The role of multi-actor governance in aligning farm modernization and sustainable rural development

Rural Prosperity for Development : understandings, Determinants and Strategies Derived from Case Studies in Seven Countries

“…This core motivation might be to safeguard local knowledge and traditions, to conserve landscapes which society holds dear, to ensure the livelihoods of rural populations, to protect the ecosystems in which rural communities live, or a combination of these. That conflicting goals can be resolved and that strategies are more likely to succeed through a concerted effort, co-ordinated by formal and/or informal networks was shown by Koopmans et al (2016). Building resilience in rural regions where agriculture still is a central economic activity requires an understanding of the synergies or contradictions created by agricultural support schemes and regional development strategies (Calvão Chebach et al, 2016).…”

“…New approaches to governance are needed in order to harmonise agricultural and rural development Koopmans et al (2016) addresses these questions which we look at in turn.…”

“…They covered a wide range: from very small farms to producer cooperatives, peri-urban agriculture and bio-regions. Koopmans et al (2016) sum up their analysis by emphasising that governance systems that engage in multi-actor cooperation are helping to foster a departure from purely economic and purely sectoral approaches. Their analysis shows that well-managed processes of multi-actor involvement can capture the diverse -and sometimes conflicting -interests around regional development, allowing participants to identify and align behind common longterm goals, and to resolve conflicts.…”

“…Capacity building among local government and stakeholders needs to be more closely coordinated with other kinds of support. In this context, Koopmans et al (2016) refer to the collective environmental goals in the Danish case, and the joint achievement of socio-economic goals in the Spanish farm cooperative. In the literature, this is termed 'civic agency'.…”

“…In the RETHINK cases, this civic agency helped famers to link up to broader strategic agendas, such as producing public goods. Cairol et al (2009) and Koopmans et al (2016) stress that strategies with a territorial focus help to better orchestrate the governance of agriculture and rural development. Even within these, however, there is still a need to better integrate policy frameworks across levels and sectors.…”