Krešimir Ivančić, M.Sc.
Ministry of Agriculture, Zagreb, Croatia

The Ministry of Agriculture draw up the Rural Development Programme of the Republic of Croatia 2014 to 2020, with the budget over 2 billion euros.

Investments in modernization of the agri-food sector through rural development measure have influence on food safety.

Improvement of technological processes by introducing new technologies will contribute to reduction of energy consumption and negative environmental impacts, while ensuring the protection of humans, animals and plants health.

Due to the fast development of technology, it is necessary to provide farmers lifelong learning and professional training to acquire new knowledge and skills that will have influence on food quality and safety.

Modernization of agricultural production and processing will, in addition to improving the quality and safety of food, result in stronger competitiveness and higher income of agricultural holdings.

The improvement of agricultural products’ quality is directly connected with the possibility of quality labels registration, which enables their easier placement on the market and an increasement of their added value.

Keywords: Rural Development Programme, Measure, Food Safety