Tourism, especially in the European Alps, contributes to rural livelihood and depends on farming to preserve the landscape. The symbiosis is also expected to strengthen community resilience, conceptualized as a combination of economic, social, cultural, political and natural domains. The interplay of these domains may result in path dependencies driven by lock-in effects, beyond which controlled development

The potential of social farming has always been studied from a perspective in which the combination of agricultural production with the provision of welfare services was the predominant feature. Nonetheless, social farming is a tool that can perform other different functions. The article describes the role that social farming plays within a wider strategy for local development in the rural areas of

Financial performance is a key factor in promoting agribusiness development. Studying ways to increase these returns in the agricultural context provides a favorable environment to create solutions to attend the increasing global food consumption. The agribusiness industry has the potential to change this scenario, if farmers are financially sustainable to satisfy the demands with agricultural productivity

The article investigates in empirical detail the air-bound practices, expectations and imaginaries that arise from the development and commercialisation of the first authorised drone system in Europe for the automated application of pesticides, which has been developed and sold and is piloted by a Swiss startup company. Sprayer drones make the air relevant for agricultural practices and processes in

Though obscured by agricultural modernization efforts in the 1950s, peasant and peasant-like farm realities persist. Since the 1990s, Italy, like the rest of Europe, witnessed a wave of re-peasantization—a conceptual framework introduced by rural sociologist Jan Douwe van der Ploeg to mark the emergence of a mode of agriculture that is distinctively more peasant-like. Using a qualitative, field-based

The aim of this article is to analyze the role of consumers of Utopia Basket in the organization of intercultural economic solidarity circuits. Therefore, I aim to consider the experience of Utopia Basket in Ecuador. To gather the data, I conducted ethnographic methods, such as observant participation and in-depth interviews between 2014 and 2016. I argue that Utopia Basket consumers have a different

The budget for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is €365bn (European Commission, 2018) for 2021–2027, with the majority allocated to farmers through direct payments. Given the economic vulnerability of many farm enterprises, and the concern about the sustainability of food supply for a growing worldwide population, these payments are provided to encourage food production. Despite this economic vulnerability

Rapid urbanization has led to the sharp decline of some rural villages. Idle rural residential land (IRRL) is symbolic of rural decline, and the academic community is in urgent need of quantitative studies on the spatial pattern of IRRL from the perspective of geography. Taking Pinggu as a case area, we explored the spatial pattern and layout mode of IRRL and evaluated its utilizability and reuse under

The UK is the largest international market for cider. Around 11 per cent of the UK market is accounted for by ‘craft’ or traditional ciders made by both small scale ‘farm’ and large-scale ‘factory’ producers. Drawing on the worlds of production framework we examine the contrasting perspectives of farm and factory producers on the geographical indication (GI) awarded to Three Counties Cider in 1996

This paper presents a systemic Adaptation Assessment Framework (AAF) conceived to guide agricultural adaptation mainstreaming into broader policy domains, particularly, those related to rural development. Starting from a review of the main phases and linkages within the adaptation process, the AAF is built around key Land Surface Modelling, Multi-Criteria Evaluation and Decision-Making informative

Precision agriculture (PA) is restructuring farmer livelihoods and identities through a panoply of technologies that generate and process big data to influence agricultural practices. In this paper, we ask the question: How does algorithmic rationality impact farmers' trust in PA? We focus on the modalities of power wielded by agritech firms through PA that socially construct a form of moralistic trust

There is a long history of area-based interventions targeted at places seen as being particularly disadvantaged. However, the implementation of such approaches is problematic in rural areas on a number of grounds, including the more dispersed patterns of deprivation and a reliance on high-profile indices of multiple deprivation that are arguably less appropriate in rural contexts. While there is a

This paper explores how dairy farmers attempt to navigate prescribed principles and fixed practices of environmental care in the context of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ) and the EU Water Framework Directive. In contrast to agri-environmental schemes, farm-level compliance with NVZ regulations often involves substantial investment costs for the farmer. Drawing on a case study of Wales, we consider

This paper focuses on an event, the World Alternative Games (WAG), as a site for the development and maintenance of community. The research shows how a rural community uses its own interpretation of space to create new activities, inspire collaborative development and promote tourism within a particular locale. Drawing upon ethnographic research undertaken at the third edition of the WAG in 2016, it

Socio-technical networks in the agricultural sector are complex and are key in technological innovation processes. Some relevant on-farm management decisions depend on a negotiation process involving different factors, some of which include the interplay between farmers and off-farm services. We assessed the role of the relationships between farms and shearing contractors, with respect to the influence

Pressure on farmers to behave more ‘entrepreneurial’ is increasing. Psychological and social science research therefore has examined what characterises farmers identifying as entrepreneurs. A previous study in Finland suggested that farmers' self-identities may conflict with the public paradigm describing farmers as entrepreneurs instead of food providers. Different expectations towards farming may

Adopting necessary climate change adaptation strategies is an important measure to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. In recent years, social capital has provided a new perspective for analyzing the differences of individual behaviors in the process of climate change adaptation. However, the actual role of social capital in adapting to climate change has not been thoroughly explored. In this

The Nepali Government is currently implementing policies for a radical agricultural transformation into large-scale, mechanized, specialized and commercial farming. However, the peasants prioritize diversified subsistence production of resilient and versatile food crops and regard cash crops only as a supplement. Cash cropping represents a potentially profitable income source but involves risk. Complete

Swedish farming fathers are facing new expectations about their level of involvement in their children's upbringing – expectations of their own, but also arising from gender equality policy and shifting societal norms. A gender-neutral parental leave scheme has been in place in Sweden since 1974 and gives parents a generous opportunity to take paid time off work to stay at home with their children

This paper explores the role of place attachment in motivating residents of rural communities to form community land trusts (CLTs). CLTs are non-profit community-led organisations formed and managed by volunteers. Their objectives typically relate to the provision of affordable housing. Using qualitative interview data collected from 8 CLTs in rural England, this paper highlights the ways in which

The impact of navigating one's mental health in a rural community is a unique lived experience because of the many barriers associated with seeking and receiving mental health services. Using arts-based visual ethnography and an analysis of 47 semi-structured interviews, we examine the lived experiences of navigating mental health struggles and healthcare infrastructure in a rural community in the

The welfare of farm animals is increasingly of concern to meat producers as well as consumers and the broader community; however these groups conceptualize animal welfare in different ways, which is likely to present a barrier to effective communication and resolution of conflicts between these groups particularly as livestock producers face increasing scrutiny by community members. Since most research

The debate on smallholder commodification trajectories tends to be polarised between mainstream approaches that advocate tighter integration of smallholders into global value chains, and alternative approaches that favour localised markets on the grounds that these provide greater autonomy over production and marketing, and allow a greater share of value to be realised for producers and the wider community

This article analyses interdependencies in the agri-food system; it focuses on the relationships between agri-supply and agricultural production markets, based on a case study of the emergence and development of an insect market for the protection of crops in the tomato production sector. It mobilizes the sociology of market agencements, thus making it possible to highlight the human and non-human

As the UK leaves the European Union, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which for decades has dictated how and when farming support is delivered, will be replaced with a new UK agricultural policy which will see UK farmers, especially upland livestock farmers, facing a more challenging economic environment and a significant change to the way in which farming support is delivered. This study used

Regions are seen as historically conditioned phenomena, and on different scales, they can serve as spaces for the discursively constructed identities of their inhabitants. Yet, little is known about what happens to these identities in the long-term when an old regional structure is deinstitutionalised and replaced by a new structure. This article aims to fill this gap in the knowledge; by exploring

The mass decline in agricultural labour in Britain since the industrial revolution has, until recently, led to the farm worker being fundamentally overlooked within the agricultural research agenda over the last fifty years, while labour shortages in farming persist at a global scale. Data regarding those who actively work at the ‘frontline’ of agriculture is minimal, as are understandings of the career

With the growth of new collaborative design (co-design) strategies for technology development, and increasing media attention on future automation of the farm, food producers are aware of new robotics on the horizon. This paper will discuss how apple growers are anticipating new robotic technologies intended to use artificial intelligence (AI) to automate aspects of the farm, paying particular attention

This article addresses the kind of agreements and arrangements made between the mayor, as the municipality's political leader, and the community, in order to minimise potential conflicts and preserve social cohesion during and after the closing process of a local primary school. The concept of the “gift”, as conceptualised and discussed by Marcel Mauss serves as theoretical approach to help to better

Definitions and measures of rurality are important to researchers and policymakers as they have implications for policy and practice. By conducting a systematic review, we provide a comprehensive overview of the various ways in which rurality has been defined and operationalized in empirical and quantitative analyses. We describe how descriptive definitions and measures of rurality have changed over

This article adopts the concept of prosumption in order to better understand the array of contemporary food sustainability transition initiatives that often come under the umbrella term of Alternative Food Networks (AFNs). AFNs have developed in parallel to prosumption, which is significant because AFNs are oriented towards localized and direct relationships between producers and consumers, while prosumption

In contemporary Bosnia and Herzegovina, rural poverty is an unresolved issue, despite farming having been a poverty coping strategy for many rural dwellers, especially after the end of the Balkan war. Eradicating poverty is among the priorities of the national government that aims at EU candidacy and accession. Being the most dynamic among agricultural sectors, berry farming is a key agricultural activity

This paper critically analyses and discusses the research gap regarding the current lack of reflection on the importance and potential of applied agricultural research policy for the broader aspects of rural resilience. The basis of the paper is the evaluation and critical reflection of the relevance of applied agricultural research policy to the needs of agricultural practice at the national level

Financial inclusion has been one of the key agendas for poverty reduction in development practices since the mid-2000s. However, informal finance has clearly not been completely replaced by formal finance in the Global South. This study examines labor-tying credit, which is one type of informal finance, and based on a case study in the Delta region of Myanmar, the study explores the reason for which

The depopulation of rural areas in Spain, a phenomenon that has given rise to what is currently known as ‘empty Spain’, has become a serious social problem. The mass exodus of the young to the country's cities poses the main threat to rural sustainability. In this paper, at attempt is made to determine the factors that prompt the young to leave the Celtiberian Highlands, one of the most sparsely populated

Successful sustainable transitions require an understanding of the drivers and resources needed to support the required changes. While the importance of farmers' collectives in these transitions is underlined by various scientific studies and public policies, we lack an overview of how scholars are dealing with this topic. This paper has two main objectives: i) a review of the studies that explore

Based on data drawn from the national section of the EU Farm Accountancy Data Network (FADN) database, the study investigates the efficiency of a panel sample of Italian farms practising other gainful activities. An output-oriented Data Envelopment Analysis is performed for each year from 2012 to 2017. A second step of analysis is carried out by using the Malmquist Index in order to analyse inter-temporal

What happens to rural places when people leave? We propose a research agenda that accounts for the material and immaterial values of depopulating and depopulated places. A three-pronged research framework departing from the notion of place is outlined that focuses on the social and political relations and the natural environment in which vacating places are embedded. We use vignettes of places in Ecuador

While recent scholarship on rural politics in the United States has focused almost exclusively on right-wing populism, capital's power over the land has also spurred nonpartisan resistance. Financialization of forestland ownership in the United States has diversified how companies profit from the land, whether through carbon sequestration, conservation easements, wind tower leases, or mechanized logging

This paper explores the sense of place and belonging among refugees settled in small towns in Denmark and the role local, rural communities can play in encouraging it. The entry point for creating a sense of place and belonging is rooted in their new everyday lives, the extent to which, and in what form, this is linked to the new small town in which they live, and to what factors might inhibit or promote

This study investigates the differences in place identity between residents of rural and urban communities. Differently from previous research comparing place identity between neighborhoods or countries, our study focuses on the local community type (urban or rural) as a key determinant of place identity. This fills a research gap in environmental social psychology, frequently ignoring the role of

The article addresses expanding of global economic systems by studying Sámi strategies addressing Norwegian High Northern Policies (NHNP) launched by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2005. NHNP attracted global economy, labour and knowledge to the Arctic region. The Sámi responding are analysed by using agency theories in economic geography, and contributes to expand the content of agencies

The aim of this special issue is to explore emergent phenomena in the agri-food sector through the lens of prosumption, in order to highlight its heuristic value in identifying new and emerging trends in the field, especially focusing on the interplay between social and economic relations. This introduction explores the theoretical foundations of the notion of prosumption and the linkages with the

The holistic methodology of the article consists of linking spatially differentiated cumulative causality processes and related structural issues in the ‘vicious circle’ of the underutilization of the renewable energy potential of agricultural biomass, with the ‘Gordian knots’ of omissions and errors in public policies. A Gordian knot is a metaphor for a cluster of interdependent, multidimensional

By 2050, the youth population in Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA) is expected to exceed 60%. To contain the ensuing youth bulge, reduce unemployment and ‘flight’ from rural areas, and increase agricultural productivity, countries seek policies to enhance youth engagement in agriculture. However, orthodox assumptions and locally-inappropriate policies keep youth engagement low. We use qualitative enquiry with

This article canvasses the current definitions and framings of “agroforestry” in different academic literature and policies. Three key framings of “agroforestry” are identified in the scholarship and explored for their differences. The findings suggest that the distinct schools of research on “agroforestry” focus on distinct points of departure, and these baseline situations from which transitions

This paper investigates the relationship between rural space and Brexit. It uses the 2016 UK Referendum outcome and the ongoing processes of Brexit as an optic though which to explore the changing configurations of rural communities and the ways in which they both reinforce and problematise the politics and geographies of Brexit. Taking as its starting point the ‘take our country back’ nationalism

The current focus on mangroves as key ecosystems in mitigating the impacts of climate change has largely neglected the livelihoods of coastal dwellers interacting with mangroves. This article provides a review of scholarly and policy attention paid to these social groups and their means of struggle. It argues that the latest dominant governance discourse tying mangroves to blue carbon signifies a departure

Rural communities in the inland areas of Northern Sweden have long suffered from a steady population decline as young people, particularly women, have moved to the growing urban areas for education/employment. However, in recent years, alongside strategies for survival relating to tourism/hospitality industry, refugee reception has emerged as a strategy for survival whereby these rural municipalities

In line with the multifunctional agriculture discourse, care farming is highlighted by governments as a promising service—as an additional source of income for farmers and as a current alternative or supplement to ordinary public care services. Based on the rather modest number of care farming services and their often unstable existence, this paper examines critical aspects of the market relation between

Over the last two decades, many municipalities in Finland have attempted to cut costs by closing small schools. In particular, rural schools with low enrolment have been the target of these savings. The main argument has been that out-migration and depopulation require adjustments to public infrastructure. This continuing tendency has raised many concerns about the effect of school closures on rural

As the use of smartphone technology is becoming increasingly popular in the agricultural context, there is a need to consider how farmers have adapted to this form of technology. The current study examined the factors which influence Irish farmers’ engagement with smartphone use and new smartphone apps and explored the supports required by farmers to successfully engage with smartphone apps for agriculture

The European Union's specific financial subsidies have supported pluriactivity development in farms through agritourism. By allocating specific funds aimed at encouraging farm diversification and increasing farmers' income, the European Union seeks to reduce rural marginalisation due to emigration, which is a central target of the Common Agricultural Policy. Thus, this research aims to quantitatively

Promoting the viability of rural areas is a major objective of the European development and agricultural policies. One of the key aspects for the success of these policies is represented by the possibility to monitor the quality of life in all of its dimensions: social, economic, and environmental. The implementation of tools capable of pointing out the principal criticalities of human satisfaction

The use and promotion of pesticides is on the increase in many sub-Saharan African countries, including in the smallholder sector. This paper stems from placed-based research in Uganda and aims at advancing current knowledge on smallholder farmers' motivations for pesticide use, the extent and character of such use, as well as on lived experiences regarding the impacts of pesticides. Data was generated

Compared to all other branches of Swiss agriculture, milk production has the largest economic significance. The price pressure on Swiss dairy farms is growing even though the market is heavily protected by tariff barriers in relation to Europe and the rest of the world. Against this background, the question arises for dairy farms as to which strategic orientation for their own farm is most profitable

Plantation forestry has economic, social, and ecological potentials, such as the opportunity for jobs, income and economic development, or possible carbon storage and soil protection. However, plantation forestry, if inappropriately managed and spatially integrated, has been shown to raise environmental conflicts with stakeholders in the vicinity of plantations. To avoid and manage such conflicts,

The Duero River borderland between Spain and Portugal is a region marked by historic geographic isolation and more recently by economic marginalization. Acknowledged for not only its biodiversity, the cultural landscape is also distinguished by its archaeological, historic, and ethnographic heritage. Due to massive socioeconomic outmigration and a prevalent cultural disdain for the countryside, there

Tourism is arguably one of the most promising options for economic prosperity in rural areas. Effective strategies aiming at tourism development, however, should be based on a thorough analysis of residents' preferences as well as visitors' expectations and satisfaction. Hence, the aim of this paper is to investigate residents' views on tourism development and the contribution of various productive