| Abstract [eng] |
The dissertation examines the problems of sustainable development of the food system in the context of the long-term vision of the countryside in the European Union (EU), considering the case of Lithuania. The object of the study is the sustainability dimensions of the Lithuanian food system: economic, social, and environmental. These dimensions are analyzed based on indicators, such as the viability (economic dimension) of supply chains, gender equality and generational change (social dimension), water footprint, and loss of misto (environmental dimension). The relevance of the sustainable development of the food system is defined by its importance in providing society with accessible, safe, and healthy food, its impact on the environment, and the socio-economic structure of rural areas. Therefore, developing a sustainable food system is one of the priorities of the EU’s long-term vision for rural areas, ensuring they are stronger, connected, resilient, and prosperous. The analysis of the main objects of research helps to offer solutions to ensure the development of a sustainable food system. The dissertation aims to develop and empirically approve a methodology for assessing the food system’s sustainability. The proposed methodology not only assesses the sustainability aspects of the food system but also helps to promote the development of a sustainable food system. The developed methodology can be applied to financial and administrative interventions to mitigate or eliminate the existing problems of sustainable development of the food system and the negative effects they cause in Lithuania and other EU countries. The dissertation applied a mixed methodology, combining surveys, statistical analysis, expert assessments, and multi-criteria decision-making methods. This methodology makes it possible to systematically and thoroughly examine the problems of sustainable development of the food system from an economic, social, and environmental point of view and at different levels of governance. The multi-criteria method of simple additive weighing (Simple Additive Weighting) with Monte Carlo simulation was used to assess the economic dimension of the food system’s sustainability. |
