Agro-Food Policies, Public Efforts, Economic, Social and Environmental Sustainability in Rural Development

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past few decades, rural development has become a key instrument in national and regional development policies, in the CAP, as well as in public initiatives to cope with the fast depopulation of remote/less favored rural areas, the increased financial uncertainty that forces farmers to either increase their productive scale or to shift economic activities entirely by opening rural B&Bs, offering tourism services, elaborating farm produce on the farm, and/or by selling directly to consumers through various forms of community supported agriculture or farmer’s markets, just to mention a few examples. In addition, the intensification of agriculture and change of land use has led to biodiversity losses.

At least in Europe, the shift from a previous focus on agriculture and agricultural development to rural development is driven by parallel and interconnected processes influenced by various types of policies, public initiatives, and market events, all of which have repercussions on rural development or vice versa.

Some of these are better known, while others have passed by without too much attention. The sphere of well-known and previously discussed changes encompasses the following: the globalization of agro-food markets which has resulted in a substantial rise in market competition level causing a dramatic transformation of rural societies and agriculture within national, regional, and international contexts. At the same time, consciousness about environmental challenges, not the least biodiversity loss and recurring weather-related events, including floods, droughts, and wildfires are presenting new challenges to society, governments, the agro-food sector, and local and rural communities all over the world.

In addition, societal expectations for rural areas to produce raw materials to substitute fossil fuel and de-industrialization, re-industrialization, and structural changes in the economy at all levels has clarified the potential of rural areas for the creation of new post-industrial jobs that can prevent further depopulation of rural areas and promote rural cohesion by creating new post-industrial work opportunities in rural tourism and other rurally connected services. Besides, the food and economic crisis (2007/08) has revealed the importance of rural areas for maintaining regional and national economies and fostering food sovereignty and highlighted the rural as a locus of resilience.

As reality is constantly changing, there is a need to analyze the main drivers behind rural development, both in the short and long term, and which policies have a positive or a negative impact. In addition, path-dependent features might be revealed, helping us understand the forces that shape rural development today and in the future. There are still many topics that need more scrutiny, and some examples include the following: 1) How does entrepreneurism in regional and rural policies influence rural development?; 2) What role does crisis play in the emergence of different paths in rural development? (e.g., the financial crisis in Europe, especially in Southern Europe from 2009 and currently, the outburst of the Covid-19 pandemic); 3) In what way does rural labor migration, especially within the common European market influence rural development in the rural areas involved (both those that are left by migrants and those that receive migrants). What are the benefits and downsides of labor migration? 4) How do economic integration or disintegration within the common European market and economic influence rural development?; 5) How can we understand the impact of social technologies in the reshaping of rural development either by opening up new opportunities or making old solutions obsolete?

This Special Issue invites scholars from all disciplines and regions, but especially from Europe to contribute empirical and theoretical contributions on topics related to “Agro-Food Policies, Public Efforts, Economic, Social, and Environmental Sustainability in Rural Development”.

Dr. Paulina Rytkönen
Prof. Theodosia Anthopoulou
Dr. Karin Dahlström
Dr. Håkan Tunón
Guest Editors

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• agricultural, food, environmental and rural development policies
• governance
• local food systems and CSA
• rural development patterns, rural development strategies, and rural cohesion
• farming strategies
• agricultural, rural and social entrepreneurship
• biocultural heritage
• environmental challenges and opportunities
• labor issues, labor migration, competence, and educational gaps and experiences
• gender issues related to rural development
• empowerment, rural responses, and local community strategies
• agricultural and rural history