LEADER started as a Community lnitiative in the European Union in 1991 and has had positive results in rural development in the EU-15, especially on social capital. lt is important to emphasize that rural development plans must be prepared at the local level, and LEADER funds are available only...

Globalization, climate- and demographic changes, as well as the current global financial crisis, are likely to have a strong influence on the future of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). These processes are closely related to the three dimensions (environment, society and economy) of...

Knowledge flow systems are an essential component of Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS). A traditional view of a knowledge flow system would include research as a source of knowledge, extension and education as knowledge and information channels, and agricultural entrepreneurs...

In the current EU programming period, rural areas in the North Great Plain region of Hungary will benefit from investment through the New Hungary Rural Development Programme (NHRDP) and the North Great Plain Regional Operational Programme (NGPOP). Using keywords from Section 3.1 of Annex II to...

Historically, the economic contribution of rural areas to regions was clear: it was the provider of farm produce and other raw materials such as coal. Rural employment was evidently based on the exploitation of natural capital. More recently this picture has been obscured by several trends such...

The European Union’s cohesion policy and its Structural Funds are key delivery mechanisms to achieve the priorities of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth but there is evidence that rural areas may be receiving an inadequate share of this funding. In the period 2014 to 2020, intermediate...

Family farms are part of the solution for ensuring long-term global food security, rural poverty reduction and environmental sustainability. Hence, promoting innovation in family farming is becoming a priority for politicians and policy makers. However, while family farms everywhere are facing...

Increasing attention is being given to the role of innovation in promoting rural development and sustainable intensification of agriculture. By means of quantitative data and semi-structured interviews with representatives of the main actors in the rural and agricultural innovation chains, this...