The Concept of Agricultural District and the Question of Rural Development

The issue of rural development may be considered a crucial theme regarding the development of European Union economy. Rural regions account for the big majority of European Union territory having an unquestionable importance in terms of employment, population as well as regarding their contribution to gross economic value added. Apparently there is a lack of an effective theoretical framework concerning the issue of development for rural regions. Our opinion is based on the fact that all empirical analysis regarding rural regions development seems to put these regions in a secondary peripheral way in terms of development. Based on a broad view of determinant factors for development, using different bodies of knowledge in economics and management theory (like corporate strategy, entrepreneurship, regional and innovation development theories, economics of territory and network theory and partnerships), and inspired in the industrial district theory, this paper attempts to present the concept of agricultural district applied to a specific Portuguese rural region: the Douro. On our view, this new concept will help development politicians to conceive better policies for the taking off of rural regions and so, to oppose to what appears to be a bad destiny fatality for rural and agricultural regions