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Territorial Impact Analysis of Rural Policies: Approaches, Methods and Results from a Multidisciplinary Point of View

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A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Urban Contexts and Urban-Rural Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 10658

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Francesco Mantino

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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

Dr. Jane Atterton

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Guest Editor

Rural Policy Centre, SRUC (Scotland's Rural College), Kings Buildings, Edinburgh EH9 3JG, UK
Interests: rural development; rural communities; rural businesses; rural policies and the policy-making process

Enrique Nieto

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Guest Editor Assistant

Policy Unit, AEIDL (European Association for Innovation in Local Development), 1040 Brussels, Belgium
Interests: territorial and rural development; as Head of Unit in AEIDL, Enrique coordinates the policy direction of the thematic strands of the organisation, supports business development actions and contributes to the implementation of EU-funded projects (e.g. Horizon Europe) and technical assistance to European Institutions

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Rural areas have experienced important changes in recent decades, which in many cases are leading to deeper disparities with urban areas and even greater diversity within the broad range of “rural” categories. Socio-economic development processes, demographic dynamics and climate/environmental changes have increasingly diversified the geography of sustainable development. These differentiated processes have increased the need for policies and policy instruments that are more targeted to geographical differences, in order to reduce territorial disparities between the most remote rural areas and those that are more accessible. At the same time, the exploration of the territorial impacts of policies has gained increasing interest in formal policy assessment and evaluation research. Since the late 1990s, the OECD has promoted the evaluation of territorial policies. The European Union recently promoted the adoption of formal rural proofing processes in order to ensure the sufficient provision of support to rural areas experiencing socio-economic and demographic decline and to promote rural revitalisation.

This Special Issue is particularly focused on the following themes, all of which are related to exploring the appropriateness of different policy mechanisms in support of rural areas:

What are the main methods and tools of territorial assessment within the broader range of policies addressed to rural areas?
What are the most frequently used indicators 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? Are these indicators useful to inform policy assessment?
What are the experiences of different countries in evaluating different policy mechanisms in support of their rural areas (including rural proofing, territorial impact assessment, etc.)?
What evidence exists about the territorial effects of previous rural policies in differentiated socio-cultural contexts?
Which policies and policy instruments are the most appropriate for targeting the needs of the poorest rural areas and/or hard-to-reach rural stakeholders?

Research papers providing empirical pieces of evidence on these phenomena and comparing different case studies and territorial contexts are highly encouraged. Reviews of literature on territorial impacts are also very welcome. The final aim of this Special Issue is to provide a broad panorama of the variety of solutions and experiences on rural policies worldwide in order to inform future interventions in support of rural revitalisation.

Dr. Francesco Mantino
Dr. Jane Atterton
Guest Editors

Enrique Nieto
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

rural development and regional policies for rural areas
rural proofing
socio-economic and climate-environmental indicators of rural development
institutional innovations in rural policies
impact assessment
distribution of policy support among rural areas
territorial disparities between rural and urban areas, analysis of the evolution over time
econometric models for impact evaluation
community-led local development partnerships

Published Papers (7 papers)

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31 pages, 3684 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable Land Governance for Water–Energy–Food Systems: A Framework for Rural and Peri-Urban Revitalisation

by Pamela Durán-Díaz

Land 2023, 12(10), 1828; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101828 - 25 Sep 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1568

Abstract

This research paper addresses the need for an adaptable theoretical framework in the context of sustainable land governance for Water–Energy–Food (WEF) systems, bridging the gap between international guidelines and contextual realities. The novel framework is useful to effectively tackle the intricate challenges of rural and peri-urban revitalisation in the Global South by providing a holistic approach that considers the multi-dimensional interactions of land with water, energy, and food systems. The proposed framework encompasses three main objectives: (1) a top-down approach involving policy review and legal framework analysis to contextualise and inform the decision-making process; (2) a bottom-up approach based on case studies, enabling ground-level insights, stakeholder identification, and participatory mapping to empower rural and peri-urban communities; (3) a geospatial approach utilizing GIS and spatial analysis to study the implications of land within WEF systems. Drawing on mixed methods, including a literature review, a policy review, interviews, surveys, focus group discussions, and participatory action research grounded on case studies, this research emphasises the need to integrate both top-down and bottom-up approaches for comprehensive sustainable land governance. Over the course of 2018 to 2023, 22 master’s theses were supervised, each addressing the framework’s research objectives in 14 countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. Sixteen capacity building workshops in 11 countries engaged 851 participants, fostering knowledge exchange; 6 participatory action research (PAR) projects involved the installation of projects to advance food sovereignty in small communities in the Global South, following needs assessments. We showcase in this paper the PAR successfully implemented in Gitaraga, Rwanda, to validate the practical application of the proposed framework. The methodology has been useful for determining transversality, sustainability, inclusivity, adaptability, evidence-based decision-making, and policy integration as the core principles of sustainable land governance for WEF systems. The research contributes valuable insights to inform future interventions and policies that promote rural and peri-urban revitalization while addressing the ever-evolving challenges of WEF systems in the Global South. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Territorial Impact Analysis of Rural Policies: Approaches, Methods and Results from a Multidisciplinary Point of View)

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24 pages, 3655 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Impact Assessment of GHG Taxation on Emilia-Romagna Dairy Farms through an Agent-Based Model Based on PMP

by Lisa Baldi, Filippo Arfini, Sara Calzolai and Michele Donati

Land 2023, 12(7), 1409; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071409 - 13 Jul 2023

Viewed by 961

Abstract

The aim of this work is to assess the structural, production, environmental, and economic impact of an increasing tax on climate change gas emissions related to milk production under the current CAP payment system. The analysis is performed using an Agent-Based Model (ABM) based on Positive Mathematical Programming (PMP). The integration between ABM and PMP makes it possible to simulate farmers’ strategies considering the interaction between them, the territorial specificity, and the heterogeneity of farms in the presence of little information on production costs. It also makes it possible to add a social and cultural perspective to the economic factors. The model is calibrated using FADN data for the Emilia-Romagna region (Italy) from the year 2020. The results show that farmers belonging to different age groups make decisions based on economic profitability, but also on their social and cultural background. To maximise their utility functions, farmers can opt for more efficient agricultural management practices that may result in the exchange of production factors, especially land. The overall impact penalises less efficient farms and agricultural production with higher negative externalities. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Territorial Impact Analysis of Rural Policies: Approaches, Methods and Results from a Multidisciplinary Point of View)

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30 pages, 12116 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Measuring Access to Services of General Interest as a Diagnostic Tool to Identify Well-Being Disparities between Rural Areas in Europe

by Mar Ortega-Reig, Carsten Schürmann, Adrian Ferrandis Martínez and Andrew Copus

Land 2023, 12(5), 1049; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12051049 - 11 May 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1407

Abstract

The gradual reorientation of rural policy paradigms away from competitiveness and economic growth and towards well-being and sustainability creates a need for more appropriate diagnostic tools to assess disparities and policy outcomes. One of the most cited determinants of rural well-being is access to Services of General Interest. Areas with relatively poor access to services can be described as “inner peripheries”, and peripherisation literature provides helpful insights into the challenges faced and policy needs. This paper presents a methodology for modelling and mapping access to a suite of ten key services, covering all of Europe at a 2.5 km grid square level. The approach is intrinsically relative, comparing the travel time to services from each grid square with the average for surrounding regions. Maps are provided for 2017 and 2021, and changes between these dates are described. ‘Inner peripheries’ are found in every country, their configuration being influenced not only by geographical features, but also by service delivery practices. Further analysis explores patterns of risk, identifying areas in which service provision is in a precarious position. The results presented are rich in practical policy implications, not least the suggestion that, in terms of patterns of well-being, local roads are at least as important as trunk infrastructure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Territorial Impact Analysis of Rural Policies: Approaches, Methods and Results from a Multidisciplinary Point of View)

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28 pages, 3327 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Diagnosis of Rural Development Processes Based on the Stock of Social Capital and Social Networks: Approach from E-I Index

by J. Javier Serrano and Javier Esparcia

Land 2023, 12(4), 850; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040850 - 08 Apr 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1442 | Correction

Abstract

Europe’s rural areas have suffered a continuous loss of human and economic capital from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. In an attempt to alleviate the effects of this dynamic, the European Union has implemented the LEADER rural development programme since the 1990s (Liaisons Entre Actions de Développement de L’Economie Rurale). Among the many objectives of this policy, the social articulation of its populations stood out as a way of strengthening development processes. This article aims to provide a methodological approach to analyse and quantify the stock of social capital (SC) present in the social networks of rural areas after more than thirty years of European rural policy. Based on 160 interviews with stakeholders linked to rural development processes in rural areas of Spain and England from institutional, economic, social and technical sectors. The methodological approach of Social Network Analysis (SNA) has been used, and within this, the study of SNA indicators and the analysis of the E-I index have been integrated in order to analyse the stock of internal (bonding) and external (bridging) SC. The conclusions of this study clarify the role of stakeholders and their contribution to the stock of SC. The studied rural areas present a balance in internal and external relations, which shows a high stock of SC and an encouraging scenario for the development processes and, thus, for the success of the LEADER programme. Nevertheless, the participation of the actors in the LEADER programme in Spain still shows a worrying project class. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Territorial Impact Analysis of Rural Policies: Approaches, Methods and Results from a Multidisciplinary Point of View)

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22 pages, 10169 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Rural Entrepreneurship Development in Southwest China: A Spatiotemporal Analysis

by Haoying Li, Jonas Østergaard Nielsen and Rui Chen

Land 2023, 12(4), 761; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040761 - 28 Mar 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1981

Abstract

Rural entrepreneurship has been seen by the central government of China as a key means to rural vitalization. However, research focus on the long-term developmental status of rural entrepreneurship at local scale has been limited. According to industry types of differentiation, this research describes rural enterprises registered in the administrative area of Mianyang, southwest China, from 2011 to 2020. The spatial-temporal distribution rule of rural entrepreneurship is explored via a quantitative approach focused on spatial analysis and correlation analysis, as well as the application of geocoding on web data. How contexts such as the natural base, socio-economic condition, and institutional arrangements impact this distribution are empirically explored and discussed. The paper adds spatial-temporal insights into the role of the context of rural entrepreneurship. In particular, the paper highlights that rural entrepreneurship is a process potentially best explored at the regional scale and that physical condition and institutional support play central roles in rural entrepreneurship in southwest China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Territorial Impact Analysis of Rural Policies: Approaches, Methods and Results from a Multidisciplinary Point of View)

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20 pages, 2635 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Analysing the Policy Delivery System and Effects on Territorial Disparities in Italy: The Mechanisms of Territorial Targeting in the EU Rural Development Programmes 2014–2020

by Francesco Mantino, Giovanna De Fano and Gianluca Asaro

Land 2022, 11(11), 1883; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11111883 - 23 Oct 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1489

Abstract

This study aims to answer the following research questions: (a) to what extent do EU rural development supports for investments address territorial differences of rural areas, especially concerning the differences between rich and intensive areas, on one hand, and marginal and peripheral rural areas on the other hand; (b) how does present governance and the delivery system of measures supporting rural investments contribute to the financial support of marginal and peripheral rural areas? To respond to these questions, the research examined 747 calls for tender in all Italian regions related to 16 types of investment measures and a global amount of EUR 67 billion Euros and 49,410 representative projects approved in 17 Italian regions during the period 2014–2020. Delivery mechanisms included the rules that have been set up to define recipient eligibility and selection criteria of the rural development programmes. The distributive effects of RDP investment support measures appear evidently uneven, especially in agricultural and agro-industrial competitiveness measures, which are mainly allocated in already dynamic and strongly competitive areas. Delivery mechanisms boost disparities when funds are allocated through the “open competition” approach. Instead, the modulation of territorial criteria in the implementation phase can provide effective results in terms of reducing disparities in fund allocation and outreaching the most lagging areas. There are two main novelties of this research: (a) the analysis of territorial criteria in the calls for tenders for investment support, and (b) the effects of these criteria on expenditure distribution at the municipal level (LAU2 in the EU nomenclature). This study has been carried out outside the formal methodological approaches promoted by the European Commission for RDP evaluation and might be considered a complementary approach to evaluation reporting activity. This study might provide two significant contributions to the debate on rural areas. First, a “combined” approach to the definition of rurality (mixing “structural” and “locational” approaches) might provide a better analytical framework in line with the evolution of the literature on rurality. Second, the delivery systems that put more emphasis on territorial targets, as they were presented in this study, might be an essential component of a place-based policy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Territorial Impact Analysis of Rural Policies: Approaches, Methods and Results from a Multidisciplinary Point of View)

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