Rural Development Policies: Issues, Methods, and Strategies | Collective

The perspective of a new version of the second pillar of the Common Agricultural Policy (for the period 2007-2013) funded by the EAFRD (European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development) and the development of the accompanying French national strategic program bring to the forefront the debate on the purposes and means of rural development. While explaining this policy, this special issue is more broadly dedicated to the theme of rural development and the contributions that research work can provide to understanding their mechanisms, monitoring, and effects. Through the nineteen articles presented, the teams at Cemagref and their partners provide analyses that highlight the challenges faced by rural stakeholders, development processes, public policy levers, and monitoring tools, while also emphasizing the limitations of possible or envisioned interventions.