The decline of industry in Southern Africa has prompted James Ferguson to question the bases on which the region's poor may justify claims on resources, if not through their labour. This article builds from Fergsuon's work by looking at the continuing importance of chieftaincy to distributive...

Southern African countries' interest in biofuel is due of its rural development potential. Finding models to optimize this benefit is therefore paramount. High-energy-density crops with low perishability allow farmers to grow small quantities on existing lands. Highly perishable, low-density...

"The goal of this study is to evaluate the fiscal condition of the Brazilian public sector, focusing on the situation of state governments in the North and Northeast regions of the country and on international financing for rural development. The paper comprises six sections, including this...

The persistent agrarian crisis facing sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and the recent food price hikes have provoked greater urgency among governments, civil society actors and development agencies to identify public policies that can accelerate agricultural transformation towards achieving food...

This paper presents research findings on how urbanization enhances productivity and economic growth in both urban and rural sectors. Through agglomeration effects, employment opportunities and income levels can largely increase. In addition, the mechanisms of sharing, matching, and learning are...

The membership in the European Union (EU) created favourable conditions for the implementation of the agri-environmental programme (AEP) in Poland. The AEP is the most important rural development measure in the UE (in terms of financial support). The goal of the paper is to assess the...

The Paper's goal is to assess the most important changes in the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for years 2014-2020 in the context of its potential influence on environmental pressure of agriculture. The final solutions of that policy reform were discussed in relation to main...

This article is an analysis of how the rural area was defined in the Romanian legislation starting with the oldest law in force until last legislative initiatives in the field. The texts of Romanian legal acts were studied comparatively and against the provisions of the European Charter of Rural...

Agricultural consulting is represent a professional counseling and to request involvement. The farmers and people interested in agriculture can consult specialists or authorized organizations to obtain support in actions undertaken, solving problems or achieving goals. Communication is key in...

Economic growth driven by a broad spectrum of factors is essential to long-term, sustainable development. From this perspective the paper approaches the economic growth of rural areas in Romania in light of the Europe 2020 Strategy, in order to identify specific indicators and national targets....

At the present moment in history, humanity is faced with several major challenges, one of them being that of feeding an increasingly populous and urbanised planet. The challenge is even greater as it becomes clearer that it is not just a matter of producing enough fibres and primary products...

This study used a nationally representative survey from the 2012-2013 World Bank's General Household Survey for Nigeria, to examine the relationship between empowerment, measured using a modification of the Alkire et al. (2013) empowerment index, and household dietary diversity, based on the FAO...

In this paper, a binary logistic model was used to analyse the determinants of youth participation in agriculture in the Nkonkobe Municipality in South Africa. A total of 140 youth were purposively selected for the study to complete a survey. The results show that the variables; youth...

Of late, incorporating smallholder land, through partnerships with agribusiness firms that cultivate export crops has received some attention among scholars, policy- makers and non-government organizations (NGOs). Some see such partnerships as a means of raising smallholder incomes, and...

In this paper, a binary logistic model was used to analyse the determinants of youth participation in agriculture in the Nkonkobe Municipality in South Africa. A total of 140 youth were purposively selected for the study to complete a survey. The results show that the variables; youth...

One approach to support a smart rural development is LEADER, which is funded by the European agricultural fund. A general assumption about LEADER-approach is that the implementation of the LEADER-principles (like participation, cooperation, bottom up-orientation) creates an added value because...

The current immigration of refugees leads to a discussion about links between rural development and migration. Some rural regions in Germany formulate the hope that they can benefit from refugee immigration. In these areas, the impacts of aging and population decline with labour and skills...

This study used a nationally representative survey from the 2012-2013 World Bank’s General Household Survey for Nigeria, to examine the relationship between empowerment, measured using a modification of the Alkire et al. (2013) empowerment index, and household dietary diversity, based on the...

This paper presents research findings on how urbanization enhances productivity and economic growth in both urban and rural sectors. Through agglomeration effects, employment opportunities and income levels can largely increase. In addition, the mechanisms of sharing, matching, and learning are...

We develop a new concept of rural technology diffusion influenced by labor mobility and business relations. The technology gain effect of labor mobility increases technology diffusiveness, whereas the technology drain effect decreases it. The concept is applied to survey data from the Mekong...

Between 2000 and 2013, Latin America has considerably reduced poverty (from 46.3% to 29.7% of the population). In this paper, we use synthetic panels to show that, despite progress, the region remains characterized by substantial vulnerability that also affects the rising middle-class. More...

This paper studies the impact of access to electricity via solar-powered home systems (SHSs) in rural communities in Peru. Applying propensity score matching at the community as well as at the household level, the authors find that households with SHSs spend less on traditional sources of...

In an earlier paper we interpreted the resolution of the 2005 WTO dispute on GIs as a stalemate and suggested a shift of the balance of power in favor of the pro-GI coalition. Since then, international negotiations continue to be stalled. The record of GIs as a tool for the promotion of rural...

One of the goals of geographical indications in the EU is to contribute to rural development of remote and less-favoured areas. On the base of a rough estimation of the uptake of geographical indications in mountain and island areas of the EU, it can be concluded that indeed agricultural and...

Although the regional differences of rural economic development can be easily determined, a challenging problem for research studies regarding rural economic development has been the inter-relatedness between different areas, and this challenge has been noted remarkably little in research data...

Romania's rural development and, implicitly, of Maramures county is a sector of significant importance, which has become a priority also for the European Union, particularly since 91% of the European territory is represented by rural areas. In Maramures County, the rural environment is faced...

The new National Rural Development Program 2014 - 2020 puts a far greater emphasis on the Leader measure through greater allocations regarding to funds towards this segment, and better partitioning through submeasures that make up this measure. The level of rural development in Romania is very...

The development of rural areas in Romania is quite low compared with what rural environment means in countries that have benefited from the Rural Development Program since 1991, when the measure started, it was dedicated to member states of the European Union. The problems of required rural...

This paper explores and analyses the Hungarian institutional system for the creation and the transfer of knowledge in the field of agriculture and rural development. We consider the constitution and operation of the Agricultural Knowledge System (AKS) in Hungary, focussing on formal institutions...

This study was prepared by Nadine Fabritz while she was working at the Ifo Institute for Economic Research in the Department for Human Capital and Innovation. It was completed in June 2014 and accepted as a doctoral thesis by the Department of Economics at the University of Munich in October...

Model Forests (MFs) are social and participatory processes aiming at the sustainable development of a territory where the forest plays an important role. Individuals and organizations share knowledge and combine expertise and resources to provide income-generating opportunities, balancing...