NECESSITY OF ACQUIRING KNOWLEDGE ABOUT EXPORT AND IMPORT OF AGRI-FOOD PRODUCTS

Abstract

Knowledge is an important factor of socio-economic development, both at the national and global level, and therefore, at the same time, it is also a relevant determinant of agricultural development. This is particularly important for countries characterized by the wealth of natural resources in agriculture, so-called free resources they get from the nature. Such development potentials should be used creatively, profitable and sustainable within the scope of foreign trade business, and from a broader perspective. Considering that the most important function of agriculture is the production of food, but also that the agricultural sector in contemporary conditions has a multifunctional character, it is clear that one of the most important issues in that context, that is, the export and import of food and other agricultural products should get a lot of attention today. At the same time, contemporary pandemic, environmental, energy, price and international geo-political problems additionally reinforce the importance of improving the foreign trade exchange of agricultural products. Consequently, the subject of research in this paper are contemporary trends in the export and import of agri-food products with a special accent on the knowledge that is useful in this field, based on available statistical data, conceived theories and realized practical approaches, and all this in the direction of the future development of agricultural export-import activities and meeting the needs of producers and consumers of these products. The aim of this research is to point out the necessity of continuous statistical research and collection of data on the export and import of agri-food products, in order to expand knowledge in this field and agro-economic prosperity in practice. For consumers of food and other agricultural products, as well as for agricultural producers and processors of primary agricultural products, these issues are of particular importance, first of all, in an economic sense, but also in a wider social context. It is a dynamic field of research, because contemporary challenges and global changes, as well as events within the national and regional frameworks, greatly influence the development directions of agricultural sector, requiring new knowledge, data, research and development efforts, trainings and other types of formal and informal education. In accordance with the nature of the researched issues, the method of description and comparison, analytical and synthetic method, historical method, content analysis method and statistical method, are used in the paper, followed by appropriate presentations and their explanations. The results of the research show that the modernization and improvement of knowledge in the field of agriculture is necessary in the contemporary economy and society, especially when it comes to the export and import of agri-food products. Namely, the paper confirms that the collection and adequate analysis of statistical materials, consideration of earlier and modern theoretical approaches, concepts, policies, strategies and practical experiences around the world, can greatly improve knowledge in this field and thereby contribute to a more rational use of available agricultural resources, especially in the framework of foreign trade business activity, which is increasingly burdened by numerous international and national law-economic, geo-political, health-climatic and other accompanying problems.