scholarly journals New sources of employment to promote the wealth-generating capacity of rural communities

2012 ◽  
Vol 6 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 15-21
Author(s):  
Miklós Pakurár ◽  
Judit Oláh ◽  
András Nábrádi
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Development ◽  
Labour Market ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Employment Creation ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Generating Capacity ◽  
Economic Trends ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Rural Development Policies

New Sources of Employment to Promote the Wealth-Generating Capacity of Rural Communities (acronym: RuralJobs) is a collaborative research project partly funded under the European Commission Research and Development 7th Framework Program. The Rural Jobs consortium consists of partners drawn from eight European Union (EU) countries (Bulgaria, France, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Romania, Spain and UK). The project began on February 2008 and finished in October 2010. RuralJobs quantified labour market, demographic and economic trends, and the impact of employment creation measures and policies in seven, representative “reference areas” across the EU, and used the information to demonstrate how rural development measures can be better targeted and how rural development policies should evolve.We identified labour market, demographic and economic trends in rural areas across EU-27 and the potential for newsources of employment outside traditional primary and secondary sector activities, and examined the interaction between different types of rural area (peri-urban, remote, high environmental/amenity value etc.). We identified employment growth areas where rural development programmes can be targeted to increase their contribution to employment creation. Our strategic objectives were the following: review of employment policies and programmes, scenarios for new sources of employment according to rural typologies, recommendations for better targeting of strategies, dissemination and mainstreaming. The main outcome expected is that the results will allow a better targeting of rural development measures and future evolution of rural development policies in line with the Lisbon Strategy.

scholarly journals Place-Based Policies for Sustainability and Rural Development: The Case of a Portuguese Village “Spun” in Traditional Linen

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 289 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vasta ◽  
Figueiredo ◽  
Valente ◽  
Vihinen ◽  
Nieto-Romero
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Development ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Policy Instruments ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Local Material ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Recent Debate ◽  
Rural Development Policies

In recent decades, European rural development policies have transitioned toward a more place-based approach. This claim rests on the assumption that the diversity of resources within rural areas can be a potential source for place-shaping practices and sustainability. Moreover, this shift away from a top-down sectorial toward a more territorial focus has also shed light on the importance of agency, relations, and how people engage. Many rural areas in Europe, and particularly in Portugal, have seen a withdrawal of focus away from agriculture toward more diversified activities, where place-based approaches can untap local potential, stimulate sustainable place-shaping practices, and create significant well-being. However, some rural communities have difficulties in capitalizing on them due to unfavorable demographics such as depopulation and aging, a focus on traditional industries, and a lack of technical knowledge. The aim of the article is to discuss the role of place-based policies for enabling place-shaping practices revolving around traditional resources in rural areas and their contribution to sustainability. The study briefly highlights the recent debate around European rural development policies and illustrates their implementation through place-shaping practices via a case study in a Portuguese rural village—Várzea de Calde. The village revalorized itself and is trying to tackle marginalization processes through its traditional linen, which is a local material and immaterial resource, via collective agency and a strong sense of identity. The case study will provide empirical insights in discussing the effects of sustainable place-shaping practices stimulating by place-based policy instruments. Our conclusions highlight the positive contributions toward sustainability through improvements in social (e.g., identity) and economic well-being.

An empirical investigation of the role of rural development policies in stimulating rural entrepreneurship in the Lazio Region of Italy

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcello De Rosa ◽  
Gerard McElwee
Keyword(s):  
Rural Development ◽  
Empirical Analysis ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Rural Setting ◽  
Family Farms ◽  
Lazio Region ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Nuanced Understanding ◽  
Rural Development Policies

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to provide an analysis of the adoption of Rural Development Policies (Rdp) as the result of entrepreneurial behaviours carried out by family farms with a focus on the Lazio Region of Italy. Family farming is the backbone of the European model of agriculture. Rdp provide family farms with a set of opportunities which, if well exploited, could drum up farm’s development. Design/methodology/approach – An empirical analysis of a data base provided by the Lazion region of Italy on the adoption of Rdp by family farms in the Lazio region for the period of 2007-2013. Cluster analysis is the main analytical tool used. Findings – The results evidence significant differences in the adoption of rural policy on the basis of family life cycle and the composition of the family farm. The empirical analysis underlines the low degree of coherence by farms located in rural areas. Practical implications – Farmers’ success in accessing funds requires them to be proactive and take a strategic perspective to convince funders that they have a coherent strategy which meets the requirements of the particular Rdp which they are trying to access. Social implications – In terms of policy, a more nuanced understanding of the entrepreneurial nature of some practices in a rural setting and how they require multi-agency investigation. Originality/value – The paper is unique, in that it considers the consumption of policy by farmers who are entrepreneurial in their vision. By consumption of Rdp, we mean the farmer’s strategic capability to obtain funds from regional funding pots for rural development.

scholarly journals Irish rural social enterprises and the national policy framework

2021 ◽  
Vol 69 (4) ◽  
pp. 9-37
Author(s):  
Lucas Olmedo ◽  
Mara van Twuijver ◽  
Mary O’Shaughnessy ◽  
Alan Sloane
Keyword(s):  
Rural Development ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
National Policy ◽  
Social Enterprises ◽  
Policy Framework ◽  
Sustainable Rural Development ◽  
Meso Level ◽  
The Social ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Rural Development Policies

Abstract There is a growing recognition of the role that social enterprises play in rural areas. In Ireland this is formally acknowledged in recent social enterprises and rural development policies which commit to developing a suite of supports to realise the potential of social enterprises and strengthen their contribution to place-based sustainable rural development. However, these policies offer a generalised approach to social enterprises, compounded to date by the considerable gaps in our knowledge of these organisations. The main purpose of this article is to fill a gap in our understanding of Irish rural social enterprises. Using Defourny & Nyssens’ meso-level framework (2017), this paper presents an analysis of surveys completed by 258 Irish rural social enterprises. Our findings illustrate five clusters which represent different types of Irish rural social enterprises. The findings confirm the validity of applying a meso-level approach for capturing in-country heterogeneity within the social enterprise sector and for informing policy supports for these significant actors in place-based sustainable rural development.

scholarly journals Rural Districts and Business Agglomerations in Low-Density Business Environments. The Case of Extremadura (Spain)

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 280 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Francisco Rangel-Preciado ◽  
Francisco M. Parejo-Moruno ◽  
Esteban Cruz-Hidalgo ◽  
Francisco J. Castellano-Álvarez
Keyword(s):  
Rural Development ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Endogenous Development ◽  
Implementation Framework ◽  
Rural Districts ◽  
The Public ◽  
Business Environments ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
Economies Of Agglomeration ◽  
Rural Development Policies

The strategy of the institutionalization and development of business agglomerations, in any of its analytical aspects (industrial district, local production system, cluster, etc.), has not had great results in Spanish regions with low business-density, probably due to the difficulty of finding an adequate implementation framework in administrative, geographic, and institutional terms. Based on the limitations presented by the identification methodologies of business agglomerations in low business-density territories, in this work we propose some methodological corrections that allow for reconciling these economic realities with the institutional and geographical framework offered by the local action groups (LAGs). This reconciliation is a useful tool to take advantage of the economies of agglomeration and, consequently, to explore the possibilities of endogenous development in rural areas, so that it can be a factor to take into account when planning and executing the public strategy of local and rural development. Finally, the results obtained for the specific case of Extremadura, the only Spanish region listed as a less developed one in European rural development policies, are presented.

scholarly journals PARTICIPATORY IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC POLICIES ON RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN COLOMBIA AND MEXICO

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (78) ◽  
pp. 143
Author(s):  
Fabio Alberto Pachón Ariza ◽  
Wolfgang Bokelmann ◽  
Cesar Adrian Ramirez Miranda
Keyword(s):  
Rural Development ◽  
Impact Assessment ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Development Policies ◽  
The Moment ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Positive Results ◽  
Rural Development Policies

The participation of stakeholders in the design and application of rural development policies is one of the major concerns of policy makers. The Framework for Participatory Impact Assessment (FoPIA) is a methodology to measure the impact of policies, which could include different stakeholders. This paper used FoPIA to assess the impact of rural development policies in Mexico and Colombia. The results showed a positive impact in the case of Mexico, whereas in Colombia, just one of the policies showed positive results. In both cases, social themes were remarked in order to take them into account at the moment of designing rural development policies.

scholarly journals Entrepreneurship in the rural areas of Romania. The impact of the 2007-2013 EU funding programmes

2017 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1129-1136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mihaela-Cornelia Dan ◽  
Claudia Popescu
Keyword(s):  
Rural Communities ◽  
Rural Development ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Poverty Reduction ◽  
Business Models ◽  
The European Union ◽  
Income Source ◽  
Public Data ◽  
The Impact

Abstract This paper contributes to the research on entrepreneurship in rural areas by focusing on the absorption and investment plans developed with European Funds and implemented in Romania in 2007-2013 for rural development. Entrepreneurship in the European Union is seen as the solution for creating and increasing jobs number, developing new business models, and is related very often with creativity and innovation. Moreover, entrepreneurship is directly linked to the economic performance of regions (Audretsch, D.B., Keilbach, M., 2005), poverty reduction and contributes to the economic advancement of rural communities. The focus on rural areas is given by the fact that almost half of the Romanian population lives in villages or communes (around 45%), and the main income source comes from agriculture. In the same time, there is an important potential for entrepreneurial projects because rural areas are high underdeveloped, there is a lack of services in major fields as education, social services, entertainment etc. Also, we find a high potential in tourism, especially in ecological, adventure or agro-tourism. We develop a theoretical framework to discuss the potential impact of EU Funds on rural development, the access to public funds for rural population, their readiness for business ownership, the most accessible fields for starting a business and regional variables. Our study is based on public data and official reports on the European Funds received by Romania in the budgetary period of 2007-2013 and other market data that round the entrepreneurship frame in rural areas. We analyze the number of start-ups financed by European funds, type and size of enterprises, number of jobs and reasons for contract cancellation. We find that regions with a reach cultural heritage and closer to the Western border have registered more applications and are more interested in self-employment, but also that given the administrative barriers many entrepreneurs decided to cancel the contracts.

scholarly journals The Impact of RDP Measures on the Diversification of Agriculture and Rural Development—Seeking Additional Livelihoods: The Case of Poland

Agriculture ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 253
Author(s):  
Mirosław Biczkowski ◽  
Aleksandra Jezierska-Thöle ◽  
Roman Rudnicki
Keyword(s):  
Rural Development ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Development Program ◽  
Spatial Diversity ◽  
Agricultural Activities ◽  
Synthetic Index ◽  
Two Measures ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Eu

The paper’s main aim is to assess the measures implemented within the Rural Development Program (RDP) 2007–2013 in Poland. This programme is dedicated to the diversification of business activities in rural areas and rural livelihood and, thus, the improvement of the multifunctionality of rural areas. The analysis covered two measures from Axis 3, Improvement of the quality of life in rural areas and diversification of rural economy: M311, diversification into non-agricultural activities; and M312, Establishment and development of micro-enterprise. The study and the discussion are presented from a geographical perspective and, in a broader context, take into account several conditions (natural, urban, agricultural and historical) and the spatial diversity of the allocation of European Union (EU) funds. Models of a policy of multifunctional rural development, implemented after accession to the EU, are presented. The research’s spatial scope covers Poland’s territory on two spatial scales: the system of regions (16 NUTS2 units) and poviats (314 LAU level 1 units). The analysis covers all the projects implemented in Poland under the two measures of Axis 3 of the RDP 2007–2013. A set of conditions was prepared for all LAU1 units, forming the background for assessing the impact of the EU funds on the development of non-agricultural activities. To determine the relationship between the RDP measures and the selected groups of conditions, a synthetic index and a correlation index are used. They are also used to determine the mutual relations between the two analyzed activities in terms of the spatial scales used. Access to the EU funds (RDP) has considerably enlarged the opportunities for accelerating agricultural modernisation and restructuration towards multifunctional development, as well as the opportunities for implementing new development and work methods in the countryside in Poland. The attractiveness of the two studied RDP measures varied across regions. The beneficiaries’ activity depended on the local potential (resources), culture and tradition of the region, and size and potential of the farm. In the areas where agriculture is deeply rooted, beneficiaries were more willing to engage in ventures tapping into the resources available in their farms. Thus, they create additional livelihood of income and workplaces for household members. In turn, the beneficiaries from the areas where farms are smaller and economically weaker often undertake activities related to setting up a new business (outside farming).

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