The role of farmers in Local Action Groups: The case of the national network of the Local Action Groups in the Czech Republic

Abstract

The social inclusion of different rural population groups is one of the objectives of the Rural Development Programme of the Czech Republic for the period of 2007–2013. The fourth axis of this programme is devoted to the LEADER method and, as such, it establishes and supports an inclusive and participative bottom-up approach. This article is concerned especially with a specific social group of farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs, and the position of this group in the local action groups that constitute the National Network of the Local Action Groups (LAGs) in the Czech Republic. With regard to this subject, the role of farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs in LAGs was analysed using a questionnaire-based survey and testing a hypothesis of external and internal inclusion/exclusion (see Thuesen 2010) of farmers into/from local action groups. The results show that the level of participation differs in the local action groups, but generally speaking the position of agricultural subjects is decreasing off the subjects from the different spheres (especially NGOs).