The agricultural sector, as well as the other economic sectors, follows the current trends verified in economies and societies, including at the technological level. On the other hand, agriculture has multidimensional impacts and suffers the implications of global changes, namely those related to climate change, financial crises and pandemic frameworks. In this perspective, this book aims to bring more contributions to the current trends associated with agricultural contexts. This book is a forum of discussion about the new trends for the agricultural and food sectors. The topics covered in this publication allow to bring together the several current dimensions related with the food production. The new insights highlighted with this book bring relevant value added for the several stakeholders. This book is an interesting publication for several stakeholders related to the agricultural and food sectors, including students, researchers, policymakers, public institutions, and farmers.

This publication provides insight into the agricultural sector. It illustrates new tendencies in agricultural economics and dynamics (interrelationship with other sectors in rural zones and multifunctionality) and the implications of the World Trade Organization negotiations in the international trade of agricultural products. Due to environmental problems, availability of budget, consumer preferences for food safety and pressure from the World Trade Organization, there are many changes in the agricultural sector. This book addresses those new developments and provides insights into possible future developments. The agricultural activity is an economic sector that is fundamental for a sustainable economic growth of every country. However, this sector has many particularities, namely those related with some structural problems (many farms with reduced dimension, sometimes lack of vocational training of the farmers, difficulties of put the farmers together in associations and cooperatives), variations of the productions and prices over the year and some environmental problems derived from the utilization of pesticides and fertilizers.

The objective of this study is to analyze several dimensions of the agricultural economics reality for the representative farms of the European Union countries by using microeconomic data available in the Farm Accountancy Data Network from 1989-2009. To support this research, several ratios and efficiency indicators were calculated across several variables relative, namely, to the agricultural output and the utilized agricultural area. These ratios and indicators were analyzed further through econometric models associated with the convergence approaches, presenting with more detail the Portuguese case. Furthermore, it is important to design a set of strategies that are more suited to the European Union realities.

This book assesses the main interrelationships between economic growth processes, life cycle sustainability assessment approaches, and new technologies in the framework of digital transition. In other words, it aims to highlight how sustainability assessment methodologies and artificial intelligence can better support different actors for more sustainable economic growth. Readers of the book would benefit from diverse perspectives on the contributions of evaluation methodologies and digital technologies to more sustainable economic growth. This is important especially for students, policymakers and public institutions. Economic growth is analysed using the concepts of sigma and beta convergence from neoclassical theory and the Verdoorn law of Keynesian development. For sustainability assessments, the book considers methodologies associated with social life cycle assessment and life cycle cost analysis. In the context of digital technologies, special emphasis is given to machine and deep learning approaches.

This book describes the impact on the agricultural sector worldwide of Era 4.0, highlighting the relationships between agriculture, food and industry (4.0). The main topics discussed are those associated with IoT in various sectors of the economy and its impacts on farming sustainability. It provides insights for policy makers, students, researchers and economic stakeholders.

This book explores the relationships between the energy costs and other farm variables in the European Union (including the UK) over a recent period of six years. It examines labour, farm land area, outputs/inputs, investments, assets, taxes, and subsidies in the context of policy measures and the farm structure. The book provides a deep insight into how energy cost and other factors in the farming sector relate to each other and as a result how farm planning can be made more efficient, more environmentally sustainable and more competitive. It will be of interest to policy-makers, governments, researchers and advanced students of economics, policy and the environment.

This Brief discusses impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Portuguese tourism sector. Taking into account real-world conditions and the importance of the tourism sector for the Portuguese economy, this book highlights the economic contexts of tourism in Portugal at the regional and municipal levels, discussing pre-pandemic economic frameworks and projecting potential implications for the future. Using data provided by Statistics Portugal, the Brief performs econometric analysis on three cases: new paradigms for overnight stays and guests, changes in tourism revenues and prospective alternatives, and a comparison of effects on changes in number of guests and overnight stays at the regional level. Providing cutting edge analysis of a dynamic global situation, this Brief will be useful for researchers interested in tourism economics and European economics as well as policymakers and industry professionals.

The agricultural and food sectors, as well as other economic activities, follow the current trends verified in economies and societies on the technological level. Agriculture and the food sector are decisive in times of crisis to mitigate the consequences of unemployment generated by adverse cycles. A developed agriculture is fundamental to the sustainable economic development of any country, as it allows the supply of goods to satisfy basic needs at lower prices. Impacts of Climate Change and Economic and Health Crises on the Agriculture and Food Sectors provides a forum for discussing contemporary trends in the agricultural and food sectors. The themes presented in this publication make it possible to approximate the various and current dimensions related to food production. Covering topics such as food security, labor drivers, and sustainable development, this book is an excellent resource for farmers, SME owners, students and professors of higher education, researchers, public institutions, policymakers, and academicians.