Strategies For Sustainable Rural Development Research Articles

Sustainability Assessment of Two Farming Systems

Objective: Assess the sustainability of two agricultural production systems (native maize and improved maize) by applying the MESMIS methodology
 Design/methodology/approach: Knowing the social, economic and environmental factors that make up the production systems in the municipality of Jilotepec, State of Mexico, as well as their forms of management, allow us to develop strategies for sustainable rural development. The study contemplated at 30 production systems and compared the level of sustainability between producers of native maize and improved maize. The collection of information in the field was carried out in September 2022 and consisted of participatory workshops, semi-structured interviews and surveys; this information was complemented by soil sampling to analyze fertility
 Results: The two systems studied have high costs of agricultural production and high dependence on external inputs, especially those using improved maize. Most systems depend on external economic income. Agriculture is increasingly exposed to the conditions of drought and changes in rainfall regimes, in this situation having livestock becomes an important economic support. Changing climate conditions are forcing people to implement adaptability measures. Regionally the soil is fertile and suitable for corn cultivation. The perception of happiness of the inhabitants interviewed is high, they consider that the quality of life is good and therefore do not migrate
 Findings/conclusions: The present study is the result of the integrated analysis of several methodologies used in the measurement of sustainability indicators.

Rediscovering rural territories: Local perceptions and the benefits of collective mapping for sustainable development in Colombian communities

Territorial analysis contributes to sustainable rural development practices and social action. Based on the qualitative methodological principle in the application of collective mapping, where peasants are the main actors in identifying local realities from a participatory geographic perspective, it is possible to characterize multiple rural realities and their community diversity. Firstly, recent qualitative methodological tools are identified to evaluate the scope of application and level of satisfaction of local actors in a Colombian rural context. Secondly, an explanation of the collective mapping method with communities is addressed for its subsequent application. Finally, local perspectives are examined based on the documentation of sociocultural and environmental components, threats, pollution, and places of interest within the territory that allow for the construction of the visual tool in active community participation workshops. Therefore, the article's purpose is to discuss the benefits of collective mapping as a playful and visual option for the rediscovery of the territory from local perspectives, leading to reflection on the need to create sustainable rural development strategies.

Sustainable Planning Strategies for Rural Land Use Using a Hybridized Technique and GIS: Application to An Nijād Village in Ibb City, Yemen

Sustainable rural planning is a continuous, multiparticipatory, large-scale process. Most rural areas in developing countries have sustainable characteristics. However, rural areas have been neglected due to the excessive focus on urban areas, resulting in an urban–rural gap that is difficult to overcome. Village planning is an important public policy instrument that is used to direct land-use planning and management. Therefore, it is an important tool for realizing sustainable development in rural areas. Based on the problems experienced by these villages and the goal of sustainable rural development, the study took An Nijād village, Yemen, as a case study. The study used a hybrid design approach, including qualitative and quantitative methods, such as questionnaire analysis along with GIS methods, and strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). The research cycle was implemented in various phases, including data collection, coding, and analysis. The results of the change matrix (2010–2020) have indicated that land use/land covers (LULC) classified were arable land (47.9%), Built-up area (11.5%), barren/bare land (8.3%), water body (0.3%), slop land (6.4%), mountains (22.1%), and roads (3.5%). This paper will create a comprehensive framework for the implementation and planning of rural areas at the regional level, considering the constraints of each region in terms of its ability to achieve realistic results on the planning and development of sustainable rural development strategies.

Research on Rural Population/Arable Land/Rural Settlements Association Model and Coordinated Development Path: A Case Analysis of the Yellow River Basin (Henan Section).

The countryside is a complex regional system with population and land as the core elements, and it is of great significance to study the coordination of the rural human-land relationship for promoting rural ecological protection and high-quality development. The Yellow River Basin (Henan section) is an important grain-producing area with dense population, fertile soil, and rich water resources. Based on the rate of change index and Tapio decoupling model, this study took county-level administrative region as the evaluation unit to explore the characteristics of the spatio-temporal correlation model of rural population/arable land/rural settlements in the Yellow River Basin (Henan section) from 2009 to 2018 and the optimal path of coordinated development. The results show the following: (1) The decrease of rural population, the increase of arable land in a relatively large part of non-central cities, the decrease of arable land in central cities, and the general increase in the area of rural settlements are the most important characteristics of the Yellow River Basin (Henan section) for the change of rural population/arable land/rural settlements. (2) There are spatial agglomeration characteristics of rural population changes, arable land changes, and rural settlements changes. Areas with a high degree of change in arable land have a certain degree of spatial consistency with areas with a high degree of change in rural settlements. (3) The type of T3 (rural population and arable land)/T3 (rural population and rural settlement) is the most important temporal and spatial combination mode, and rural population outflow is serious. In general, the spatio-temporal correlation model of rural population/arable land/rural settlements in the eastern and western sections of the Yellow River Basin (Henan section) is better than that in the middle section. The research results are helpful to deeply understand the relationship between rural population and land in the period of rapid urbanization and can provide reference for the classification and sub-standard policies of rural revitalization. It is urgent to establish sustainable rural development strategies for improving the human-land relationship, narrowing the rural-urban disparity, innovating rural residential land area policies, and revitalizing the rural area.

Inclusion of Vanishing Cultural Heritage in a Sustainable Rural Development Strategy–Prospects, Opportunities, Recommendations

Cultural heritage consolidates regional cultural identity, expands social capital, and stimulates local communities. These functions make it an important component of sustainable socioeconomic development. The objective of the article is to identify vanishing components of cultural heritage in Małopolskie Voivodeship and propose ways to use them to enhance regional development and promote rural cultural heritage. Moreover, the article aims at identifying such components of cultural heritage that could be included and presented more extensively in future strategic documents despite being disregarded or only superficially acknowledged to date. The research involved a representative sample of the adult residents of rural areas in Małopolskie Voivodeship, Poland (n = 400) using the computer-aided telephone interviewing method (CATI). The research shows that the awareness of the people in Małopolskie Voivodeship is dominated by the ‘classical’ perception of cultural heritage components. The respondents confirmed that traditional professions were still practiced in the voivodeship, and that artisan products were available. The most common of these were beekeeping, sculpture, carpentry, lacemaking and embroidery, smithery, pottery, plaiting, weaving, and musical instrument production. According to the respondents, the most frequent components of vanishing cultural heritage were shrines on trees, old barns (69%), wells (55%) and old root cellars (40%). The respondents most often mentioned farmers’ wives’ associations as independent social and professional organizations in rural areas that promote food traditions. A survey, literature review, and study of strategic documents demonstrated that digital cultural heritage was absent in the responses and strategic documents, even though it is found in rural Małopolskie Voivodeship as rustic cyberfolklore, for example. It is a research gap worth investigating.

Driving factors behind Uganda’s rural pastoral communities’ social-economic status; a comparison between Karamoja Region and Ankole Region

This study aimed to analyze the social-economic status of Karamoja, Uganda’s largest pastoral region that has consistently stood out as the least developed region in Uganda. The region is naturally endowed with a variety of minerals such as marble, limestone, gold, etc. This has attracted (both local and international) artisanal and small-scale miners into the region whose contribution to the region’s development seem negligible. The Majority of the residents derive their livelihoods from livestock as a primary source. Three major rural development aspects i.e., social, ecological, and economic dimensions were assessed and compared to the Ankole region, one of Uganda’s rural pastoral regions that have over time registered progress in livestock production and regional development. Based on this comparison, similarities and differences can be identified and used to build the foundation for the development of a SWOT analysis that will focus on the Strength, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats that exist in this rural pastoral region of Karamoja. This study creates a cornerstone for developing sustainable rural development strategies based on a focused analysis of sociological factors that are fundamental in unmasking the ground reality in the region.

Evaluation of the Impact of Some Factors on Coffee Producers towards Sustainable Rural Development in Lagawe, Ifugao of Philippines

Rural development requires harnessing existing community assets and expanding local economies while pushing local capabilities to be more efficient and innovative. The current conditions and external factors affecting local coffee producers in Lagawe, Ifugao were investigated as a foundation for a comprehensive framework for a sustainable rural development strategy. A multi-method in a convergent parallel research design with a participatory rural approach was employed to address the research objectives. Data were collected from registered local coffee producers through purposeful-criterion sampling approach, local government unit officials, and government agency representatives through key informant interviews and researcher-made questionnaire administration. Using frequency counts, percentage distribution, and mean, and careful analysis, findings revealed that products produced by local producers are in a good state in terms of the One Town One Product criteria. Coffee producers can access technology, market, and social infrastructures from different government agencies. Areas for improvement were identified based on the OTOP criteria. Finally, a comprehensive framework was proposed to establish sustainable coffee industry viable business for rural development.

Evolution characteristics and driving factors of negative decoupled rural residential land and resident population in the Yellow River Basin

The Yellow River Basin (YRB) is an important ecological barrier in China, which is the fifth largest river all over the world. Protecting YRB is crucial to China’s rejuvenation and sustainable development of future generations. Coordinated development of human-land system is conducive to promoting ecological protection and high-quality development of YRB. Tapio decoupling model was used to study the relationship between rural residential land area and resident population. Our results showed that the rural resident population decreased by 2.57% annually, while rural residential land areas expanded at a rate of 0.57% from 2010 to 2016. In addition, the upper reaches had higher growth rate of residential land area than that in the middle and lower reaches. The strong negative decoupling relationship between rural residential land area and rural resident population was widely found in YRB. Kaya identity decomposition results indicated that rural residential land intensive utilization and urbanization of resident population was positively related to the expansion of rural residential land area, while the urban and rural population structure was responsible for rural residential land area shrinkage in YRB. Unfavorable rural development situation had extended from 2010 to 2016. These results suggested that the rural human-land relationship was uncoordinated in terms of the loss of rural resident population and expansion of rural residential land area in YRB. It is urgent to establish sustainable rural development strategies for improving the human-land relationship, narrowing the rural-urban disparity, innovating rural residential land area policies, and revitalizing the rural area.

Sustainable Development Strategies for Rural Areas in Nasarawa State, Nigeria

Sustainable development is a new concept in development economics that needs not to be limited to towns and cities in developing economies like Nigeria. This study therefore examined the strategies for promoting sustainable development in Nasarawa State. The study was guided by cross-section survey design. A sample size of 400 respondents was selected from three rural areas in the State using simple random sampling techniques. A structured questionnaire designed by the researchers was used as instrument for data collection. The instrument was validated by experts and its reliability was ascertained using the Cronbach Alpha Coefficient technique. Descriptive statistics, principally, simple percentages, mean and standard deviation were used for data analysis.The findings revealed that agricultural development and social services provisions have been the major rural development strategies adopted in the State that have been implemented in the State. The results also showed that less attention has been given to human capital development, political inclusion, infrastructural development and industrial growth. It was found that radio and television, farmers and traders association and collaboration with traditional councils are ways of creating awareness on sustainable rural development. However, exclusion of rural dwellers at the planning stage and absence of rural needs assessment were found to be the major challenges to sustainable rural development. The study revealed that employing contractors of projects from communities where projects are sited and the need to plan based rural realities can enhance rural dwellers involvement in sustainable rural development decisions. The study concluded that strategies for sustainable rural development in Nasarawa State have not been effectively designed and implemented because the emphasis has always been on agriculture. The study recommended that Government should always embark on rural development needs assessment, sustainable rural development should emphasis the bottom-top approach, greater investment in human capital and rural entrepreneurial initiatives.

ФОРМИРОВАНИЕ СТРАТЕГИИ УСТОЙЧИВОГО РАЗВИТИЯ СЕЛЬСКИХ ТЕРРИТОРИЙ С ПОЗИЦИЙ СИСТЕМНОГО ПОДХОДА

The article reveals the necessity to use a systematic approach when designing strategic plans and programs for the socio-economic development of rural municipalities in the present conditions of spatial and harmonious development of rural territories. The article has a word about methodological approaches to the formation and implementation of a strategy for sustainable rural development. The application of a systematic approach to strategic planning of sustainable rural development based on the foresight is methodologically justified. The article presents the results of foreseeing the economic development of rural territories of the Non-chernozem zone of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Summing up that the foresight technologies should be used as a system tool for developing a strategy for sustainable development of rural territorial systems

The Return on Investment in Social Farming: A Strategy for Sustainable Rural Development in Rural Catalonia

Although social farming (SF) has been a successful endeavor in Catalonia over the last 30 years, it has not been visible for part of society, which is largely unaware of its existence. Nevertheless, this study has demonstrated after studying five cases that the social return on investment (SROI) has been significant in rural areas. In this study, five in-depth interviews were carried out, and a general questionnaire was sent to 161 SF projects in Catalonia with a view to analyzing the participation of stakeholders and the returns they have achieved. The SROI method and the benefits to different stakeholders are concisely described. Our main foci are people at risk of social exclusion, their families, and the project promoters, but we also believe it is essential to analyze the administration of projects and the settings in which they take place. It is calculated that there is a social, economic, and environmental return on investment in terms of the benefits to the territory’s sustainable local development at an approximate proportion of three euros for every euro invested. Without a doubt, SF can help to support proximity agriculture, thus favoring its development and viability.

The Problem with Empowerment: Social Reproduction and Women’s Food Projects in Jordan

In Jordan, many women’s small food businesses and nonprofit projects have been supported as a sustainable rural development strategy. The prevalence of these projects in bazaars and festivals in Jordan indicates their prominence. Most studies of these projects have framed them in terms of microfinance or development goals such as women’s empowerment. The framework of empowerment has been widely critiqued, however, for its Western-centric assumptions about gender and economy. Instead, this article asks how women in rural food producing businesses and organizations are shifting social reproduction. By centering the question on social reproduction, or the work—paid or unpaid—that sustains life, food production for sale is not de facto more valuable than food production for the family. Through this focus on social reproduction, I found that rural women’s food projects often used their rural woman identity to build food projects that changed the social and spatial contexts of how they provided for their families. These changes depended heavily on how they engaged with development networks, how they organized or participated in producers’ organizations, and how they produced and sold their food. Analyzing food production as part of broader social reproduction calls attention to the nonmarket consequences of these food projects such as impacts on social relationships, identity, and food as sustenance. Identifying these nonmarket consequences is essential to better understanding how rural development efforts affect the social and economic fabric of rural life without assuming a priori what that life should look like.

Foresight as an innovative tool for strategic planning of sustainable rural development

The research goal is to offer specific practical recommendations to design a foresight strategy for sustainable rural development. The paper shows that foresight is one of the key innovative tools for devising and implementing sustainable rural development strategy. The work presents the foresight exercise results on the Bashkortostan Republic's per capita food requirement for up to 2030. The cluster and foresight technologies formed the basis of a cluster scenario for the sustainable development of rural territories in the region's non-black soil zone. Target indicators that reflect the long-term economic development of rural territories were worked out. The main results include planning and implementing the foresight methodology of rural development, the foresight of long-term economic development of rural territories.

The Effect of National and State Land Resource Allocation on Sustainable Rural Development (Case Study: Northern and Southern Bar’an Rural District in Isfahan Province)

Purpose- In addition to preservation of and getting religious and legal rights of the government and people, one of the most important goals of ownership and consolidation of national and government domains is to keep and develop renewable natural resources and to allocate them for development of agricultural and productive activities. The ultimate goal of the legislator, has been movement towards comprehensive agricultural self-sufficiency, deprivation reduction, and development in villages. The present study aims at investigating the effect of national land resource allocation on rural sustainable development. As a result, the rural districts of Northern and Southern Bar’an, as a part of the central province of Isfahan, were selected. Design/methodology/approach- The present study is applied in terms of aims, descriptive-analytical in terms of research method, and survey study in terms of data collection. Data collection was performed through library and field studies. The population of the research consisted of farmers of five villages of the Northern Bar’an rural district and five villages of the Southern Bar’an rural district and 30 experts. A sample 260 farmers were selected using Cochran formula. Findings- The results indicated that the effectiveness of the allocation of national and government lands on the dimensions of rural sustainable development is at a moderate level. It shows poor efficiency of allocation of national and public land resources. Research limitations / implications- Problems like farmers' reluctance to cooperate and questionnaire distribution were among the challenges faced in this research. Originality/value: Given the importance of the studied region in production and agricultural, the findings of the present study can be regarded a big step in exploiting the potentiality of this region to determine strategies for sustainable rural development.

The actions of the Brazilian agricultural sector in the context of climate change negotiations

Brazil has always maintained a prominent position in negotiations within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, playing a major role in setting increasingly ambitious goals and encouraging consensus among Parties. With the purpose of reducing GHG emissions from the agricultural sector and disseminating and financing good agricultural practices, Brazil developed a platform of sustainable technologies and public policies, as the Low Carbon Agriculture Plan (the “ABC Plan”). This article reviews the main milestones of Brazil’s role in the international negotiation on climate change, how these factors affected the Brazilian agricultural sector between 2009 and 2018 and the authors’ personal view on this context. The objective is to provide an overview of Brazil’s actions regarding the agricultural sector which contribute to the voluntary commitment assumed by the Brazilian government at COPs 15 and 21 and to provide a critical analysis of how these actions are being implemented. The main results show that low carbon agriculture has been consolidated as the main Brazilian strategy for sustainable rural development,but it is vital for our country to continue with these actions.

Diversification issues and prospects of agribusiness development in the Baikal Region

Currently, there is an urgent need for targeted development of rural areas. A comprehensive strategy for sustainable rural development includes diversification of economic activities. Development of agribusiness by measures strengthening regional competitiveness is the most important socio-economic tasks for the national economy. The government is designing the concept of “a global village”. The possibilities of diversified agribusiness development are considered on the example of the Baikal Region. Its territorial marketing products are well known but they should be considered from a strategic perspective. The article deals with the marketing products of the Irkutsk district municipalities belonging to three groups of territories: agricultural, agro-industrial, tourist and recreational. The issues and prospects analyzing agribusiness development are presented. The used marketing tools could be applied to the other rural territories designing strategies for agribusiness development.

Connecting business with the agricultural landscape: business strategies for sustainable rural development

AbstractAgribusiness enterprises link rural landscapes to global and regional markets. The nature of these business–landscape relationships is vital to the sustainability transition. Decisions by farmers and agriculture policymakers aggregate to changes in the ecology of landscapes, but the influence of food supply system businesses on rural landscape sustainability also requires scrutiny. This article uses four international cases to present a conceptual framework for investigating how different business strategies can support agricultural landscape sustainability. Insights from North America, New Zealand, The Netherlands, and Denmark inform the framework dimensions of horizontal/territorial and vertical/systemic business–landscape relationships. Three types of business model that promote rural sustainability are highlighted: provenance, cogovernance, and placemaking. These models engage strategies such as environmental management systems, certification, ecosystem and landscape services, and spatial planning. Research directions that will improve understanding about how business can engage with rural stakeholders for more sustainable rural landscapes are identified, including the need for cross disciplinary perspectives incorporating social, ecological, and business knowledge.

PESQUISA-AÇÃO PARA O RECONHECIMENTO DA REGIÃO “SERRAS DA IBITIPOCA” COMO PRODUTORA DE QUEIJO MINAS ARTESANAL

Valuing traditional products can be a strategy for sustainable rural development. This study was carried out in the Master´s degree in Sustainable Development and Outreach Activities at the Federal University of Lavras (UFLA, in the Portuguese acronym). The aim was to contribute to the recognition of the “Serras de Ibitipoca” region as a producer of Artisanal Minas Cheese (QMA, in the Portuguese acronym). An action research was carried out to identify the elements of the region that justified its recognition, and to systematize and analyze the process of articulation and organization. The methodology also included bibliographical studies, 3 interviews and 50 questionnaires in 12 municipalities. In addition, meetings, observations and document analysis were also held. The study demonstrated that the region produces cheese since the 18th century, in addition of being a physical environment favorable to the production and an interest group. These elements justify the recognition of the Serras da Ibitipoca region as a producer of QMA. Systematizing this process allowed us to reflect critically about the recognition of the region and its difficulties, aiming to provide a scientific contribution to similar processes.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF HENYAN PROVINCES: PROMOTING THE DEVELOPMENT AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING OF FARMERS

The purpose of this article is to investigate the needs of farmers in Henan for vocational training, provide references for the government to formulate rural human resource training policies and provide vocational training services to the society, and ultimately serve the sustainable rural development strategy. The sustainable development of the village is inseparable from the support of the village's external resources and the joint effect of the internal driving force. In the context of the continuous input of external resources to the countryside, the importance of internal driving forces has become increasingly prominent. This driving force comes from fully respecting the wishes of farmers. On the one hand, they need the protection of laws and systems to give them the power to understand the decision-making of rural affairs; on the other hand, the improvement of farmers' vocational skills enables them to participate in the implementation of rural affairs. The survey results show that more than 53.3% of farmers have vocational training need for planting technology, food processing technology and breeding technology, and nearly half of farmers have other vocational training need. The survey results in terms of age show that farmers aged 30 to 50 have a strong demand for vocational training. Peasants in this age group account for a large proportion of the population and are willing to become licensed. They an important potential force for rural development. Depending on the survey results, the relationship between the demand for vocational training and rural tourism, e-commerce sales of agricultural products, and land transfer systems was discussed. It is believed that without the support of human resources in related industries, various rural development plans will be unattainable. Conclusion: On the one hand, local governments should improve the vocational training system for farmers, and make full use of agricultural colleges and social vocational training institutions to provide farmers with vocational training supplies. On the other hand, villages should fully consider regional human resource conditions before making development plans or undertaking industrial projects. Only when the village realizes the continuous reproduction of the human resources it needs, can it be possible to reduce the waste of innumerable resources and realize the sustainable development of the village and the country’s revitalization and development strategy formulated by the country.

Rural Development within the Context of Development, Sustainability and Rural Issues – Some Constitutional, Policy and Implementation Perspectives

This article provides an overview of some developments, internationally, regionally and in the SADC, in relation to development, that may be expected to influence the South African government’s response to the development needs of the people in the country. An overview is provided of the somewhat haphazard way in which the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 refers to the need for and objective of development (including rural development) in the country. Through their explanatory outline of three distinct phases in South African rural development law and policy: 1994–2000 (the Reconstruction and Development Programme and related documents and their implementation); 2000–April 2009 (the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development Strategy and its implementation) and April 2009+ (the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme and related documents), the authors review some of the historical strengths and future prospects related to rural development in South Africa. Based on an assessment of historical trends, a number of recommendations are made for government’s way forward in the implementation of the constitutional objectives, law and policy relevant to rural development in the country.