Rural development: new activities and new relationships Paola Scarpellini

Structure of Presentation Introduction and general features Transition to new rural context (new activities and new relationships) Globalization and... which development for rural-local areas? Social aspects and community Some conclusions

Objectives Understand differences between rural and social development processes Comprehension of participatory process; different ways to understand rural space

Why be afraid of the situation of rural areas? Cultural environment Contribution to quality of life Contribution to quality of life Relationships between rural areas and urban areas Relationships between rural areas and urban areas

Not agriculture Agriculture UrbanRural Agrobusiness Agr. familiar Neorural New relationships and activities in rural areas

Quality of life: to live good in rural context Rural Areas Sensibility for rural areas Social cohesion and services Innovative capacity Economic development Policies Rural development, social development, multifunctionality Programmes and activities Governance, cooperation, responsibility of decisions

Evolution of economic-rural studies Relationship between agriculture and economic development From poverty of physical resources (marginal lands)  To economic marginality of areas and farms  To the local value system in order to understand marginality  To resistance factors to marginality  To the agriculture-industries integration in territorial systems  To success paths and revitalization of rural areas  To rural development, multifunctionality and employment

Loss of importance of agriculture Contribution to Gross Domestic Product Employment generation Utilization of space Processes of economic and social cohesion Connection between human beings and land

Erosion of CAP legitimacy Principle of productivist agriculture and insecurity of food production Intensification Environmental degradation Negative externalities Inappropriate use of resources such as land, water Low quality production Food crisis and food safety as a priority

Erosion of CAP legitimacy Decrease in employment and structural dualism High unemployment rates Labor-intensive farming practices realized by immigrants Competitive farms / Non-competitive farms Agricultural production / social and environmental functions

Transition in rural areas To search possible paths of coherence Globalization and locality Organization of role - state and local administration Cultural and no-material economy of rural areas Erosion of social resources and welfare system in rural areas New interest in community Identity crisis of agriculture Definition of new “agreements” between agriculture and society

Some background elements of agriculture and rural areas ModernizationDiversification Reflection Current role for agriculture in the economic system: - New demand and offer of rurality - New paradigm of multifunctionality - Territorial approach - Bottom-up approach - Sustainability and valorization of rural culture - Creation of new opportunities for work and of new economic opportunities in the local system (culture, landscape, no farm activities - time free) - Good relational production in local system and in national economies - Social capital

There is a new interest in Rural Areas Importance of relationships; Social values in social space For ▫ Agricultural products ▫ Traditional products ▫ Organic production ▫ Rural culture ▫ Landscape ▫ People ▫ Way of life

Idea of change in an economic and social context - more than a simple quantitative accumulation of resources Concept of development Privileged: areas able to incorporate human capital and network of relationships useful to use and to have access to flow of information and communication From uni-linear model of development to the role of local culture in economies and endogenous local models

Research into new ways of development Social and cultural capital Collective action Empowerment process Participation Network Dynamics of development Social space, interactive and communicative

Planning Reflection about actual situation Which development? Lever for development Development of communication and participation Capacity to mobilize resources and to develop capacities that are used poorly New activities, new development strategies in social and economic values Network of support for agriculture development (organization) Community development

Space dimension Economic dimension Social dimension Spacial dimension Production Commercialization Identity construction Cultural, symbolism and affective aspects Land division Infrastructure, houses, common spaces Organization Relationships, strategies, actions

“…land is not only land…” Values and relationships Construction of social common identity Participatory processes to join actions Individuality and collectivity  interactions Social space : symbols, individual and collective identity, integration, connection Space is a variable related to various dimensions of social life, organized in connections and nets  source of integration Social space has symbols and meanings that contain individual and collective identity

Rural community New interest by consumers, local populations, and public administration Economic valorisation of rurality Communities try to promote development activities New strategies for adaptation to global change Identity and rural values

4 objectives for rural space To create employment and value To create employment and value To respond to real problems To respond to real problems To assure the existence of rural community life To assure the existence of rural community life To increase the interest and the importance of rural context To increase the interest and the importance of rural context Know rural development Farm is related to territory in economic, social and environmental sense Production is not the only objective for farms

“Emphasize” rural resources Life times Welcoming Relations/ opportunities Space Specific services to support local actors: elderly people, young, disabled, etc. Specific services to support local actors: elderly people, young, disabled, etc. Integration of subjects with “low power” Integration of subjects with “low power” Entry-level work Entry-level work Training Training Resources of community to create new capabilities and relationships Resources of community to create new capabilities and relationships Welfare local system

Agriculture: old relationships inside national society Mass consumption Concentration Welfare system CAP Mass food production Urban context Rural context National community modernisation Technology and efficiency Civic society Re-organisation incomepopulation Public services production Fragmentation of local communities Exogenous development Source: Di Iacovo, 2005

”local historical background” Authenticity means an active rural community ”change in local values and tacit knowledge” “interactions with external people” external people” “interactions among local people” “normsrules criteria” criteria” Source: Di Iacovo, 2005

”re-define old networks in a new way” Working on social resources “welfare community, “welfare community, governance” governance” “benchmarking with other areas and people ” “improve social inclusion in rural areas” “rural-rural and rural- urban dialogue” “inter-generations and inter-sectorial dialogue” Source: Di Iacovo, 2005

Critical changes in rural areas Counter-urbanization tendencies New values for rurality New development opportunities Changing points Low density in population Sparse settlement Transport and roads difficulties Structural critical points Aging and depopulation Weakness in traditional selfhelp Weakness in caring services networks Polarization among principal local centers and the rest of the territory Dynamical critical points Source: Di Iacovo, 2005 Some evidences

New relationships inside local system New trends in the relationship between farmers and local communities New rural demand Nostalgia and needs for identity Relational goodsPositional goods Urban population Rural population New rural offer Nostalgia, rooths identity, economic opportunities Competitiveness and market value in life styles Nostalgia from nostos=back at home algos hilness Local community Products and services segmentation, conflicts Time, space, dialogue, reciprocity Cultural artifact Autenticity New coherence among needs, sources and capabilities Neo-endogenous development Source: Di Iacovo, 2005

Levels involved in rural development 1. Global level: global interrelations between agriculture and society. It is also related to a general restructuring of the economy Rural development is a multilevel process 2. RD means a new development model for agricultural sector 3. RD can be operationalized at individual farm household 4. RD defined at level of countryside and its (economic) players 5. Policies and institutions Multilevel Multiplayer Multifaceted

We have to ask …some conclusions… 1. Which are the main elements of change able to influence in this moment the evolution of production and social system in rural areas? - main trends in rural areas (economic and social factors) - institutional level (agricultural and social policies) - organize factors: participatory praxis? - technical factors (research of coherent solutions)

2. Which are the elements that assure more coherence in production system and in social services in rural context? - Possible solutions in order to generate innovation in organization of services 3. Which are the actions that can facilitate and which are the actions that put restrictions? (in order to create coherent social and rural system with population needs) 4. Which way organize, normative and politics solutions can promote a better solution to needs in rural areas?

Thank you