Sustainable rural development and livelihoods

Abstract

Sustainable rural development and sustainable rural livelihoods are essential for enhancing global food security, for protecting water resources and for preserving ecosystems and biodiversity. This chapter draws the experiences with a number of multi-stakeholder partnerships that were established to enhance sustainable development in rural areas of Germany, Japan and Thailand. It shows pathways towards sustainable rural development and livelihoods by bridging the social, economic and ecological dimensions through collaborative natural resource governance, Payments for Environmental Services (PES) schemes and community-based marketing approaches. Hohenlohe is a historically and geographically diverse rural region in Southwest Germany. It is characterized by a mix of large agricultural fields on a plateau intersected by deep river valleys with grasslands, vineyards, forests and picturesque historic towns, castles and ruins from ancient times. Policies and approaches towards sustainable rural development determines the socially, institutionally and ecologically optimal mix of agricultural production, ecological services and rural livelihood opportunities.