Abstract
In order to study complex transformation of rural areas in the long term, our paper aims to integrate the concepts of rural restructuring and evolutionary economic geography. We argue that these approaches can complement each other to understand the mechanisms shaping rural evolutionary paths. We apply our theoretical framework to the case of rural areas evolving under the influence of large-scale farms in Hungary, namely the so-called manorial settlements. Tracing the processes on three different scales (global, national and local) we claim that during the last one hundred years the rural configuration in these areas shows a number of continuities despite the significant political-economic transitions throughout this period. The global dependency and semi-peripheral position of Hungary is apparent, and also the role of global agri-food regimes can be observed. Political transitions on the national scale appear primarily as ‘external shocks’. Despite the strong path dependency in terms of powerlessness and passivity of local societies at manorial settlements, the role of certain local actors in path creation should not be ignored.
Highlights
Rural geography and the analysis of agriculture underwent a number of ‘turns’ during the last decades: different approaches emerged which resulted in changes regarding research questions, theories and methods (Cloke 1997; Maclaren 2019; Morris & Evans 2004; Woods 2005)
The goal of this paper is to combine the rural restructuring approach and the concepts of evolutionary economic geography (EEG) for the study of the changes occurring to rural areas
In order to better understand the transformation of rural areas, we develop a theoretical framework by integrating the rural restructuring approach and the key concepts of EEG
Summary
Rural geography and the analysis of agriculture underwent a number of ‘turns’ during the last decades: different approaches emerged which resulted in changes regarding research questions, theories and methods (Cloke 1997; Maclaren 2019; Morris & Evans 2004; Woods 2005). Interviews with experts and elderly inhabitants show that the former practice of short-term employment of migrant labour during the harvest season remained part of the work organisation; it is one of the old routines that remained untouched despite the political transition Another point of continuity is that the local population had minor role in affecting local processes, and production practices as they were state employees. From the late 1990s a growing land concentration can be observed, and with the introduction of EU subsidies, landowners became even more interested in gaining land, which led to a revival of large-scale farms In this process the former leaders of socialist agricultural companies have an important role, and a rising group of investors with good political connections can be observed, while masses of rural population were excluded from agricultural production as business opportunity (Kovach 2016; Maurel 2012; Swain 2000). Certain elements of the rural configuration changed (such as the land use and production technologies), but continuity is observable, as local inhabitants are still employed by the Ltd., and the company managed to carry on intensive large-scale farming
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