V kmetijstvu se je na strateški ravni koncept trajnosti uveljavil z implementacijo skupne kmetijske politike EU in tudi na ravni nacionalnih strateških in izvedbenih dokumentov. Kljub temu pa je pomembno, ali lahko tako v politikah kot tudi v praksi odgovorimo na nekatera, na videz dokaj preprosta, vsebinsko pa temeljna vprašanja: Ali je slovensko kmetijstvo trajnostno? Kakšna je razlika v doseganju trajnosti v kmetijstvu Slovenije v primerjavi z drugimi državami EU? V katero smer gre razvoj kmetijstva pri nas po uveljavitvi skupne kmetijke politike? Znanstvena monografija je namenjena številnim ciljnim skupinam, predvsem pa različnim predstavnikom strokovnih služb, ki delujejo na področju razvoja kmetijstva in podeželja, varstva okolja, regionalnega in prostorskega načrtovanja idr. Zaradi interdisciplinarnega pristopa je vsebina zanimiva za različne stroke, od agronomije, geografije, agrarne sociologije, ekonomije pa do širšega področja varstva okolja.

LEADER axis presents a novelty in the Slovenian agricultural policy. The main object of the current paper is to describe the implementation process of the 4th axis of Rural Development Programme of Slovenia in the period 2007-2013 and analysis of the Annual Implementation Plans for the year 2008 and 2009. In this programming period 33 Local Action Groups will operate. They cover 97% of rural areas and 94% of rural population in Slovenia. The analysis of local development strategies and annual implementation plans shows on the willingness of local citizens to take an active part in the development of rural areas in Slovenia.

Slovenia implements its rural development policy through Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 (RDP). In this programming period is within four development axes implemented 21 measures in total amount of 1,177 millions €. The main objective of the paper is to analyze the implementation of rural development policy measures in Slovenia in period 2007-2010 and to give proposals which will increase the efficiency of implementation in the next programming period. An analysis of the implementation shows that there is great imbalance between the strategic goals and actual implementation of the programme. In the first four years of the implementation majority of the funds were allocated to the measures which pursuing economic and environmental components of sustainable development but at the level of implementation especially social and spatial issues are not adequately addressed.