Sebastian Stępień, PhD – Associate Professor at Poznań University of Economics and Business and Stanisław Staszic State University of Applied Sciences in Piła, member of the research team of the Department of Macroeconomics and Food Economics at UEP and Department of Economics at PUSS. Research areas include the functioning of small farms, common agricultural policy, cyclical fluctuations in the agricultural sector, sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas, risk management in agriculture, food market in the globalisation process. Author or co-author of over 140 scientific studies and over a dozen expert opinions for the government, local self-government and scientific institutions. Participated in many trainings and study tours abroad, including the European Parliament, universities in Romania, Turkey, Serbia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Spain. Manager and performer of research projects in the field of agricultural economics (among others, international project financed by the National Agency for Academic Exchange).

Jan Polcyn, PhD – Associate Professor at Stanislaw Staszic State University of Applied Sciences in Piła, member of the research team of the Department of Economics at PUSS. Since 2018 Pro-rector for Development, Science and International Cooperation. Research area includes environmental determinants of economic development, sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas, entrepreneurship and education in rural areas, public goods in the agricultural sector. Author or co-author of more than 70 scientific studies. Participant of internships and study tours, including Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Serbia, Turkey. Contractor in three research projects covering the issues of small farms, food security and environmental public goods.

Prof. Bazyli Czyżewski – Full Professor of Economic Sciences, employee of Poznań University of Economics and Business, member of the research team of the Department of Macroeconomics and Food Economics in UEP and Department of Economics at Stanisław Staszic State University of Applied Sciences in Piła. Conducts research in the field of economics of sustainable development, agricultural economics, institutional economics, macroeconomics and economic theory concerning, inter alia, political rents, public goods, input-output and efficiency analyses. Author or co-author of over 160 scientific publications, including in high-scored journals such as Science of the Total Environment (ELSEVIER), Journal of Cleaner Production (ELSEVIER) , Environmental Impact Assessment Review (ELSEVIER), Land Use Policy (ELSEVIER), Sustainability Science (Springer), Technological and Economic Development of Economy (Taylor&Francis, VGTU), Outlook on Agriculture (SAGE), Agricultural Economics (AGRICECON), Agriculture (Basel). Participant of many study trips and foreign internships, among others in Romania, Belgium, Turkey, Slovakia and Lithuania. Manager or performer of numerous scientific projects funded by the National Science Centre and the National Agency for Academic Exchange.

Andreea Muntean PhD – Associate Professor at ”1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia (UAB), Department of Business Administration and Marketing. Research area includes eco-marketing, agro-food marketing, research in consumer behavior, sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas. Author or co-author of more than 40 scientific studies. Participant in more than 50 international scientific conferences, in more than 20 teaching staff mobilities under the Erasmus+ Programme in Universities from Poland, Italy, Turkey, Serbia, Australia, Netherlands. Member of three research teams in projects covering the issues of economic development of rural areas and sustainable development.

Silvia – Ștefania Maican, PhD, Senior Lecturer at the University “1 Decembrie 1918” of Alba Iulia, Romania (UAB), Department of Business Administration and Marketing Department. Research interests refer to: sustainable development, small-scale farms, corporate social responsibility, marketing. Author or co-author of over 25 scientific publications. Reviewer in several prestigious international journals. Participant of over 30 scientific conferences and seminars. Research project team member in a international research project on agricultural economics. Study trips (among others) in: Poland, Lithuania, Hungary.

Vice Dean Faculty of Economics, ”1 Decembrie 1918” University of Alba Iulia, Romania, Associated Professor at UAB, PhD in Economic engineering, over 20 years of professional experience in education. Specialized in the teaching agri-food marketing, marketing services, methods and models in marketing. Author of over 35 articles and book chapters in the field of marketing in prestigious publications (ELSEVIER, Sustainability, Economic computation and economic cybernetics studies). Reviewer in several prestigious international journals and participant of over 50 scientific conferences and seminars. Coordinator and research project team member in an international research project. Teaching activities under the Erasmus + Programme in Poland, Hungary, Bosnia and Hertegovina.

Aleksandra Tošović-Stevanović, PhD, Associate Professor at the Faculty of Business Economy and Entrepreneurship in Belgrade and Faculty of Social Sciences at the University Business Academy in Novi Sad, Serbia. Scientific field of interest: international businnes, competitive advantage, innovation, management in the global environment, sustainable development, environmental issues. Director of Center for International Cooperation and a member of Development Research Center at the Faculty of Business Economy and Entrepreneurship. Member of the research team in the project of NAWA International Academic Exchange ‘The role of small-scale family farms in the sustainable development of food sector (…)’. Researcher on the project of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Serbia and the project of the Ministry of State Administration and Local Self-Government in Serbia. Participant in SDC “Local Self-Government for the 21st Century” and Tempus project ‘CareerS’. Accredited reviewer of higher education institutions and external associate of the Institute for the Improvement of Education and the Institute for Education Quality and Evaluation in Serbia. Author of two monographies and author or co-author of over 50 scientific publications. She took part in many international internships, including Poland, Romania, Lithuania, Turkey.

Dragan Ćalović, PhD – Full Professor at the University “Business Academy” in Novi Sad and at the University of Belgrade. Research areas include theory of new media, spatial theories, theory of art and design, Islamic art, Japanese art. Author or co-author of five monographies and over 100 scientific papers and publications. Participated in more than 150 workshops, international and national conferences and in ten projects supported by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological development (Republic of Serbia), Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange, Open Society Foundation – Serbia, etc. He is a member of the International Association for Aesthetics, Aesthetic Society of Serbia, Croatian Philosophical Society and Matica Srpska; and reviewer in several prestigious national and international journals. Dragan Ćalović is a Vice Dean for international cooperation at the Faculty of Contemporary Arts in Belgrade and a board member of the Aesthetic Society of Serbia. He participated in many international intepships (Poland, Romania, Turkey, Croatia, Slovenia, Hungary).

During his academic career, he was elected to ranks of a Teaching and Associate Professor at the Faculty of International Economics in Belgrade. He served as Vice Dean for teaching and science, and subsequently became Dean of the Faculty of Geoeconomics in Belgrade.He is the author and co-author of several scientific papers published in domestic and foreign journals. He has also articipated in several scientific conferences in the country and abroad. He is a reviewer of a large number of scientific papers and has also participated in the project of the Ministry of Science and Technological Development and the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange. Scientific interests in academic career are in the field of international economics.He was a member of the commission of the center for quality control, the commission for quality control for postgraduate studies, the commission for admission of candidates to the first year of the Faculty of Geoeconomics.He has been the editor-in-chief of portal Srbija danas (srbijadanas.com) since its founding in 2014.

Milena Zuza, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Research professional at Faculty of Biofarming and Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Belgrade, Serbia. Author or co-author of over 70 scientific publications, two monographies and one patent in the field of Biotechnology, Food Science, Agriculture and Environmental Science. Performer of numerous scientific projects funded by the Ministry of Science, Republic of Serbia and international EUREKA and NAWA projects. Reviewer in several prestigious international journals and accredited reviewer of higher education institutions. Participant of international internships and study tours, including China, Poland, Germany and Slovenia.

Assoc. prof. Jolanta Drozdz, member of the research team in the project of NAWA International Academic Exchange “The role of small-scale family farms in the sustainable development of food sector in Central and Eastern Europe”, represents Vilnius University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration and acts as a Senior Policy Analyst at Government Strategic Analysis Centre. J. Drozdz is a professional with a PhD in Economics focused in Political Economy, experienced head of division with a demonstrated history of working in the research industry (from 2005). Skilled in Agricultural Policy and Economics, Foreign Trade, International Economics, Sustainable Development. She has more than 16 years of experience working with international teams, elaborating expertise for government organizations, ministries and businesses. Participated in a number of national and international projects. Field of expertise covers: fair income (direct support, risk management, strategic priorities); competitiveness (international competitiveness, international trade in agri-food exports, market position of small, medium and big farms, cooperation process analysis); climate change (recommendations for policy makers in adaptation to climate change conditions on farm level or mitigation of climate change, preparation of risk management measures for farmers); environmental care (sustainable development of the small farms); rural areas (support under the RDP plan, switching strategic priorities, etc.); innovation smart farming (innovation economy and management).

Professor Vlada Vitunskienė member of the research team in the project of NAWA International Academic Exchange “The role of small-scale family farms in the sustainable development of food sector in Central and Eastern Europe”, represents Vytautas Magnus University, the Faculty of Bioeconomy Development. Main research interests are related to agricultural sustainability and competitiveness at both farms and agri-food industries level, agricultural policy, bioeconomy development and policy, and rural development. Leader or leading researcher in twenty-three national and international projects. Co-author of four monographies and author or co-author of over fifty scientific publications. More than fifteen years she is the leading expert of the rural development programs in Lithuania. She has more over twenty-five years of pedagogical work experience, lecturing on Agricultural economics and sustainable development, Agricultural policy and Bioeconomy development.

Asta Bendoraitytė is a lecturer and PhD student at the Faculty of Bioeconomy Development at Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania. Research interests include sustainable development, climate change, green finance, and sustainable finance. Member of the research team in the project of NAWA International Academic Exchange “The role of small-scale family farms in the sustainable development of food sector in Central and Eastern Europe”. A. Bendoraitytė has experience in technology transfer and commercialization of R&D results, participated in national and international projects, scientific traineeship in Southern Illinois University, USA.

The National Institute for Economic Research (NIER) is a public institution (think-tank) which deals with scientific economic research. The Institute employs 70 researchers, including: 25 PhD. Main beneficiaries are Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Industry, Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Education and Research, Academy of Sciences and others. Main activities are related to scientific researches in economy, finance, statistics, demography, reforming of social sphere and integration of the Republic of Moldova in world economic circuit. Former experience covers a wide variety of applied research on the evolution of economic and social processes in Moldova, insuring a stable economic growth and high living standards. The most important research directions are: Economic and financial models, mechanisms for sustainable growth; Business and investment environment; Agricultural policies and informational base for rural development in the context of food safety; Improvement of statistical information system according to EU standards; Demographic and social development policies. NIER contributes to elaboration and development of national strategies, directives and other important documents for the realization of the state policy in the fields of economy, finance and statistics.

Alexandru Stratan, corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova, doctor habilitate, professor, Director of the National Institute for Economic Research, scientific consultant in the Agri-food economics and rural development department. Author of over 40 scientific publications published in national and international journals and collections reviewed in the last 5 years. Participated in over 20 national and international conferences. Elaboration of a series of scientific documents, as a result of the activity within the international projects won through competition: Country report describing the situation of agriculture of the Republic of Moldova (FP7 AGRICISTRADE), “Development of local action groups in Visegrad countries” (Visegrad Fund), “Development of the association and partnerships of agricultural producers” (IFAD), etc. Expertise in the management of the competitiveness of the national economy, the elaboration of the economic mechanisms for the efficient functioning of the agricultural sector, the development of SMEs in agriculture, etc. (reports submitted as a member of the economic councils to the Prime Minister and the President of the Republic of Moldova).

Eugenia Lucasenco, scientific researcher, Head of Agri-food economics and rural development department, in the last 5 years, activated as executor in 3 national and 4 international projects. The main research area is related to: analysis of the modernization process of the agricultural sector of the Republic of Moldova, materialized through proposals for the transformation of the agricultural sector; analysis of the sustainability of small farms in the Republic of Moldova; analysis of the foreign trade of the Republic of Moldova with agri-food products; analysis of state policies in the field of supporting the agricultural sector. Participated in the elaboration of the National Program for the promotion of agri-food exports, some of its provisions being included in the National Strategy for Agricultural and Rural Development. Over 20 publications in international and national journals and over 10 participations in International Conferences.

Alexandru Ceban, scientific researcher in the Analysis and forecasts department, in the last 5 years being involved in 5 research projects, of which 3 national and 2 international. The scientific results are focused on: analysis of the competitiveness of the agricultural sector of the Republic of Moldova; analysis of the impact of the COVID – 19 pandemic on agricultural producers in the Republic of Moldova; analysis of the sustainability of small farms in the Republic of Moldova; analysis of the development trend and the evolution of the economic potential of the national economy, especially of the industry sector, using the input-output model, evaluations of the shadow economy and analysis of the foreign trade of the Republic of Moldova and evaluation of average prices and physical volumes of imports and exports of products, using Laspeyres formulas. Author of over 10 publications and participant in 7 international and national conferences.

Sergiu Tirigan, scientific researcher in the Agri-food economics and rural development department, during the last 5 years has worked in 2 national projects and 4 international projects, based on which he contributed to the elaboration of several studies, as well as to the elaborated publications, such as scientific articles and presentations at international conferences. The researcher is a PhD student in the specialty “Economics and management in the field of activity”, the thesis topic being “Management of promotion of agri-food products”. Has extensive experience in the field of agri-food economy, rural development, public policies in the field, in the development of data collection, analysis and processing systems.