Abstract
Throughout the half of a last century, rural development policy experienced many transformations in the name of industrialization, including mechanization of work process in agriculture, installation of irrigation and amelioration systems, electrification of farms, application of chemical production technologies, increasing productivity and other. Current time’s questions of balanced sustainability and minimization of negative impacts with regard to quality of life are taking leading positions in agricultural policy debates. Results of previously implemented agribusiness support measures start signalizing about disastrous future of ongoing agricultural policy, which over accelerated rural development and thus caused significant changes in rural landscapes and life of rural residents. Therefore future agricultures call for new models and innovative decisions as well as good political will in the field. The main aim of this paper is to propose future directions for collaboration between government and agribusiness using innovative circular bio-economy economy approach for reaching balanced development of rural sustainability. Qualitative data were collected in summer-autumn 2018 using semi-structured interviews in Lithuanian livestock farms and government institutions, which are key players in biogas production: from one side acts as biogas producers (livestock farms) and from the other - actual decisions makers (government institutions). Research results give evidence that future agribusiness is highly depended on the role taken by government in accelerating prospective innovations even though they happen in the field of activity, supported from public funds. Collaborative political decisions made to support circular bio-economy economy approach in biogas production might be helpful for future development of less polluting and more society-benefiting livestock agribusiness. It is suggested to broaden the use of circular bio-economy economy approach in fostering the balanced development among the dimensions of rural sustainability in the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy after 2020.
JEL codes: B00, O1, O13, P50
Vilke, R.; Gedminaite-Raudone, Z. 2020. Collaboration between government and agribusiness for biogas production: balanced development of rural sustainability. Viešoji politika ir administravimas /Public Policy and Administration. Vol. 19, No 2, p. 266-284, online ISSN 2029-2872;print ISSN 1648-2603; DOI: https://doi.org/10.13165/VPA-20-19-2-11; [Scopus; EBSCO Publishing; Inc.; C.E.E.O.L.; PROQUEST; ULRICH'S].