This volume of „Rural areas and development” series has a special character while proving sustainability of European Rural Development Network (ERDN) idea. We are proud of this 10th volume that documents decade of international cooperation in the field of rural development particularly in Central-Eastern Europe. The effort of network members in investigation of rural processes across Europe provides extensive knowledge needed to understand what is the meaning of agricultural development. The originally agriculture sector orientation is strongly moving towards rural space policies. Thanks to broad multinational and multidisciplinary approach ERDN manages to capture main streams and regionally specific processes related to changing paradigms of rural development and provides solid base for policy and strategic planning formulation. The tenth volume of the series „Rural areas and development” consists of 12 chapters proposed and discussed during the ERDN conference hosted by Poznań University of Life Sciences in Zielonka, October 2012. In the strategy the process of the transformation of the European economy through the implementation of energy- and material-efficient technologies works as an engine for economic growth. However the differences between stage of development between rural areas indicate different need for knowledge and its transfer. The ERDN community possesses extensive knowledge of rural processes that would support effectiveness of knowledge transfer to food sector and rural areas. Different scientific backgrounds and cross national origin of ERDN experts provide complex and interdisciplinary quality solutions. Chapters related with the process of knowledge transfer to food sector and rural areas provide us evidence that we have interesting research in this field.