List of Figures
List of Tables
Abbreviations Used
Acknowledgements

Preface

Introduction

1. Bulgarian Agriculture and Regional Intra-Regional Economic Similarities in a Global Context
Analysis of Agriculture in Bulgaria by Key Indicators
Economic Analysis of Similarities among Global Agricultural Regions
Homogeneity within the European Union and Similarities among Member States
Homogeneity within Europe and Similarities among Countries
Homogeneity within North America and Similarities among Countries
Homogeneity within South America and Similarities among Countries
Homogeneity within Asia and Similarities among Countries
Homogeneity within Africa and Similarities among Countries
Conclusions 

2. Classification and Cluster Analysis of Global Agriculture Regions
Classification of Regions by Arable Land per Capita (in hectares)
Classification of Regions by Gross Agricultural Output per Capita (in USD)
Classification of Regions by Agricultural Exports per Capita (in USD)
Classification of Regions by Agricultural Imports per Capita (in USD)
Classification of Regions by Nitrogen Fertilizer Use per Unit Area
Cluster Grouping of Regions by Arable Land Area
Cluster Grouping of Regions by Gross Agricultural Output
Cluster Grouping of Regions by Agricultural Exports
Cluster Grouping of Regions by Agricultural Imports
Cluster Grouping of Regions by Nitrogen Fertilizer Use per Unit Area
Conclusions

3. Bulgaria’s Convergence with Global Agricultural Regions
Convergence Analysis by Gross Agricultural Output
Convergence Coefficient for Agricultural Exports
Convergence Coefficient for Agricultural Imports
Convergence Coefficient for Arable Land Area
Convergence Coefficient for Nitrogen Fertilizer Use per Unit Area
Conclusions

4. Prospects for Bulgarian Agriculture in Global Regional Agrarian Development
Forecast of Convergence Coefficients for Bulgaria toward Global Agricultural Regions
Forecast Convergence Coefficient for Gross Agricultural Output
Forecast Convergence Coefficient for Agricultural Trade (Exports and Imports)
Forecast Convergence Coefficient for Arable Land Area
Forecast Convergence Coefficient for Nitrogen Fertilizer Use
Scenarios for the Development of Agriculture in Bulgaria Based on Key

Conclusions
References

Dr. Rumena Gandeva

Fruit Growing Institute – Plovdiv, Agricultural Academy, Sofia, Bulgaria.

Rumena Gandeva is an assistant at the Fruit Growing Institute – Plovdiv, part of the Agricultural Academy of Bulgaria, a national scientific research structure. She holds a PhD degree in “Economics and Agriculture,” earned through a completed doctoral program at the Institute of Agricultural Economics in Sofia. Her dissertation, titled “A Classification Analysis of Bulgarian Agriculture within the Context of Global Regional Agricultural Development,” introduces a new approach to positioning the Bulgarian agricultural sector in relation to global regional models, assessing the degree of convergence and analyzing the impact of globalization on agricultural development. Dr. Gandeva holds a bachelor’s degree in Macroeconomics and a master’s degree in business administration from Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv. Her professional work includes economic analyses of production models in fruit growing evaluation of farm management efficiency, assessment of perennial crops, and the development of analytical approaches for optimizing the agri‑food system. Her work integrates economic, technological, and managerial dimensions with the aim of enhancing the sustainability and competitiveness of the sector. Her scientific interests focus on agricultural economics and management, food security modelling, the sustainability of the agri‑food system, as well as the processes of digitalization and optimization within agricultural and food supply chains. In her research, she examines the economic role of small farms, structural trends in Bulgarian and global agriculture, and the interactions among the different components of the agricultural sector, developing analytical frameworks and approaches for improving production efficiency under conditions of dynamic economic and climatic change.

"

Integration or Divergence? Bulgarian Agriculture in a Global Context is a comprehensive study that fills a significant gap in the literature on global agricultural economics by positioning Bulgaria within the global context. While Bulgarian agriculture has often been analyzed through the lens of transition and EU integration, this book offers a systematic comparative analysis across all world regions. The dissertation addresses one of the most topical and simultaneously debated yet underexplored issues in agrarian theory and practice—global regional agricultural development in historical, current, and prospective dimensions. In Bulgaria, comprehensive assessments and classifications of Bulgarian agriculture within the framework of global regional development over the past 50 years are practically absent. Internationally, there are few such extensive studies applying diverse approaches and indicators across different periods, regions, and countries."

By Prof. Dr. Hrabrin Bachev

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