Pavlos Karanikolas

The Decentralization Process of Rural Development Policy in Greece

This study aims at critically assessing the decentralization process of rural policy-making and delivery in Greece. Drawing upon a case study of the farm modernization scheme, research findings indicate that despite remarkable decentralization efforts, rural development in Greece seems to maintain its primarily state-emanated design and implementation. Long-standing top-down and sectoral orientation in the formulation of this policy still holds. Apart from the redistribution of responsibilities and the multiplication of competent authorities, a genuine delegation of competencies and resources is needed, coupled with a renewed awareness of integrated policies from the actors involved at all administrative levels.

Farm economic sustainability and agrobiodiversity: identifying viable farming alternatives during the economic crisis in Greece

ABSTRACT This study aims to examine the extent to which crop landraces (LRs) can serve as viable alternatives for farming within the ongoing economic crisis, especially for potential young farmers. A conceptual framework based on farm economic sustainability and the diversification strategies of farm-households is applied to four different LRs. Drawing on original data from field surveys, the economic analysis shows that LRs provide various gains for local communities as well as a series of private benefits for the farmers involved in their cultivation. Many of the examined farms are economically sustainable, even with small farm sizes. The integration of LRs into both domestic and export markets and the embeddedness of LRs’ products into the local culture and diet are two critical prerequisites for their on-farm conservation. The examined LRs are low-labour-input crops, obtaining the necessary labour mainly from family members. An LR can be the sole cultivation of a farm, part of mixed farming systems, as well as part of various strategies pursued by farm-households to diversify their sources of income. There is scope for improvement, especially by ensuring the uniqueness of LR products, establishing new marketing channels and creating special brand names. Supportive policy measures are also discussed.

Tracing the Consequences of Economic Crisis in Rural Areas – Evidence from Greece

Rural areas play a vital role in the European Union (EU), as they cover more than 90 percent of the European territory, and host about half of its population and economic activity. Diversity is the main characteristic of rural areas, with both decline and dynamism present. Notwithstanding their diversity, rural areas in the EU share some common characteristics and evolution patterns. There are no significant differences between rural and urban areas, in terms of the age structure of the population, as well as employment/unemployment rates. The income per inhabitant in rural areas is 25-30% lower, coupled with a different social structure. Besides, the economic importance of agriculture in rural areas is declining, while the services sector is continually gaining momentum.

Local Rural Policy Making and Governance

This chapter explores the local rural policy-making process and the changing structures of rural governance, in the context of integrated rural development policy. It is based on the experience of the concurrent implementation of the LEADER+ Community Initiative and an Integrated Rural Development Programme (emanating from Article 33 of the Rural Development Regulations) in a mountainous and disadvantaged area of the Voiotia district in Greece. Despite the broadening of participation in rural policy making, the capacity of local partnerships to effectively integrate the public, private and voluntary sectors, as well as the issue of adequate and effective representation of the local community, remain open to question. Local policy making and governance are subject to external constraints, originating either from the state or regional administration. The unbalanced outcomes of innovative activities in the project area – from a sectoral, spatial and social point of view – raise issues of resource allocation and a widening of inequalities, whereas the effectiveness of partnership in relation to strategic planning is associated with access to power. The pursuit of an integrated rural policy through multiple policy initiatives on a local scale creates a renewed concern for rural policy making adapted to local needs, and for socially representative and inclusive governance structures.