RUFUS

Rural Future Networks

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'As the objectives of the CAP shift from an agricultural-centred approach to wider rural development, the idea of multifunctionality of rural areas comes into play. This in turn brings the CAP into closer association with a wide range of sectoral policy regimes: regional policy, spatial planning, environmental management; social, energy policy, and others. Sectoral regimes interact in complex ways, and with a determining effect on the sustainable development of rural areas. RUFUS will provide policy makers and stakeholders with better theoretical and practical understandings of how CAP measures interact with other forms of public intervention in rural development; and how policy regimes can be combined to ensure more sustainable development. RUFUS will investigate how rural development policy can be targeted at the specific endogenous potential of rural regions to encourage multiple functionality which goes beyond physical landscape potentials to include social and economic activities and opportunities. An interdisciplinary methodology will build into the analysis a qualitative analysis of the social dimension and endogenous potentials, alongside economic and ecological variables. RUFUS will establish a transdisciplinary conceptual framework on policy integration and rural multifunctionality. It will create a rural typology incorporating social aspects and endogenous potentials. Scenarios of rural futures - the trajectory of policy interaction processes - will be generated. These quantitative findings will be ‘tested’ against the reality of stakeholder experiences of regional development dynamics through case studies using visualisation techniques. The relevance of the findings for other regions will be examined with the help of an expert panel. Special emphasis is given to combining findings with other research, setting them in the context of political goals and policy problems, and transposing them into practical and meaningful recommendations for action.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

More coordinated policymaking combined with knowledge exchange among outlying regions and innovative policy tools will help upgrade development and agricultural activity in rural areas.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

The EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is increasingly focusing on rural development, involving a host of complementary and sometimes contradictory policies that come into play. The EU-funded project 'Rural future networks' (RUFUS) investigated the many aspects of rural areas and the relevant policy combinations that are meant to reinforce rural development.

Project members identified policy impact weaknesses due to lack of coordination, studying key issues such as multifunctional potential or diversification, endogenous potential or territorial capital, and territorial impacts of policy. They examined mechanisms to improve policies through more integrated approaches, and provided tools to better design policies based on the diversity and challenges of rural regions.

This led to a successful cluster analysis of regional economic, ecological and social characteristics, highlighting comparative advantages of regions and mapping future rural development. It also led to a clear classification of rural areas in Europe, as well as a clearer picture of pressures and potential developments for rural areas.

In this context, RUFUS outlined policy recommendations for a joint strategy regarding the funding of coordination and the synchronisation of policies. The recommendations also addressed the implementation of integrated policy approaches as well as facilitation of financial planning for regional budgets and funds. Another important achievement involved support for the local level, exploiting the diversity of regions and enhancing knowledge transfer among them.

Intensive dissemination of the project results, from conferences and workshops to published papers and case studies, helped inform academic stakeholders and policymakers of the latest findings in the field. Such valuable information could have a significant impact on policymakers to develop better policies in order to upgrade rural development and agriculture. This welcome initiative, based on encouraging the emergence of rural networks through enhanced policymaking, is poised to breathe new life into Europe's rural areas.