High nature value farming for sustainable local food production and consumption

In the last hundred years, great changes have taken place in the farming systems all over the world. They were economically driven and beneficial but they also lead to a range of negative side effects. At the same time consumer awareness regarding food quality and safety grew, together with rising willingness for nature conservation and rural identity preservation. The paper focuses on the High Nature Value (HNV) farming as an environmental solution for long-term conservation and protection of biodiversity and its broader impact on the economic and social sustainability of agriculture and rural development at regional level.