Book Description

The food industry is a major sector in the infrastructure of the country with high utility for the Bulgarian economy. Its current condition and future development not only directly influence 20-25% of the Bulgarian industry, but also have an impact on a considerable part of the domestic and foreign trade, the export earnings, the domestic consumption, and the standard of living of the population. The industry has a direct link to agriculture, to the regulation of domestic consumer demand and the penetration of foreign markets. Therefore the research is built on two axes: the state-of-the-art trends and processes evolving in the industry itself, and the changes in its broader economic environment. The research draws on data obtained from official statistical sources, publications, and interviews with managers of state-owned and private enterprises in the food industry sector in Bulgaria, as well as with officials at the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Industry, the two supervising state authorities for the enterprises in the industry. Information from other studies and analyses is also used - received from Bulgarian and foreign researchers, state institutions, research institutes and consulting firms - involved in the development of the food industry, and more broadly with the economic reform process in Bulgaria.