Innovation as a factor in successful rural development

Abstract

The article presents the results of a study devoted to key aspects of the development of rural areas and the agricultural sector of the economy, which are innovative in nature and directly affect the country’s food security in the context of modern challenges and threats. The purpose of the study comes down to the specification of the most important innovations (including digital ones), which are, in fact, necessary prerequisites for achieving local security in terms of, firstly, providing the population with affordable, high-quality and healthy food products, and secondly, the implementation of social and environmental challenges in rural regions. The tasks set to achieve the goal formulated in the work were solved through the use of research methods such as comparative analysis of existing theoretical research in this direction, assessment of the effectiveness of international and domestic practices, as well as relevant political initiatives, forecasting promising trends in the innovative development of the rural economy and rural areas taking into account the existing internal potential and external factors. Important scientific generalizations that have both theoretical and practical significance include the conclusions that (1) the dynamic development of the agricultural sector of the economy in the unfavorable circumstances of climate change and deteriorating geopolitical situation is possible through the active implementation of organizational and technological innovations (including digital) , (2) social innovation and digitalization are important for providing the rural population with essential social and ecosystem services, (3 all types of innovations (technological, social, organizational) are of high importance for the effective involvement of the rural population in the management of local development.