Suchergebnisse

The current discussion regarding the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is challenging due to the varying needs and interests of the old and new member states (NMS) of the European Union (EU). The NMS still display tremendous disparities in most structural and socio-economic indicators compared to the EU15 average, implying that further sectoral restructuring is needed. The Structural Change in Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods (SCARLED) project, which ran from 2007 until 2010, offers rich empirical insights with a specific focus on these processes in the NMS. This policy brief summarises the project's main policyrelevant results. SCARLED offers three key lessons for CAP reform. First, it claims that the current, uniform CAP only partially addresses the needs of NMS. Second, the region's agriculture still requires support to enhance competitiveness, albeit for a limited time. Third, the issue of small, subsistence-based farms in the region needs to be recognised. However, approaches aiming at poverty alleviation in such subsistence-based households, but also in landless rural households, need to look beyond the agricultural sector. The wider rural economy and improving education, as well as rural-urban linkages, need to be included in any povertyrelated policy approach, be it at the national or the EU level.

The contributions in this edited volume constitute the mini-symposium on 'Structural change in Europe's rural regions - Farm livelihoods between subsistence orientation, modernization and non-farm diversification' at the international conference of the International Association of Agricultural Economists (IAAE) on 'The New Landscape of Global Agriculture' in Beijing, China, August 16-22, 2009. Table of contents: Can we really talk about structural change? The issue of small-scale farms in rural Poland; Tomasz Wolek (WUDES) .1-22 The role of farm activities for overcoming rural poverty in Romania; Cosmin Salasan (USAMVB) & Jana Fritzsch (IAMO).23-41 Comparative Analysis of the contribution of subsistence production to household incomes in five EU New Member States: Lessons learnt; Sophia Davidova (UNIKENT), Lena Fredriksson (UNIKENT), Matthew Gorton (UNEW), Plamen Mishev (UNWE) & Dan Petrovici (UNIKENT).43-68 The flexibility of family farms in Poland; Swetlana Renner, Heinrich Hockmann, Agata Pieniadz, & Thomas Glauben (IAMO).69-89 Agriculture and rural structural change: An analysis of the experience of past accessions in selected EU15 regions; Carmen Hubbard & Matthew Gorton (UNEW).91-112 Expanding biogas production in Germany and Hungary: Good prospects for small scale farms?; Lioudmila Möller (IAMO).113-133 Impact of topical policies on the future of small-scale farms in Poland - A multiobjective approach; Stefan Wegener (IAMO), Jana Fritzsch (IAMO), Gertrud Buchenrieder (IAMO), Jarmila Curtiss (IPTS), & Sergio Gomez y Paloma (IPTS).135-160

Abstract
Remittances play an essential role in the interlinkage of migration and development. While past research has focused mainly on the monetary flows and their determinants, this article offers a deeper understanding of remitting as a social practice. Our research contributes to the emerging literature on remittance transfers in several directions. Using a rich ethnographic dataset of an area described as the quintessential land of migration, Opoja in Kosovo, it offers intriguing insights into the reasons and patterns behind remitting or 'remittance scripts'. Our work complements the existing literature with a unique empirical analysis of changing remittance scripts over time and a discussion of the implications of such changes in terms of well-being in a rural context. By applying Carling's concept of scripting remittances, the study makes an important contribution to testing this concept. Our findings exemplify how a conservative rural environment may slow down a shift away from traditional remittance scripts. The analysis revealed how remittances unfold not only positive effects, such as contributing to the village's monetary well-being, but also various adverse effects. We identify a cautious development towards a new and still fragile script system, in which recipients provide social visibility as the core requital to the remittances they receive. Although remittance scripts are doubtlessly region-specific, we believe that our study not only underlines the usefulness of the remittance script concept but is illustrative of phenomena that might be found in many places strongly affected by outmigration and remittance dependency.

AbstractNetworking is an inherent part of the European Union (EU) programme Liaison entre actions de développement de l'économie rurale1 (LEADER): through supporting local partnerships, EU‐wide cooperation and information exchange, LEADER aims at strengthening the socioeconomic development of rural regions and improving local governance. Employing Social Network Analysis, we assess how key LEADER features, such as the bottom‐up and the participatory approach, are implemented in a new EU Member State. Focusing on the relevance of social networks for LEADER in Romania, we find that the complexity of the programme, weak administrative networks, political influence, and heritage of the socialist era inhibit the smooth introduction of the LEADER instrument. Clearly, founding formal partnerships and better governance remain generally challenging. While bottom‐up regional networks can more easily establish social capital, initiatives steered by the communal administration are more competitive in the selection for funding, but tend to neglect participation.

The current discussion regarding the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is challenging due to the varying needs and interests of the old and new member states (NMS) of the European Union (EU). The NMS still display tremendous disparities in most structural and socio-economic indicators compared to the EU15 average, implying that further sectoral restructuring is needed. The Structural Change in Agriculture and Rural Livelihoods (SCARLED) project, which ran from 2007 until 2010, offers rich empirical insights with a specific focus on these processes in the NMS. This policy brief summarises the project's main policyrelevant results. SCARLED offers three key lessons for CAP reform. First, it claims that the current, uniform CAP only partially addresses the needs of NMS. Second, the region's agriculture still requires support to enhance competitiveness, albeit for a limited time. Third, the issue of small, subsistence-based farms in the region needs to be recognised. However, approaches aiming at poverty alleviation in such subsistence-based households, but also in landless rural households, need to look beyond the agricultural sector. The wider rural economy and improving education, as well as rural-urban linkages, need to be included in any povertyrelated policy approach, be it at the national or the EU level.

Table of Contents: Gertrud Buchenrieder and Judith Möllers, The transformation of the rural economy in the new member states of the European Union: Implications for empirical analyses of rural structural change and livelihoods . 1; Luka Juvančič and Tina Jaklič, Recent trends, drivers and impacts of structural change in agriculture . 37; Carmen Hubbard and Matthew Gorton, Lessons from established member states: translating good practices to the new member states . 61; Johan F.M. Swinnen and Kristine Van Herck, A comparative analysis of rural labour markets . 83; Judith Möllers, Gertrud Buchenrieder, Diana Traikova, Thomas Dufhues, Jana Fritzsch, and Cosmin Salasan, Rural livelihoods in transition: structural change beyond agriculture . 109; Sophia Davidova, Lena Fredriksson and Alastair Bailey1,Rural livelihoods in transition: market integration versus subsistence farming . 131; Dominika Milczarek-Andrzejewska, Tomasz Wołek, and Beata Łopaciuk- Gonczaryk, The role of social capital and informal cooperation: market Integration of farms in Poland . 159; Hauke J. Schnicke1, The impact of demographic patterns in Hungarian farm households on structural change . 181; Csaba Csáki and Attila Jámbor, Policy conclusions and recommendations . 211

The well-known EU LEADER programme aims at using the endogenous potential of rural regions and at improving local governance. Especially since the current funding period doubts are rising about whether the programme actually delivers what it promises. Indeed, translating the LEADER approach is a challenge, not only for new EU member states. This paper looks at the case of post-socialist Romania where the programme is implemented for the first time. Our research questions are (a) in how far an endogenous approach can be practically implemented by local initiatives and (b) how the LEADER implementation contributes to the adoption of new modes of governance. We draw on a case study in which a potential Romanian Local Action Group has been externally supported in elaborating a Regional Development Concept. We observed the participatory decision-making process among local actors, which was facilitated by a Multiple Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA). MCDA turned out to be instrumental for integrated planning approaches and transparent decision-making with broad public participation. Our results underline that endogenous development and new modes of governance are hampered by provisions of superior administrative bodies due to inadequate translation of the policy instrument's intervention logic. Reviewing European and national LEADER guidelines seems important for better using the endogenous regional potential and reaching higher positive impact on local governance structures. ; Dieser Beitrag ist mit Zustimmung des Rechteinhabers aufgrund einer (DFG-geförderten) Allianz- bzw. Nationallizenz frei zugänglich / This publication is with permission of the rights owner freely accessible due to an Alliance licence and a national licence (funded by the DFG, German Research Foundation) respectively.

This paper examines the relevance of networking as an instrument for implementing European rural development policies. The LEADER programme of the European Union (EU) supports partnerships and networking within and between rural regions in the EU and aims at advancing rural, regional socio-economic development. LEADER and the establishment of the European and National Networks for Rural Development, respectively, are discussed using the example of the case of Romania, where these measures are currently implemented. The discussion is primarily based on results of 2008 surveys among various stakeholders involved in LEADER in Romania, Hungary and Germany. We conclude that networking is a key factor for successfully implementing rural development policies. This is due to benefits resulting from the exchange of experiences or partnerships, but also due to social control - a hidden effect of networking. ; Dieser Beitrag befasst sich mit der Bedeutung von Netzwerken als Instrument zur Umsetzung der europäischen Politik zur Entwicklung des Ländlichen Raums. Durch das EU-Programm LEADER werden Partnerschaften und Netzwerkaktivitäten in und zwischen ländlichen Regionen unterstützt mit dem Ziel einer Förderung ihrer sozioökonomischen Entwicklung. LEADER sowie der Aufbau des Europäischen und des Nationalen Netzwerks für den Ländlichen Raum werden im Hinblick auf die Situation in Rumänien diskutiert, wo derzeit diese Maßnahmen eingeführt werden. Der Beitrag stützt sich vor allem auf Ergebnisse von im Jahr 2008 durchgeführten Umfragen unter am LEADER Programm beteiligten Personen in Rumänien, Ungarn und Deutschland. Es zeigt sich, dass Netzwerke ein Schlüsselfaktor für die Implementierung ländlicher Entwicklungspolitik sind. Es spielt dabei nicht nur der erwartete Nutzen durch Erfahrungsaustausch und Partnerschaften eine Rolle, sondern auch soziale Kontrolle, welche als verdeckter Effekt von Netzwerken zu sehen ist.