Sustainability and Energy Economics in Agriculture—2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable rural development requires balance between both sustainable agriculture and the sustainable energy sector in rural areas. While there can be complementary issues between both, there can also be trade-offs between them, as seen when sustainable agriculture provides food security and the energy sector demands agricultural and forestry resources. Food security and energy security with a transition towards clean energy are objectives that cannot be achieved without investments and efficiency in the use of limited agricultural, forestry, and other rural area resources. With increasing demand for both food and energy, there is greater pressure on natural resources and a greater demand for clean energy derived from the sun, wind, heat, tides, waves, biomass, bioresources, and other alternative energy sources, including agricultural produce. To resolve complex questions and sometimes conflicting interests, interdisciplinary technological, regulatory, policy, landscape, environmental, societal, economic, cultural, and other challenges regarding the effects of the energy sector on agriculture, forestry, rural areas, and their bioresources must be resolved. The challenging question is how to achieve energy security at affordable costs and prices without compromising on food security, environmental protection, and agreement between stakeholders in rural areas.

Authors are invited to submit empirical, methodological, and theoretical research on links between agriculture, forestry, rural areas, energy, and other socioeconomic activities. Perspectives from multiple disciplines are welcome, including science and technology; economics, management, and social sciences; and public and scientific studies on democratic societies in relation to sustainability and energy economics in agriculture. The following themes are welcome:

• The agricultural land and energy sectors.
• The forest land and energy sectors.
• The sustainable agriculture and energy sectors.
• Regulatory and policy issues.
• Environmental and landscape issues.
• Societal, local stakeholder, and citizen issues.
• Economic, agricultural economics, and energy economics issues.
• Technological issues.
• Top-down vs bottom-up approaches.
• Food security and energy generation.
• Ecological issues in energy generation.
• Climate change and energy.
• Sustainable agriculture and climate change.
• Agri-food systems in the circular economy.
• Politics of food security and energy consideration.

Prof. Dr. Štefan Bojnec
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• economics of sustainable energy in rural areas
• sustainable agriculture
• agricultural land and competition for land
• forest land and competition for forest land
• regional and rural development
• natural and bioresources
• greenhouse gas emissions
• renewable energy
• energy efficiency improvements
• environmental degradation and landscape
• food security and energy
• transition towards carbon-free energy resources
• global warming and sustainability
• agricultural policy and agricultural development
• rural green development
• food security
• sustainability of agricultural production
• institutions
• policies

• Sustainability and Energy Economics in Agriculture in Agriculture (4 articles)

Title: Energy-Efficient Smart Irrigation Technologies: A Pathway to Water and Energy Sustainability in Agriculture
Authors: Umar Daraz; Štefan Bojnec; Younas Khan
Affiliation: 1. Department of Sociology, University of Malakand, Khyber Pakhunkhwa, Pakistan; [email protected] 2. Department of Economics, Faculty of Management, University of Primorska, Izolska vrata 2, SI-6000 Koper-Capodistria, Slovenia 3. Department of Economic Policy and Finance, Faculty of Economics and Management, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Tr. A. Hlinku 2, 949 76 Nitra, Slovakia 4. Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Management, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague, Czech Republic 5. Department of Sociology, Kohat University of Science and Technology, Pakistan; [email protected]
Abstract: This study investigates the adoption of energy-efficient smart irrigation technologies powered by renewable energy as a sustainable solution to address water and energy challenges in the Cholistan Desert, Punjab, Pakistan. The region’s extreme arid conditions, chronic water scarcity, and reliance on traditional irrigation methods demand innovative approaches to enhance resource efficiency and agricultural productivity. The research focuses on evaluating the impact of solar-powered smart irrigation systems on water conservation, energy efficiency, and crop yields in the context of the Cholistan Desert’s unique environmental and socio-economic conditions. A quantitative research design is employed, using data collected from structured surveys and field experiments conducted with farmers in the region. The analysis incorporates Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to examine the relationships between key variables, including water usage, energy consumption, crop yield, and farmer satisfaction. Descriptive statistics and inferential techniques such as paired sample t-tests will be applied to assess pre- and post-adoption differences, while multiple linear regression will identify the predictors of irrigation efficiency and crop productivity. The findings aim to quantify the potential of renewable energy-driven smart irrigation technologies to transform water and energy sustainability in agriculture. This research will offer evidence-based recommendations for policymakers and stakeholders, contributing to scalable solutions for similar arid and semi-arid regions globally.