EU Rural Development Policy Research Articles

From sectoral policy change to cross-sectoral (dis)integration? A longitudinal analysis of the EU's forest and rural development policy

Policy integration (PI) is critical to address cross-cutting challenges like climate change and biodiversity loss holistically. In the European Union, forests are confronting increasingly adverse climatic conditions and numerous stressors that impact their biodiversity. Political efforts to counteract these trends are mainly channeled through funding from the rural development policy as a pivotal part of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). In contrast, forest policy is hardly institutionalized at EU level. This study employs process tracing using 65 EU forest and rural development policy documents, including legal acts, preparatory documents, communications, related working documents and evaluation reports, predominantly produced over the last 25 years. By doing this, it examines the development of sectoral policy changes over time and their implications for the cross-sectoral integration of EU forest policy into rural development policy as part of agricultural policy at EU level. Results suggest that the adoption of the EU Forest Strategy for 2030 represented a provisional paradigm shift in EU forest policy. This shift is characterized by a substantial reprioritization of policy objectives, transitioning from an emphasis on economic aspects to a more climate- and biodiversity-centric approach, alterations in supported policy instruments and the introduction of various new regulatory instruments. On the other hand, the CAP and its rural development policy remain characterized by a path dependent incremental change and the latest reforms hardly reflect ambitious forest policy objectives both from budgetary and content perspectives. The findings suggest that the latest seemingly decoupled developments within both policy areas have led to an emergence of forest policy fragmentation at the EU level.

A Synthesis on Agent-Based Impact Assessment Models from the Perspective of the EU Rural Development Policy Measures

The second pillar of the EU’s CAP aims to support rural areas by meeting economic, environmental, and social challenges. To deal with these challenges, countries are faced with the question of selecting the best tools among a large set of policy instruments. The problem of choosing the best policy instruments is aggravated by the very heterogeneous nature of the societal demands that differ among member countries with very different economic and institutional structures. So far, policy impact assessment regarding the agricultural sector and rural areas has been carried out by partial and general equilibrium type models, sector models, and econometric approaches. In comparison to the above-mentioned sector/region/country-based platforms, the use of agent-based approaches, which consider spatial, social, and economic heterogeneity and the risk behavior of farms, has increased recently. From the above perspective, this paper first reviews the EU’s evolution of rural development policies and then compares some agent-based platforms used for agricultural policy impact assessment. To conclude, although specific features of agent-based models may provide several advantages over other modeling approaches, they still embody various problems, especially in terms of database adjustments and parameterization and calibration of the model.

Paying lip service to gender inequality – EU rural development policy in Sweden

While research has pointed to the lack of gender mainstreaming in rural and agricultural policy, how rural policy determines what is seen as problems of gender inequality in the first place and how it constructs men and women in relation to rural development remains unexplored. In this article we perform an in-depth analysis of how rural policy constructs gender inequality problems and gendered subjects. We employ the ‘What’s the problem represented to be’ approach to analyse the implementation of the European Union’s Rural Development Policy in one Swedish region, Jönköping County. We conclude that gender inequality is largely left unproblematic in relation to rural development, placing women in the subject position of being uninterested in rural development policy and lacking the ability to take it on. The focus on farmers and ICT broadband positions adult, Swedish-born men as the norm, reflecting a neoliberal emphasis on economic growth through competitive businesses. We also conclude that the policy twists ‘gender mainstreaming’ by claiming that it promotes gender equality, while it in fact takes no action. Paying lip service to gender equality rural policy thereby co-opts feminism, in line with a neoliberal ‘postfeminist’ discourse, which is harmful to the feminist project. Alternative approaches to gender inequalities suggest that there may be broader, and different, ways of discussing them in relation to rural development, making for a broader spectrum of problematisations and subject positions, which may, in turn, allow a transformation towards gender equality.

Agricultural Development in European Union: Drivers, Challenges and Perspectives

Globalisation of world trade, consumer-led quality requirements and EU enlargement are the new realities and challenges facing European agriculture today. The changes will affect not only agricultural markets, but also local economies in rural areas. The future of the agricultural sector is closely linked to a balanced development of rural areas. The Community dimension in this relationship is therefore clear: agricultural and rural policy have an important role to play in the cohesion of EU territorial, economic and social policy. With over 56 percent of the population in the 27 Member States of the European Union (EU) living in rural areas, which cover 91 percent of the territory, rural development is a vitally important policy area. Farming and forestry remain crucial for land use and the management of natural resources in the EU’s rural areas, and as a platform for economic diversification in rural communities. The strengthening of EU rural development policy is, therefore, an overall EU priority. The European Union has an active rural development policy because this helps to achieve valuable goals for the country sides and for the people who live and work there. The policy is funded partly from the central EU budget and partly from individual Member States' national or regional budgets. Theoretically, individual EU Member States could decide and operate completely independent rural development policies. However, this approach would work poorly in practice. Not all countries in the EU would be able to afford the policy which they needed and many of the issues addressed through rural development policy do not divide up neatly at national or regional boundaries. Also, rural development policy has links to a number of other policies set at EU level. Therefore, the EU has a common rural development policy, which nonetheless places considerable control in the hands of individual Member States and regions. The EU’s rural development policy is all about meeting the challenges faced by our rural areas, and unlocking their potential.

AB KIRSAL KALKINMA PROGRAMININ TÜRKİYE UYGULAMASI: MALATYA İLİ ÖRNEĞİ

Purpose: The Rural Development Component of the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPARD) program, which was first implemented by the EU between 2007 and 2013, has been implemented in Turkiye since 2011. In the study, it is aimed to investigate whether the implementation of the EU Rural Development Policy in Turkiye is successful or not.Methodology: The evaluation is made based on the data obtained from previous research, the data of the Agriculture and Rural Development Support Institution (ARDSI) and Malatya Provincial Coordinatorship, and the data obtained from a survey conducted with beneficiaries in Malatya. Pearson Correlation analysis and One-Way ANOVA analysis were performed on the data obtained through the questionnaire. According to the results of the analysis, evaluations were made on the results of the IPARD program in Turkiye.Findings: In the study, the Turkish implementation of the IPARD program was generally successful, a large number of enterprises producing in EU standards were brought to the province of Malatya, a culture of preparing investment projects was created, experience was gained in making feasibility studies and financial analysis on the sustainability of agricultural enterprises, and it contributed directly or indirectly to employment increase.Originality: There are very few studies in the literature on the success of the IPARD program in Turkiye. In these studies, no data was collected directly from the beneficiaries by the questionnaire method and there is no previous study on the case of Malatya province.

National and European Actions for the Development of Rural Areas - Stimulus for Ensuring the Sustainability of Economic Development

The policies of the European Union pursue a sustainable and balanced development of the territory of the Community, these aspects being found in the objectives of the UN Agenda for Sustainable Development 2030. Among these objectives are some in the field of agriculture and rural development such as: SDG 2: eradicating world hunger, EU agriculture ensures that food is produced sustainably for all EU citizens, and that EU food exports contribute to food security in third countries. EU rural development and agriculture policies also support other SDGs: SGD 1 (without poverty), DGS 8 (decent work and growth), SGD12 (responsible consumption and production) and SGD 15 (terrestrial life). The article analyses the National Rural Development Program that was created to support through non-reimbursable funds from the European Union and the Romanian Government the economic and social growth of rural areas in Romania, starting from the 6 priorities defined at the European Union level. Thus, we will study the rural development measures financed through the NRDP, in the period 2014-2020, with a total financial allocation of 9.333 billion euros, of which 8.015 billion euros from the EAFRD and 1.347 billion euros representing the national contribution. We will present these measures in detail, based on public data available in August 2021.

The re-coding of rural development rationality: tracing EU Governmentality and Europeanisation at the local level

ABSTRACT The evolution of EU rural development policies and imaginaries have entailed that rural areas in Europe and their residents have been assigned specific roles concerning local responsibility and identities when it comes to attaining positive territorial development. The paper approaches the rationality of rural development as community-led through a lens of Governmentality and Europeanisation to explore how the local alignment of actions and government rationalities are linked. The presented research outlines rural development discourse first in EU rural policy and then at the local level through an analysis of text data published by a local development association. The paper traces the linkage between the two institutional levels and establishes how the success of rural development is not only to constitute issues and themes in a particular form but also to have these embedded locally.

The long-term fortunes of territories as a route for agri-food policies: evidence from Geographical Indications

Once the EU has perceived the strategic importance of local peculiarities to support rural development and high-quality productions, it has emphasized the need for more place-sensitive agri-food policies. The importance of socio-economic, historical and cultural factors as transfers of intangible value-added is particularly evident in the agri-food sector. Place-blind and sectorial-oriented approaches have indeed not succeeded in dealing with the territorial heterogeneity of agri-food systems. By delving into the longstanding debate on the conceptualizations of territory and focusing on the territories of origin of the most economically performant Italian Protected Designation of Origins (PDOs), this paper empirically investigates what are the contextual conditions that have mainly contributed in the economic success of local productions. Drawing on an original geo-referenced database, the analysis is conducted on a panel of Italian municipalities and exploits non-linear dynamic panel models. Findings point out the heterogeneity of affecting territorial factors. Imbalances come from both socio-economic conditions (food PDOs) and socio-cultural knowledge (wine PDOs). This paper informs the evidence-based debate on the relevance of territorially-sensitive interventions for the future of EU agri-food and rural development policies. In the case of GIs, it should consider being more place-sensitive as well as more integrated with other agricultural and regional policies to meet the EU’s socio-economic objectives.

Collaboration through EIP-AGRI Operational Groups and their role as innovation intermediaries´

In the context of EU rural development policy, one of the proposed actions is the formation of Operational Groups (OGs). These OGs are part of the framework of the European Innovation Partnership on Agricul-tural Productivity and Sustainability (EIP-AGRI). The objective of this policy is to promote sustainable and applicable solutions to agricultural problems. OGs can be thought of as innovation intermediaries. Their functions have been addressed in the literature on agricultural innovation systems. To advance the research in this area, the objective of this study is to identify the innovation intermediary functions of Spanish OGs by drawing upon the opinions of their members. An online survey was conducted to collect data from members of Spanish EIP-AGRI OGs. The questionnaire asked members about the characteris-tics and functions of their OGs. More specifically, it also collected evaluations of the performance of OGs in certain innovation activities. The results of an exploratory factor analysis reveal that Spanish OGs perform three main functions: innovation process management, demand articulation, and institutional support and innovation brokering.

A Knife to a Gunfight: Endogenous Development Through Leader as Contradictory Policy Prescription

Abstract By now a preferred EU instrument aimed at stirring rural development, LEADER initially constituted an alleged departure from the top-down productivist agenda of the CAP towards locally-led development. The exogenous-endogenous explanatory model legitimized the adoption of economistic assumptions into EU rural development policy. As the CAP policy genealogy conveys, agricultural policies occurred at the intersection of internal and external factors, whereas the endogenous framework evicts structural explanations for territorial marginalization. A case study from North-western Romania provides details on the implementation of the endogenous agenda from the perspective of public actors. Rather than inducing an alleged alternative development model, LEADER acts as adjuvant to other policies and, overall, as a pedagogical exercise in uneven development.

EU Rural Development Policy and the management of conflictual species: The case of large carnivores

• RDPs targeting large carnivore species increased in the second programming period compared to the first. • However, measures were limited to practical support in the form of damage prevention methods. • We demonstrate the potential for a broader use of RDPs to facilitate human-carnivore coexistence. • A wider range of measures to support human-carnivore coexistence may be included in RDPs under the CAP 2021-2027.

Local determinants of the Common Agricultural Policy rural development funds’ distribution in Poland and their spatial implications

Abstract We combine factor analysis and linear regression models to link local determinants of development of agriculture and rural areas with the frequency of applications for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) rural development measures. We use Poland as an example. Our analysis provides insights into spatial implications of incentive-based rural development programs. The results demonstrate that EU rural development policy in Poland remains farm-centric and favors regions of better agricultural structures, thus it tends to deepen the regional disparities in Polish agriculture and rural areas. The level of local agricultural potential is strongly related to the frequency of applying for funds under all analyzed measures, including those that were designed to diversify rural economies and increase the quality of life in rural areas.

Drivers of farmers' adoption and continuation of climate-smart agricultural practices. A study from northeastern Italy

The EU rural development policy has addressed challenges related to climate change in agriculture by introducing public voluntary schemes, which financially support the adoption of climate-smart agricultural practices. Several factors, most of which are non-financial ones, drive adoption and continuation of these schemes by farmers. Despite the importance of these factors, only a few studies explore their role in the European context. This paper contributes to filling this gap from a twofold perspective. First, it investigates the role of the farming factors, technology accessibility, environmental features, policy design and social expertise at the territorial level on early adoption. Second, it sheds light on farmers' attitudes and motivations and on social pressure on their decision to continue or discontinue the practices, by surveying a sample of early adopters. Three schemes for the Veneto region rural development programme are considered: no-tillage, fertiliser reduction, and water and fertiliser reduction. The results highlight that non-financial factors should be considered in order to design more effective schemes to prompt farmers to adopt and continue such practices over the long run. The paper also stresses the need to complement financial support with proactive information-based instruments.

Policy Mixes as a Strategy to Provide More Effective Social and Environmental Benefits: Evidence from Six Rural Areas in Europe

At the EU level, agricultural and rural development policies are increasingly oriented and targeted to the provision of public goods associated with farming. While most analysis focuses on the efficiency and effectiveness of specific types of interventions, this paper aims at exploring the role of policy mixes in stimulating the provision of environmental and social benefits (ESBs) associated with agriculture. The role of policy mixes in determining the provision of ESBs to farming is a complex matter, since different types of policies may have synergistic, overlapping and/or contrasting effects. On the basis of a comparative analysis of six case studies in different European countries, the analysis shows interesting solutions already being experimented with in the field by local actors working together through some form of cooperative action, highlighting how public intervention is often a combination of different policy instruments that may vary according to the type of socio-economic and institutional settings as well as according to the type of ESB targeted. The effectiveness of policy mixes depends not only on the design and implementation phases, but also on new governance arrangements stimulating alternative mechanisms of public goods provision, including market mechanisms and collective action.

Determinants of farm diversification: entrepreneurship, marketing capability and family management

Farm diversification has been widely regarded as a panacea for improving the rural economy within the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). However, the CAP provides less support for the entrepreneurial behavior that farmers need to exhibit to make diversification successful. Previous studies have identified the capabilities and preferences of farmers as determinants of diversification. Although, the complex relationship between these factors and diversification decisions is not well understood. Using data from a survey of 182 farms located close to urban areas in the UK, this paper reports on one of the first studies to quantitatively explore farm diversification through identifying the impact of the entrepreneurial behavior of farmers and the role of family businesses. Using structural equation models, the results suggest that farmers’ marketing capabilities mediate the positive influence that entrepreneurial ability has on diversification. Moreover, while preferences for maintaining the farm as a family business have a negative effect on entrepreneurship and diversification, a desire for the family business to make a social contribution has a more positive impact. These findings have significant implications for EU rural development policies and for the future development of rural policies in the UK in light of its impending departure from the EU.

The role of EU rural development policy in the neo-productivist agricultural paradigm

ABSTRACTThe role of EU rural development policy in the neo-productivist agricultural paradigm. Regional Studies. European Union rural development policy tools have renewed their emphasis on agriculture for the period 2014–20. This shift has been driven by an incoming neo-productivism paradigm, a terminology only recently applied to rural studies. This paper focuses on the discussion of European Union rural policy positions in the context of key drivers of neo-productivism. Existing academic debates focus mainly on ‘neo-productivist agriculture’, with less attention paid to rural development policy. This review shows the need to address the terminological issues of this policy and to reflect upon the territorial impact of other sectoral policies.

Rural Development Programmes and Transaction Effects: Reflections on Maltese and English Experience

AbstractNew institutional economics, and transaction effects in particular, are highly relevant to public policy performance. The evolution of EU rural development policy has generated both increasing complexity and increased transaction costs. However, this policy evolution also creates opportunities for improvement of policy process management. The paper considers these opportunities in the case of Rural Development Programmes (RDPs) under Pillar 2 of the CAP. We examine the influence of transaction effects on RDP performance, based on direct experience of RDP review and planning in England and Malta, where qualitative evidence of ‘transaction benefits’ is identified. Benefits occur when exchange processes are designed in ways that generate positive returns beyond the immediate transaction, which can outweigh short‐term costs. We conclude that more attention to these aspects of policy design is warranted in future rural development programming and evaluation.

Tracing shift in Czech rural development paradigm (Reflections of Local Action Groups in the media)

Local Action Groups (LAG) as actors in the EU rural development policy reflect the endogenous paradigm. They utilize the cooperation of their members and social networks to achieve the goals defined in their strategies developed upon the EU regulations on rural development. The paper demonstrates how the printed Czech media reflect the activities of LAGs. Such research gives a background to answer the question if the references to LAGs in the Czech Republic highlight the paradigmatic shift from the material factors towards the endogenous or hybrid resources embedded in using the intangible factors for development. The research consists in the quantitative content analysis of 498 articles about Czech local action groups. The analysis indicates that paradigmatic shift is only at the beginning. LAGs activities are still reported to be embedded in using the material factors (exogenous approach) instead of reporting and accounting the endogenous resources composed of both material and non-material factors of rural development.

Valuation of environmental and social functions of the multifunctional Cypriot agriculture

The multifunctional farming sector in Cyprus poses threats on the island’s water resources, but highly contributes to the protection of the cultural identity and to the provision of incomes and employment in its rural areas. These services are externalities, as farmers are not remunerated in markets for the environmental and cultural services they provide, nor for the fact that they maintain vivid rural areas. This paper presents an application of the Choice Experiment method, in order to evaluate these non-traded outputs of Cypriot agriculture. The results of the empirical analysis demonstrate that the Cypriot public is in favor of a less intensive pattern of agriculture. Furthermore, Cypriots are willing to pay in order to mitigate adverse environmental effects of agriculture, to improve cultural heritage and to safeguard the continuation of farming trade on the island. The estimated benefits often exceed income losses from changes in the cropping pattern towards extensification, which verifies that EU rural development policies are regarded as beneficial by the public.

The impact of EU governance and rural development policy on the development of the third sector in rural Poland: A nation-wide analysis

Governance and rural development programmes such as the European Union's LEADER programme are claimed in the policy literature to mobilise the involvement of the third sector in local development decision-making. Tracing the emergence of the third sector from the collapse of the socialist regime in the late 1980s to the aftermath of Poland's EU LEADER programme, this paper presents nation-wide data relating to the changing profile of the third sector in Poland's rural areas over time. Our analysis suggests that the implementation of the Polish LEADER + Pilot Programme (2004–2006) and the LEADER 4th Axis in Rural Development Programme (2007–2013) resulted in a significant increase in the number of third sector organisations. Using secondary data to examine the factors attributed to this increase, we found that the financial support offered by the LEADER programme incentivised the formal registration of third sector organisations. However, an analysis of primary data found that third sector organisations' dependence on acquiring funding constrained how they identified and achieved their own objectives. Nonetheless, we found that active involvement of the third sector in LAGs had a positive impact on the latter's engagement with local inhabitants in activities such as formulating local development strategies. We conclude that now, over a decade since the initiation of the Polish LEADER programme, the third sector has grown exponentially but its institutional character remains in flux. The presence of the third sector, its resources, and its power in rural governance is patchy. A greater period of time and targeted policy supports are required for the third sector to have a more defined and powerful presence in inter-sectoral partnerships and in rural areas more generally.