of those nations. Agricultural trade was already slowing in 2019 before the virus struck, weighed down by trade tensions, and decelerating economic growth. The spread of the virus and strict quarantine measures trigger economic decline that results in food prices rises and volatilities. Due to the pandemic, nearly all regions will suffer double-digit decline in trade volumes 2020. The virus will be defeated, but the effects of the protectionism outbreak would have a much longer-lasting impact on agricultural production, international supply chains, and food security worldwide. In this publication, the authors probe into many of the choices that link national, regional, and global policies extensively with the provision of food security for all in the new era of post-virus global trade. Since studying global agricultural trade has a multinational application, its outcomes might be shared with a broad international network of stakeholders, including research institutions, universities, and individual researches. The book is appropriate for government officials, policymakers, and businesses of many countries. Adaptation of research outcomes and solutions to the situation in particular countries and various collaboration formats will let to increase the visibility of the publication and to elaborate new practices and solutions in the sphere of establishing sustainable food security.

The volumes are dedicated to the 30th anniversary of "Costin C. Kiritescu" National Institute for Economic Research and its research network of the return under the aegis of the Romanian Academy. The NIER's network of incorporated research institutes and centers under its scientific coordination include the Institute of National Economy, the Institute of Economic Forecasting, the Institute of Agricultural Economics, the Research Institute for Quality of Life, the Institute of World Economy, the Centre of Industry and Services Economics, the Centre for Financial and Monetary Research, the Centre for Studies and Research on Agricultural and Forest Biodiversity and the Centre for Economic Information and Documentation. Also, under NIER's umbrella six unincorporated research entities are set up: the Centre for Complex Research, the Romanian Centre for Comparative Economics and Consensus, the Centre for Macroeconomic Modelling, the Centre for Demographic Research, the Centre form Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency and the Centre for Mountain Economics.

The volumes are dedicated to the 30th anniversary of "Costin C. Kiritescu" National Institute for Economic Research and its research network of the return under the aegis of the Romanian Academy. The NIER's network of incorporated research institutes and centers under its scientific coordination include the Institute of National Economy, the Institute of Economic Forecasting, the Institute of Agricultural Economics, the Research Institute for Quality of Life, the Institute of World Economy, the Centre of Industry and Services Economics, the Centre for Financial and Monetary Research, the Centre for Studies and Research on Agricultural and Forest Biodiversity and the Centre for Economic Information and Documentation. Also, under NIER's umbrella six unincorporated research entities are set up: the Centre for Complex Research, the Romanian Centre for Comparative Economics and Consensus, the Centre for Macroeconomic Modelling, the Centre for Demographic Research, the Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency and the Centre for Mountain Economics.

The book contains researchers’ scientific opinions and ideas focused on Romanian Academy Strategy 2020. The authors consider economic structures, trends and possible responses to globalisation and European integration challenges.This volume is dedicated to the recently deceased research fellow professor Constantin Ciutacu who was one of the initiators of the ‹‹Economic Scientific Research – Theoretical, Empirical and Practical Approaches›› (ESPERA) conference and a personality of the Romanian economic research. ESPERA is initiated annually by the National Institute for Economic Research ‹‹Costin C. Kirițescu›› of the Romanian Academy. It aims to present and evaluate the economic scientific research portfolio and to argue and substantiate development strategies, including European and global best practices. ESPERA intend to become a scientific support for conceptualisation and the establishment of policies and strategies to provide a systematic, permanent, wide and challenging dialogue within the European area of economic and social research.

This book is a pivotal publication that seeks to improve food security in the conditions of escalating protectionism in global agricultural trade. The authors argue that global trade systems have been increasingly distorted by emerging trade tensions between major actors such as the US, China, the EU, and Russia, as well as trade policies in many other countries. In view of the most recent disruption of global food supply chains due to the outbreak of the COVID-19, the book examines the effects of administrative restrictions, tariff escalations, and other forms of protectionism on food security. Over the decades, food security concerns have been emerging, along with the growth of the world population. More than two billion most impoverished people in the world spent up to 70% of their disposable income on food. In 2020, the running pandemic has unraveled accumulated problems. As many countries rely on agricultural imports, lockdowns and disrupted food production and supply chains tremendously threaten food security of those nations. Agricultural trade was already slowing in 2019 before the virus struck, weighed down by trade tensions, and decelerating economic growth. The spread of the virus and strict quarantine measures trigger economic decline that results in food prices rises and volatilities. Due to the pandemic, nearly all regions will suffer double-digit decline in trade volumes 2020. The virus will be defeated, but the effects of the protectionism outbreak would have a much longer-lasting impact on agricultural production, international supply chains, and food security worldwide. In this publication, the authors probe into many of the choices that link national, regional, and global policies extensively with the provision of food security for all in the new era of post-virus global trade. Since studying global agricultural trade has a multinational application, its outcomes might be shared with a broad international network of stakeholders, including research institutions, universities, and individual researches. The book is appropriate for government officials, policymakers, and businesses of many countries. Adaptation of research outcomes and solutions to the situation in particular countries and various collaboration formats will let to increase the visibility of the publication and to elaborate new practices and solutions in the sphere of establishing sustainable food security.

ESPERA was initiated in 2013 by the National Institute for Economic Research "Costin C. Kiritescu", Romanian Academy. The aim of the International conference is to present and evaluate the economic scientific research portfolio, to argue and substantiate development strategies, including European and global best practices. ESPERA intend to become a scientific support for conceptualisation and establishment of policies and strategies and to provide a systematic, wide and challenging dialogue within the European area of economic and social research. The 2018 edition of the Conference took place under the title "The Romanian Economy. A Century of Transformation (1918-2018)", as part of the Romanian Academy anniversary events celebrating the "100th anniversary of the Great Union of Romania".

The current evolution of the European economy suggests that in the near future, research in agri-food economy and agri-food production, and agricultural production systems and structures must be redesigned, adapted and developed to respond to the lack of sustainability of agri-food production systems and the current global food crisis. This book analyses the agricultural paradigm transformations that occur as countries converge on the European agricultural model and what their impact is for sectoral development, while emphasizing their contribution to the redefinition of rural agricultural communities and economy. This book helps develop a theoretical framework by analysing the specialized empirical literature and techniques used in the field of agricultural economy research, with a focus on the transformation of Romanian agriculture in order to become integrated and respond to the globalization of markets. presents, analyses and discusses the main theories in field of agricultural economics and paradigms; creates a working paradigm for this concept within agricultural economics; provides a theoretical framework for the agricultural model. The book is aimed at students and researchers in agricultural economics, and government and policy makers internationally.

Agriculture represents a basic economic sector for Romanian economy with major implication on a large part of inland population. The accession to the EU has imposed major changes to the Romanian agricultural sector to achieve better outcomes and to adapt to the new economic performance criteria. The book represents a pertinent analysis regarding the evolution of the Romanian agricultural sector and emphasis the need for optimization of the agricultural production structures. Valuing the inland agricultural potential involves designing well competitive production structures which should better combining all the productions factors existing in the rural areas and communities. The book contains five alternatives in designing the agricultural production structures.