SUSTAINABILITY OF EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE
About the Conference
The story of this conference series began in 2022 as a scientific and professional meeting titled "The Future of the Croatian Wine Industry”, held at the Faculty of Economics, University of Rijeka in Rijeka.
The first conference brought together researchers, experts, and sector representatives with the aim of discussing key challenges in Croatian viticulture and winemaking – from climate change and investment in technology to market trends, distribution, and consumer perception. From the very beginning, it was clear that the goal was not to create another large, formal conference with multiple parallel sessions and limited space for dialogue, but rather a platform for open, meaningful, and focused discussion.
The second edition of the conference, held in 2024 under the title "Sustainability of Croatian Agriculture”, programmatically and thematically expanded the initial idea. The conference gathered scientists and experts from various fields of agriculture and opened an interdisciplinary dialogue on sustainability, competitiveness, and sector development. Held at the Sveti Martin Congress Centre, it further strengthened the concept of a smaller, invitation-based conference with strong interaction among participants through discussions, joint activities, and field visits.
Over several years, the conference outgrew its initial national framework. From a scientific-professional meeting conducted in Croatian, it evolved into an international scientific conference conducted in English. International researchers are now part of both the scientific and organizing committees, and participants come from various European countries.
The third edition, held in May 2026, confirms this development:
- a strong international programme committee,
- 33 submitted presentations,
- participants from 8 countries,
- a conference held in English.
Despite its growth and internationalization, the conference has retained its core identity – it remains an invitation-based event with a limited number of participants, focused on discussion, exchange of ideas, and the development of research and project collaborations.
Instead of emphasizing size, the focus is on:
- thematic orientation,
- quality of submitted papers,
- time allocated for discussion,
- direct dialogue between academia and practice,
- building long-term professional relationships.
Each presentation is conceived as the beginning of a discussion, not its conclusion. Participants are not only presenters but active interlocutors, enabling deeper analysis of research results, methodological approaches, and sectoral implications.
Thematic Focus
Although the themes have expanded over time – from the wine sector to a broader framework of agriculture and sustainability – the common denominator remains the same: economic, organizational, and developmental aspects of the agri-food sector under conditions of change and uncertainty.
The conference encourages contributions addressing:
- sustainability and competitiveness,
- impacts of climate and market changes,
- innovation and technological transformation,
- management under risk conditions,
- consumer behavior and market strategies,
- public policies and development strategies.
In this way, the conference acts as a bridge between academia, policymakers, and practitioners.
A Space for Collaboration
One of the key goals of the conference is to foster international research collaboration. A smaller number of participants enables more intensive communication, exchange of research ideas, and planning of joint projects and publications. In such an environment, it is easier to identify complementary research areas and open new opportunities for collaboration.
The conference is therefore not only a place to present results, but also a space for:
- shaping new research questions,
- developing project proposals,
- connecting with international partners,
- mentoring early-career researchers through direct interaction with experienced colleagues.
Looking Ahead
The transition from a national scientific-professional meeting to an international scientific conference demonstrates how a clear vision, thematic focus, and commitment to quality can create a recognizable and sustainable academic event.
Although smaller in scale, the conference exceeds the formal framework of typical events in ambition and content. Its value is not measured by the number of participants, but by the quality of discussions, intensity of collaboration, and long-term contribution to understanding agricultural and wine sector development in contemporary conditions.
This combination of expertise, international openness, and focused discussion makes the conference a unique platform for dialogue – today in the field of wine, tomorrow in the broader context of sustainable and competitive agriculture.
NB
There is no conference fee. Participation is free for all authors who have submitted their papers.
Authors may submit papers to: poljoprivreda@efri.uniri.hr. An abstract must be included with the submission.
Authors will be notified of acceptance via email.
