The institutional analysis of rural development processes : an interpretation of the writings of Flaminia Ventura

Institutional analysis of rural development (IARD) is characterised by systematic attention given to the institutional dimensions of the rural development process. While different research enquiries have been developed in recent decades, which can be framed by rural development, a systematic understanding of its analytical features, research method and main results has not yet been achieved. This study aims to elaborate on a particular series of studies connecting agricultural economics and rural sociology by categories drawn mainly from new institutional economics. Therefore, the objective is to identify the contribution of this approach to IARD. Two subsequent stages of reflection are identified: the first articulates the analysis of the nexus between the concept of organisation and that of farming style, and the second makes the picture more complex based by connecting the territory, the sociotechnical systems and the organisation effectively and coherently. Finally, this study seeks to delineate possible areas of research that could contribute to advance IARD.