Social Capital, Network Governance and Social Innovation: Towards a New Paradigm?

Limited knowledge and empirical evidence exist so far on how governance is related to social capital, and to comprehensively evaluate the effects of collaborative public-private partnerships in rural development actions, and whether these elements foster socially innovative actions. The book chapter begins to address these knowledge gaps. It highlights the conceptual framework linking social capital and network governance and identifies specific approaches to analysing governance. Moreover, it conceptually identifies the key elements for assessing governance mechanisms in the LEADER approach and explains its adoption in the evaluation method proposed in the book. The chapter concludes by outlining how social capital and governance may support social innovation, a topic which is developed more comprehensively in relation to LEADER's specific contribution in the final chapter of the same book

Mobility and Migrations in the Rural Areas of Mediterranean EU Countries

AbstractThis chapter focuses on the ambivalent nature of contemporary migrations in European rural areas. The growing presence of immigrants in these areas is a direct result of the restructuring of agriculture and global agri-food chains. Evidence indicates that while agricultural work and rural settings are decreasingly attractive to local populations, they represent a favourable environment to international newcomers, due to the higher chances to access livelihood resources. The non-visibility and informality that characterise rural settings and agricultural work arrangements provide on the one side opportunities for employment, while also fostering illegal labour practices and situations of harsh exploitation

The Role of Agriculture in Rural Development in Spain and Italy Within the Framework of the LEADER 2007–2013 Programming Period

The mainstreaming of LEADER in the 2007–2013 programming period opened up the possibility of integrating participative, bottom-up approaches into the range of rural development programmes applied in EU member states. This study of Spain and Italy reveals that in the end this did not happen and in some cases was deliberately avoided. The measures to be applied within regional programming were homogenized through European guidelines and National Strategic Plans, based on the paradigm of modernization and of linear growth rather than on more innovative approaches based on multi-functionality and the circular economy. Significant similarities were detected between the two countries in terms of the widespread use of structural measures while those relating to technical support and training were neglected. We also observed greater diversity between the Italian regions in terms of the measures implemented than in Spain where a more uniform approach was adopted

Territorial Distribution of Projects Within the LEADER Approach (2007–2013) in Extremadura and Andalusia

Libro embargadoThe LEADER initiative has had an undeniable impact on shaping rural development policies across broad areas of Spain. Ever since its launch in 1991, it has been one of the most successful pillars of development intervention in rural areas, especially in more deprived parts of the country such as Andalusia and Extremadura. In this chapter we make a comparative analysis of the programme’s impact over the period 2007–2013, and analyse the levels of investment and of public funding in the different projects and measures. We also assess their spatial distribution in order to draw conclusions as regards the effects of LEADER on each region.This work has been supported by the next research projects: “Successes and failures in the practice of neo-endogenous rural development in the European Union (1991– 2014), RURALWIN” funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness within its Excellence Programme, CSO2017-89657-P; and “Development programmes and rural change in the European Union: governance and lessons to share 2007-13, RURALINNOVADOR” funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness within its Excellence Programme, CSO2014-56 223-P. In addition, the editors would like to show their appreciation to all of the contributing authors and reviewers. The strength of this book lies in the international cooperation and the huge diversity of approaches and interpretations of rural development