The fundamental mission of the Biotechnical Faculty at the University of Ljubljana which is the biggest Slovenian university founded in 1919 is to provide a university level, advanced professional and postgraduate education, as well as to organise and execute scientific research activities relating to the biosciences. The group of Agricultural Economics situated within the Agronomy Department combines teaching and research staffs who deal with the social issues in the field of agriculture and rural development. The group is consisting of four full-time employees: prof. Andrej Udovč, research assistant Vesna Miličić and research assistant Anton Perpar (all agricultural economists) and assoc. prof. Majda Černič Istenič (sociologist). Teaching activities of the group are carried out at all levels of the study process of university education. The subjects covered pertain to the areas of agricultural economics and marketing, environmental economics, rural sociology and rural development. The research activities encompass various topics in the fields of economics and organization of agricultural holdings, the socio-economic structure of farms, the introduction of social services as a supplementary activity on the farm, the role of agriculture in protecting the environment and maintenance of protected areas and the role of agriculture in rural development. The members of the group have published numerous articles in leading international scientific journals and books and passed their knowledge at many international scientific and professional meetings. The professional activity of the group is focused on the role of agriculture in rural development, preservation of the environment, food security and transfer of knowledge. The group has already established a number of international connections e.g. with the University of Sussex in Brighton, Institute of European Environmental Policy, Slovak Agricultural University of Nitra, Faculty of Agriculture University of Zagreb.