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Sustainability
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Rural Development: Challenges for Managers and Policy Makers
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Rural Development: Challenges for Managers and Policy Makers

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2021) | Viewed by 21863

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Francesco Mantino

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Council for Research in Agriculture and Economics (CREA) - Center for Policies and Bio-Economy, 00198 Rome, Italy
Interests: sustainable development; sustainable development of rural areas and agriculture; multifunctional development of rural areas; entrepreneurship; non-agricultural entrepreneurship in rural areas; horizontal and vertical integration in the food sector and agriculture; agri-food value chains; rural development policies design and implementation; cohesion policies; territorial cohesion; development of peripheral and mountain areas; multi-level governance; local development projects; policy impact assessment and related methods
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

This Special Issue is particularly focused on the following issues:
1) What are the main objectives and functions of rural development policies within the broader range of policies addressing rural areas, and what relations have been established between them over time (complementarities, synergies, conflicts, etc.)?
2) What is the effectiveness of rural development policy instruments in pursuing objectives of social inclusion, environmental sustainability (including the provision of specific environmental public goods such as biodiversity, landscape conservation, etc.), agricultural competitiveness, and diversification of rural economies through multi-functional agricultural systems?
3) What is the contribution of rural development policies to reducing territorial disparities in terms of income and unemployment and access to social services and infrastructure, in combination with other territorial policies?
4) Rural development policies often are implemented via multi-level governance, involving different government tiers (national, regional, and local). Which innovative institutional solutions can be highlighted in different socio-economic settings with the aim of improving policy effectiveness and efficiency? How can policy efficiency be measured at different scales? How can policy makers deal with trade-offs between policy efficiency and effectiveness?
5) In many countries rural development policies show better outcomes if implemented by community-led local initiatives than via top-down approaches: what kind of institutional challenges are faced by local communities, and what evidence can be produced in this field?

Keywords

  • Rural development and cohesion policies for rural areas
  • Rural development programs: design, monitoring, and evaluation
  • Reform of rural development policy
  • Institutional innovations in rural policies
  • Multi-level governance
  • Efficiency vs. effectiveness of policy measures
  • Impact assessment and related indicators
  • Impact of rural development measures on biodiversity, landscape conservation, reduction of greenhouse gas emission, water quality and quantity, and soil conservation
  • Territorial disparities
  • Econometric models for impact evaluation
  • Environmental public goods and role of policies in enhancing their provision
  • Community-led local development partnerships.

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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47 pages, 415 KiB  
Article
The Bottom-Up Development Model as a Governance Instrument for the Rural Areas. The Cases of Four Local Action Groups (LAGs) in the United Kingdom and in Italy
by Giuseppe Gargano
Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9123; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169123 - 14 Aug 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3522
Abstract
The present research which originates from the author’s PhD dissertation awarded at the School of Politics of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in 2019, explores the comparative evolution of rural development policies and Local Action Groups (LAGs) in the United Kingdom (Argyll [...] Read more.
The present research which originates from the author’s PhD dissertation awarded at the School of Politics of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in 2019, explores the comparative evolution of rural development policies and Local Action Groups (LAGs) in the United Kingdom (Argyll and the Islands LAG—Scotland and Coast, Wolds, Wetlands and Waterways LAG—England) and in Italy (Delta 2000 LAG—Emilia-Romagna Region and Capo Santa Maria di Leuca LAG—Puglia Region) in a multi-level governance framework. LAGs and in particular their public–private local partnerships have become common practice in the governance of rural areas. This governance operates within the European Union LEADER approach as a tool designed to generate the development of rural areas at local level. In order to establish the implications of the LAG practices, the following main objectives for this research have been established: (1) to explore the utility of EU strategies for rural development; (2) to explain how LAGs structure, institutional arrangements and working are positioned in the layers of MLG framework; (3) to carry out a comparative evaluation of the LAGs working in the different nations and their subnational contexts. Some significant findings from the case studies are summarized in relation to these themes: the key characteristics and the outcomes associated with the LAG working mechanisms and what do we draw about the emergence, operation and performance of local partnerships. The core argument of the research is that the partnership approach has given the rural development actors a governance platform to help increase beneficial interactions and economic activity in each of these LAGs, but it is the bottom-up leadership of key local actors, seizing opportunities provided by the EU funding, which have been the most important factors for the LAG successes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural Development: Challenges for Managers and Policy Makers)
18 pages, 1688 KiB  
Article
The Evaluation Framework in the New CAP 2023–2027: A Reflection in the Light of Lessons Learned from Rural Development
by Roberto Cagliero, Francesco Licciardo and Marzia Legnini
Sustainability 2021, 13(10), 5528; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13105528 - 15 May 2021
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4072
Abstract
The new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) proposal includes few improvements compared to previous programming periods which may reinforce future evaluation, but we can also observe elements that may weaken the assessment, with the risk of repeating past failures. The objective of this essay [...] Read more.
The new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) proposal includes few improvements compared to previous programming periods which may reinforce future evaluation, but we can also observe elements that may weaken the assessment, with the risk of repeating past failures. The objective of this essay is to analyse the new framework proposed for evaluation in the future CAP and to promote a collective discussion on how to make evaluations more usable, useful and reliable for users and practitioners. The first part of the paper analyses the main elements of evaluation during the different rural development programming cycles. A second part is dedicated to an examination of the current programming period (2014–2020) and the implications of the introduction of the Common Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (CMEF) and the evaluation plan. In a third part, we critically discuss the proposals for the next programming period and we offer some concluding reflections and two main open questions. From the analyses carried out, many elements emerge to encourage discussion on the role that evaluation has played and can play and the critical points to face. The experiences in rural development policies have introduced important changes in theoretical and implementation terms. In particular, they helped to build evaluation capacity and enabled the involvement of the civil society. However, it is also clear that the European Commission (EC) designed path has often led to an increase in rigidity and orthodoxy towards common frameworks compliance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural Development: Challenges for Managers and Policy Makers)
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18 pages, 1568 KiB  
Article
Prioritising CAP Intervention Needs: An Improved Cumulative Voting Approach
by Roberto Cagliero, Francesco Bellini, Francesco Marcatto, Silvia Novelli, Alessandro Monteleone and Giampiero Mazzocchi
Sustainability 2021, 13(7), 3997; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13073997 - 03 Apr 2021
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3588
Abstract
The process to define the 2023–2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is underway. The implementation model governing the process requires each EU Member State to design a National Strategic Plan to deliver operational actions exploiting the synergies under the two pillars of the policy. [...] Read more.
The process to define the 2023–2027 Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is underway. The implementation model governing the process requires each EU Member State to design a National Strategic Plan to deliver operational actions exploiting the synergies under the two pillars of the policy. Each Plan must be built from an evidence-based needs assessment that undergoes rigorous prioritisation and planning to create comprehensive, integrated, and achievable interventions. In Italy, the success of this planning process requires all interested stakeholders to generate options for the regional authorities who plan, manage, and legislate agricultural activities. This research proposes a decision-making technique, based on the cumulative voting approach, that can be used effectively when multiple persons from different backgrounds and perspectives are engaged in problem-solving and needs prioritisation. The results indicate that the model can be applied both theoretically and practically to prioritise Strategic Plan needs that involve national and regional authorities. Validation of the model allows it to be used in the next consultative processes and for expansion to socioeconomic stakeholders. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural Development: Challenges for Managers and Policy Makers)
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17 pages, 590 KiB  
Article
Policy Mixes as a Strategy to Provide More Effective Social and Environmental Benefits: Evidence from Six Rural Areas in Europe
by Francesco Mantino and Francesco Vanni
Sustainability 2019, 11(23), 6632; https://doi.org/10.3390/su11236632 - 23 Nov 2019
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2558
Abstract
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 [...] Read more.
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. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural Development: Challenges for Managers and Policy Makers)
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Review

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28 pages, 398 KiB  
Review
Smart Villages Policies: Past, Present and Future
by Simona Stojanova, Gianluca Lentini, Peter Niederer, Thomas Egger, Nina Cvar, Andrej Kos and Emilija Stojmenova Duh
Sustainability 2021, 13(4), 1663; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13041663 - 04 Feb 2021
Cited by 35 | Viewed by 6933
Abstract
Highlighting the important role of rural development, this paper represents a review of rural policies. Data were generated, including a broad literature research and online survey on existing and future, post-2020 rural development policies. The survey was shared among project partners from six [...] Read more.
Highlighting the important role of rural development, this paper represents a review of rural policies. Data were generated, including a broad literature research and online survey on existing and future, post-2020 rural development policies. The survey was shared among project partners from six different EU Member States including eleven regions, all from the Alpine Space. The number of total policies covered in this review paper, together with policy projects, programs or actions, is 114. Based on these, key policy findings and future recommendations are provided, attributing to the future studies on this topic as well as for policymakers at the local, regional, national and EU levels. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Rural Development: Challenges for Managers and Policy Makers)
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