THE CONNECTION POINTS OF SUSTAINABILITY AND COMPETITIVENESS, THE ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF THE EXISTING INTERACTIONS IN AGRICULTURAL COMPANIES

Szálteleki, Péter ––Solti, Izabella – Bacsi, Zsuzsanna – Pupos, Tibor

Keywords: sustainable agriculture, competitiveness, strategies of production and business branches JEL: Q01, Q10, R18

DOI: https://doi.org/10.53079/GAZDALKODAS.68.1.t.pp_43-78
The continuing growth of the world's population, the increasing demand for food and a safe food supply, and the environmental damage that has occurred because of mankind reshaping the planet, are putting new demands on agricultural production as well. The changes in the conditions of farming, the known characteristics of agricultural production, and the specific relationship of agriculture to natural resources - regarding corporate sustainability and competitiveness - also generate questions for which there is no answer yet – at least not one that meets scientific expectations and is fully grounded professionally. The reasons for this – and many related issues - are to be found in the shortcomings of the approaches used in the analyses, the lack of cooperation between the representatives of the individual disciplines, the lack of test methods or their immaturity, etc.
Our present study - largely relying on our previous studies about various issues of sustainability and competitiveness – is looking for answers whether the increased demand for food can be ensured - in the long run - while meeting the requirements of sustainability and competitiveness at the same time. What are the common points of sustainability and competitiveness, and their theoretical background? What is the relationship between corporate sustainability and the factors that determine and affect competitiveness in agricultural companies? What are the existing connections and interactions between them, and their economic aspects? We intend to provide the answers based on the reviewed literature and on the results of our own model calculations. Relying on the relevant literature and the results of our own model calculation, we consider that due to the particularities of the sector and the spatial economic aspects of the sector, there are no general solutions valid for everyone. The practical implementation of the potentially available technological developments that ensure the achievement of the stated goals requires significant resources and the allocation of some of these cannot be dispensed with. Taking all of this into account, to achieve the goals, the system of agricultural policy, including intervention areas and measures, must be differentiated. To create a balanced situation that simultaneously ensures sustainability and competitiveness, in addition to transformative changes, society must also make sacrifices.
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