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Economic, Social and Demographic Challenges of Rural Areas: Contributions From...
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Economic, Social and Demographic Challenges of Rural Areas: Contributions From the Analysis of the Economic Activity Location and the Study of Depopulation

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 March 2022) | Viewed by 56401

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Francisco Manuel Parejo-Moruno

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Guest Editor
Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Extremadura, 06071 Badajoz, Spain
Interests: economic history; forest; forest history; cork business
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Antonio Miguel Linares Luján

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Extremadura, 06071 Badajoz, Spain
Interests: economic history; forest; forest history; Mediterranean forest
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. José Francisco Rangel Preciado

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Economics, Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Extremadura, 06071 Badajoz, Spain
Interests: economic history; cork business; regional economics; history of economic thought
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Esteban Cruz Hidalgo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Economics, University of Extremadura, 10004 Cáceres, Spain
Interests: regional economy; rural development; development economics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Research on rural development has grown exponentially in recent decades, being one of the most notorious fields in regional science addressed by economists, geographers, demographers and even political scientists. At the same time, depopulation studies have undergone a similar evolution, this being a phenomenon with negative consequences not only in the economic sphere, but also in the social and political sphere, given its importance for the future and survival of the rural environment. In this sense, this Special Issue will explore the link between geography, demography and the economy as a key point in the search for solutions to the challenges faced by the rural world in the next few years. From a general perspective, this Special Issue is open to the presentation of theoretical and / or applied papers, with the goal of bringing together quality works on new forms for promoting rural development, industrialization and outsourcing of rural environments, effects of economic development on rural depopulation, and even institutional aspects that can affect the different dimensions of depopulation. Specifically, the following topics are welcome:

  • Research that addresses, from a theoretical point of view, the specificities of business agglomerations in rural areas, their different types, configuration and operation, as well as their competitive implications for the companies that comprise them.
  • Studies that empirically study specific rural productive systems that base their competitive advantage on agglomeration economies, especially if they affect business cooperation, product and process innovation linked to this cooperation, and internationalization.
  • Works that, focusing on key issues such as innovation, competitiveness and internationalization, constitute a relevant contribution to regional economic and social analysis and, by extension, to its contribution to rural development.
  • Cross-sectional studies that show the relevance of rural development, whether they are approached from an economic, geographical, demographical, social or political perspective.
  • Studies that, with a historical perspective, analyze development in global sense and its links to the challenges faced by the rural world, either generically or through the study of specific cases.
  • Works that address any of the lines previously expressed, or others related to them, with a comparative perspective, either intersectoral or interterritorial.

Dr. Francisco Manuel Parejo-Moruno
Dr. Antonio Miguel Linares Luján
Dr. José Francisco Rangel Preciado
Dr. Esteban Cruz Hidalgo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Land is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Rural development
  • Depopulation
  • Rural world challenges
  • Institutional aspects affecting to the rural development
  • Rural and regional policies
  • Local productive systems in rural areas
  • Demographycal issues on rural world studies
  • Geoographycal issues on rural world studies
  • Social issues on rural world studies

Published Papers (17 papers)

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Research

29 pages, 1005 KiB  
Article
How Has the COVID-19 Pandemic Affected the Different Branches of the Agri-Food Industry in Extremadura (Spain)?
by Celia Sama-Berrocal and Beatriz Corchuelo Martínez-Azúa
Land 2022, 11(6), 938; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11060938 - 18 Jun 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2523
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the world economy since 2020. This study analyzed the impact of the pandemic on innovative agri-food companies from different branches of agro-industrial activity located in Extremadura (Spain). The main aim of this study was [...] Read more.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the world economy since 2020. This study analyzed the impact of the pandemic on innovative agri-food companies from different branches of agro-industrial activity located in Extremadura (Spain). The main aim of this study was to determine which activities have been most affected. Differences between actions and changes made depending on the nature of the product, process, or services were also evaluated. The information was obtained from an online questionnaire in which the research questions were posed (what consequences, actions, or changes has the pandemic had on the development of firms’ activities?). Data were analyzed descriptively, and a statistical study was conducted on the existence or absence of independence between effects and actions based on the branches of activity of agri-food industries. The main results showed that companies’ financial (decrease in turnover and reduction/displacement of product demand) and operational functioning (difficulty in marketing activities and standstill/decline in the fiscal year) has mainly been affected. In response, innovative agro-industries have acted regarding their processes (increased ICT use and new marketing strategies) and procedures (implementation of stricter hygienic-sanitary protocols and reorganization of activities and personnel) to deal with the negative effects on their activities. In general, all agro-industrial branches have incorporated changes in their products and services, mainly by providing new and better customer benefits, and improving product formats and forms of payment to suppliers. These findings provide information for the regional public administration in the development of initiatives that mitigate the negative effects of the pandemic and favor the implementation of actions that help the adaptation of agro-industrial activities. Agricultural policies should incorporate specialized measures to ensure the global sustainability of the food and agriculture system and the supply and production. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic, Social and Demographic Challenges of Rural Areas: Contributions From the Analysis of the Economic Activity Location and the Study of Depopulation)
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19 pages, 1047 KiB  
Article
How Does Land Rental Affect Agricultural Labor Productivity? An Empirical Study in Rural China
by Lijing Zhang, Mingyong Hong, Xiaolin Guo and Wenrong Qian
Land 2022, 11(5), 653; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11050653 - 28 Apr 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2657
Abstract
Due to the striking gap in agricultural labor productivity (ALP) between China and developed countries, improving agricultural labor productivity is critically important. This study investigates the effect of land rental on agricultural labor productivity from two levels including household agricultural labor productivity and [...] Read more.
Due to the striking gap in agricultural labor productivity (ALP) between China and developed countries, improving agricultural labor productivity is critically important. This study investigates the effect of land rental on agricultural labor productivity from two levels including household agricultural labor productivity and aggregated village-level agricultural labor productivity by employing propensity matching methods and instrumental variables method. Mediation analysis is also applied to explore the influencing mechanism and underlying paths for household agricultural labor productivity improvement. The results analyses based on the nation-wide data sets in 2017 reveal that renting-in land has a significant positive impact on promoting household agricultural labor productivity and renting-out land has significant opposite effects. The mediation analysis indicates that renting-in land affects household ALP indirectly through the land-labor ratio, intermediate inputs, and agricultural assets investment. Moreover, from the village perspective, we further found that the development of the land rental market positively affects the improvement of aggregated agricultural labor productivity of the village. Land rental is an effective channel to stimulate land transferred from lower agricultural labor productivity to higher ones and then promote the resource allocation within the village. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic, Social and Demographic Challenges of Rural Areas: Contributions From the Analysis of the Economic Activity Location and the Study of Depopulation)
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24 pages, 9403 KiB  
Article
Deterministic and Contingent Factors in the Genesis of Agribusiness Clusters: The Pigmeat Industry in Nineteenth-Century Catalonia
by Pere Castell and Ramon Ramon-Muñoz
Land 2022, 11(3), 385; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11030385 - 5 Mar 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3051
Abstract
This paper deals with the location, origins, and early development of clusters and industrial districts in the agribusiness sector. It considers the case of the meat processing industry in the second half of the 19th century in Catalonia, a prosperous southern-European region in [...] Read more.
This paper deals with the location, origins, and early development of clusters and industrial districts in the agribusiness sector. It considers the case of the meat processing industry in the second half of the 19th century in Catalonia, a prosperous southern-European region in the period when this industry emerged. By constructing an index of potential locations at the municipal level, the paper discusses whether, and to what extent, deterministic factors explain the genesis of pigmeat processing clusters. The paper concludes that although these latter factors need primary consideration, contingency, particularly human agency, may also play a non-negligible role. As an illustration, this study pays particular attention to the cluster of Vic, which developed around this middle-sized town in central Catalonia. It became a leading meat cluster in early 20th-century Spain, even though it was not better suited to this industry than other Catalan localities where meat companies had also emerged. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic, Social and Demographic Challenges of Rural Areas: Contributions From the Analysis of the Economic Activity Location and the Study of Depopulation)
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19 pages, 15009 KiB  
Article
Tackling Food and Nutrition Insecurity among Rural Inhabitants: Role of Household-Level Strategies with a Focus on Value Addition, Diversification and Female Participation
by Shamsheer Ul Haq, Pomi Shahbaz, Azhar Abbas, Zahira Batool, Bader Alhafi Alotaibi and Abou Traore
Land 2022, 11(2), 254; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11020254 - 8 Feb 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2927
Abstract
Ensuring food and nutrition security (FNS) is a formidable challenge under increasing population pressure. Governments around the globe have been striving to achieve this goal, but a major impact is attainable once the masses opt for measures at the household level. We conducted [...] Read more.
Ensuring food and nutrition security (FNS) is a formidable challenge under increasing population pressure. Governments around the globe have been striving to achieve this goal, but a major impact is attainable once the masses opt for measures at the household level. We conducted this study to explore household-level practices aimed at ensuring FNS and their association with FNS in rural Pakistan. Using cluster analysis, we divided a sample of 200 randomly selected rural households into high and low FNS groups, the majority of which belonged to the low FNS group. Logistic regression was applied to explore the association between household-level measures with the FNS of rural households. The households in the high FNS group adopted a greater number of measures for ensuring FNS. Households headed jointly by a male and female showed to have a higher likelihood of FNS. Similarly, households adopting diversification strategies on their farms were more likely to have high FNS. Moreover, households with working women exhibited a greater probability of experiencing high FNS. Similarly, households’ adoption of value addition in dairy products decreases the probability of food and nutrition insecurity. This study concludes with an emphasis on women’s empowerment, off-farm income diversification, and on-farm enterprise diversification to address FNS challenges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic, Social and Demographic Challenges of Rural Areas: Contributions From the Analysis of the Economic Activity Location and the Study of Depopulation)
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25 pages, 5960 KiB  
Article
Does the Accessibility of Regional Internal and External Traffic Play the Same Role in Achieving Anti-Poverty Goals?
by Dazhi Yang and Wei Song
Land 2022, 11(1), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11010090 - 6 Jan 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1797
Abstract
Traffic development can promote the flow of goods and people, which has long been widely considered to have a poverty reduction effect but, in fact, is not unbreakable. The development of traffic is similar to economic and social development, with internal and external [...] Read more.
Traffic development can promote the flow of goods and people, which has long been widely considered to have a poverty reduction effect but, in fact, is not unbreakable. The development of traffic is similar to economic and social development, with internal and external characteristics, but few studies have explored the differences between the effects of their poverty reduction. Taking the land traffic of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Zone (CCEZ) as an example, this paper represents traffic accessibility at a county level by relying on the average internal and external travel times. Rural poverty was identified by the pentagon of livelihoods to measure the Multidimensional Development Index (MDI). Furthermore, a Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) model was used to explore the relationship and spatial differentiation characteristics between county traffic accessibility and poverty. The results show that the traffic accessibility of the counties in the CCEZ was quite different. The average internal travel time was between 0.16 and 7 h, and the average external travel time was between 4.2 and 10.6 h. The radiation gradient structure centered on Chengdu municipal districts and the Chongqing main urban area, and the accessibility level needed to be improved. Furthermore, the MDI values of each county in the CCEZ showed the structural characteristics of “large bottom and small top”; additionally, the higher the high-value group of MDI, the stronger the spatial aggregation and the more obvious the characteristics of regional differentiation. Finally, the relationship between traffic accessibility and poverty in counties cannot be generalized. The improvement of external traffic accessibility obviously helped to improve the poverty situation in the CCEZ; the improvement of internal traffic accessibility had a multidimensional impact, but it was mainly due to the occupation or spillover of livelihood capital in rural areas; counties accounting for 82.74% would even reduce the MDI and, thus, aggravate poverty. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic, Social and Demographic Challenges of Rural Areas: Contributions From the Analysis of the Economic Activity Location and the Study of Depopulation)
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19 pages, 2949 KiB  
Article
Solutions to Financial Exclusion in Rural and Depopulated Areas: Evidence Based in Castilla y León (Spain)
by Sergio Luis Náñez Alonso, Javier Jorge-Vazquez, Ricardo Francisco Reier Forradellas and Elena Ahijado Dochado
Land 2022, 11(1), 74; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11010074 - 4 Jan 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3657
Abstract
Access to banking and financial services is defined by various international organizations as essential to ensure the development of countries and regions. However, this access is not always guaranteed, even in developed countries. Our study focuses on analyzing the current situation of several [...] Read more.
Access to banking and financial services is defined by various international organizations as essential to ensure the development of countries and regions. However, this access is not always guaranteed, even in developed countries. Our study focuses on analyzing the current situation of several rural and depopulated areas of Castilla y León (Spain) in terms of access to banking services and cash. For this purpose, an initial spatial analysis has been carried out to compute the access to these services measured in kilometers needed to travel to access them. Subsequently, we included, as a possible solution, the access to these financial services through their implementation (as a cash back point) in the extensive Spanish network of pharmacies. The results obtained in the spatial analysis show that the introduction of the network of pharmacies as a point of access to cash means a significant reduction in the distance to travel in municipalities in rural and unpopulated areas in order to access cash. In the case of the province of Avila the distance would be reduced by 55%, in the province of Segovia the distance would be reduced by 38.5%, in the province of Soria the distance would be reduced by 20%, in the province of Palencia the distance would be reduced by 22%; and finally in the province of Zamora the distance would be reduced by 33%. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic, Social and Demographic Challenges of Rural Areas: Contributions From the Analysis of the Economic Activity Location and the Study of Depopulation)
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19 pages, 2893 KiB  
Article
Spatial Spillover Effects of Agricultural Transport Costs in Peru
by Pedro Herrera-Catalán, Coro Chasco and Máximo Torero
Land 2022, 11(1), 58; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11010058 - 31 Dec 2021
Viewed by 2756
Abstract
The role of agricultural transport costs in core-periphery structures has habitually been ignored in New Economic Geography (NEG) models. This is due to the convention of treating the agricultural good as the numéraire, thus implying that agricultural transportation costs are assumed to be [...] Read more.
The role of agricultural transport costs in core-periphery structures has habitually been ignored in New Economic Geography (NEG) models. This is due to the convention of treating the agricultural good as the numéraire, thus implying that agricultural transportation costs are assumed to be zero in these models. For more than three decades, this has been the standard setting in spatial equilibrium analysis. This paper examines the effects of agricultural transport costs on the spatial organisation of regional structures in Peru. In doing so, Krugman’s formulation of iceberg transport costs is modified to introduce agricultural transport costs into the dynamic of the NEG models. We use exploratory spatial flow data analysis methods and non-spatial and spatial origin-destination flow models to explore how the regional spatial structure changes when real transportation data for agricultural goods are included into the iceberg transport costs formulation. We show that agricultural transport costs generate flows that are systematically associated with flows to or from nearby regions generating thus the emergence of spatial spillovers across Peruvian regions. The results of the paper support the contention that NEG models have overshadowed the role of agricultural transport costs in determining the spatial configuration of economic activities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic, Social and Demographic Challenges of Rural Areas: Contributions From the Analysis of the Economic Activity Location and the Study of Depopulation)
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20 pages, 1113 KiB  
Article
Competitive Benchmarking of Tourism Resources and Products in Extremadura as Factors of Competitiveness by Identifying Strengths and Convergences of Spanish Regions in the Period 2010–2018
by Marcelino Sánchez-Rivero and Mª Cristina Rodríguez-Rangel
Land 2022, 11(1), 18; https://doi.org/10.3390/land11010018 - 22 Dec 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2481
Abstract
In a globalized and interconnected world, and with increased leisure time, competition between tourism destinations has increased considerably. For this reason, the periodic measurement of tourism competitiveness has become a basic tool for tourism management today. It is not only necessary to determine [...] Read more.
In a globalized and interconnected world, and with increased leisure time, competition between tourism destinations has increased considerably. For this reason, the periodic measurement of tourism competitiveness has become a basic tool for tourism management today. It is not only necessary to determine the tourism competitiveness of destinations in a given period of time (static analysis); the continuous changes which are now occurring in the tourism industry also make it necessary to measure them from time to time (dynamic analysis). The periodic measurement of the competitiveness of Spanish regions as destinations is the objective of the Monitur report. This paper aims to analyze the evolution of one of its most important mainstays, namely the diversification and structuring of regional tourism products. Based on a set of 25 indicators, the relative evolution of the 17 Spanish Autonomous Regions regarding this mainstay between 2010 and 2018 has been compared, and those aspects in which the regions have shown increased relative competitiveness (convergence or competitive reinforcement) and those in which they have shown reduced relative competitiveness (divergence or competitive weakening) in each region have been identified. Based on the results obtained, a competitive benchmarking exercise was carried out to compare the evolution of Extremadura with that of the four regions with the best overall record in terms of competitiveness between 2010 and 2018. In this way it has been possible to suggest improvements in the region’s range of products and services so as to increase its tourism competitiveness in the medium and longer terms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic, Social and Demographic Challenges of Rural Areas: Contributions From the Analysis of the Economic Activity Location and the Study of Depopulation)
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13 pages, 2013 KiB  
Article
The Impact of China’s Grassland Ecological Compensation Policy on the Income Gap between Herder Households? A Case Study from a Typical Pilot Area
by Zhidong Li, Didi Rao and Moucheng Liu
Land 2021, 10(12), 1405; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10121405 - 20 Dec 2021
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2618
Abstract
China’s policy of subsidies and rewards for grassland ecological protection (PSRGEP) aims to maintain the ecological function of grasslands and increase the income of herder households. Since 2011, the Chinese government has invested more than 150 billion yuan in this policy, making it [...] Read more.
China’s policy of subsidies and rewards for grassland ecological protection (PSRGEP) aims to maintain the ecological function of grasslands and increase the income of herder households. Since 2011, the Chinese government has invested more than 150 billion yuan in this policy, making it currently the largest grassland ecological compensation project in China. Based on a survey of 203 herder households in Xin Barag Left Banner, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, this study used the Lorenz curve and Gini index to describe the imbalance in the distribution of compensation funds. Then, the integrated livelihood capital scores before compensation were used as a baseline. The changes in ranking and standard deviation of the scores after receiving compensation funds were analysed to draw a conclusion about the impact on the income gap between herder households. Finally, we described the absolute income gap through a group comparison. The results show that the distribution of compensation funds is unbalanced (Gini index is 0.46). According to the order of compensation funds from high to low, the top 20% of sample herder households received 49% of the total funds. Given the unbalanced distribution, households with better family economic conditions received more compensation funds. After receiving the compensation funds, the change in the ranking of the household’s livelihood capital integrated score was small, but the standard deviation increased from 0.1697 to 0.1734, and the Gini index of the households’ capital integrated scores decreased from 0.35 to 0.34 (the coefficient of variation decreased from 0.66 to 0.63). The group with the highest integrated livelihood capital score received 3.6 times the compensation funds of the group with the lowest score. As a result, under the promotion of PSRGEP, the local absolute income gap has widened, but the relative income gap has reduced. This study evaluated the current distribution of compensation funds for PSRGEP, which could provide a scientific basis for managers to optimize the fund distribution in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic, Social and Demographic Challenges of Rural Areas: Contributions From the Analysis of the Economic Activity Location and the Study of Depopulation)
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19 pages, 1451 KiB  
Article
Dairy Sheep and Goat Farmers: Socio-Demographic Characteristics and Their Associations with Health Management and Performance on Farms
by Daphne T. Lianou and George C. Fthenakis
Land 2021, 10(12), 1358; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10121358 - 9 Dec 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3060
Abstract
The objectives were to determine the socio-demographic profiles of small ruminant dairy farmers and to study associations with management practices, production outcomes and health parameters on their farms. In total, 325 sheep flocks and 119 goat herds across Greece were included in the [...] Read more.
The objectives were to determine the socio-demographic profiles of small ruminant dairy farmers and to study associations with management practices, production outcomes and health parameters on their farms. In total, 325 sheep flocks and 119 goat herds across Greece were included in the study and visited for collection of information. Socio-demographic characteristics of the dairy farmers and details of management practices, production outcomes and health parameters on their farms were recorded. For the analysis of results, multivariable models were created using mixed-effects logistic regression, with farms as the random effect. Most dairy farmers were male (93.2%), most were full-time professionals in farming (89.4%) and most had a farming family tradition (86.9%). The mean age was 47.0 years and the mean farming experience was 24.3 years. For 17.3% of the farmers, the highest level of education received was primary education, for 54.3% it was secondary education, for 16.4% it was post-secondary vocational training and for 12.0% it was tertiary education. In 35.4% of dairy farms, external farm workers were employed. Of the socio-demographic characteristics, farming experience was associated with geographical location of farms, management system, breed of animals, application of quarantine measures, laboratory evaluation of feedstuffs, ultrasonographic examination for pregnancy diagnosis, application of vaccination against clostridial infections, means of calculation of bodyweight for drug administration to animals, maintenance of colostrum bank, number of annual veterinary visits, annual milk production per animal, number of newborns and somatic cell counts and total bacterial counts in milk. Further, the employment of external farm workers on the farm was associated with management system, machine-milking, number and breed of animals, application of quarantine measures, laboratory evaluation of feedstuffs, ultrasonographic examination for pregnancy diagnosis, number of annual veterinary visits, annual milk production per animal, protein content in milk and number of newborns. The findings indicate that dairy sheep/goat farming is still a family-driven business, but, nevertheless, there are now younger people among these farmers, many of them with post-secondary education. Socio-demographic characteristics may influence the management practices applied, which in turn can have consequences for production and health results of the farms. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic, Social and Demographic Challenges of Rural Areas: Contributions From the Analysis of the Economic Activity Location and the Study of Depopulation)
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30 pages, 6782 KiB  
Article
Changes of Dynamics in Local Productive Systems Based on the Iberian Pig Transformation Industry in Western Sierra Morena (Spain)
by Antonio Pizarro-Gómez, Giedrė Šadeikaitė and Francisco Javier García-Delgado
Land 2021, 10(12), 1343; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10121343 - 6 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3067
Abstract
Local Productive Systems (hereinafter LPSs) based on agro-food industries constitute alternative models of development in peripheral rural areas that are subject to internal and external dynamics and processes. The main objective of this research is to investigate these processes and their consequences on [...] Read more.
Local Productive Systems (hereinafter LPSs) based on agro-food industries constitute alternative models of development in peripheral rural areas that are subject to internal and external dynamics and processes. The main objective of this research is to investigate these processes and their consequences on four LPSs based on the Iberian Pig Transformation Industry (hereinafter LPS-IPTI) in SW Spain: Fregenal de la Sierra, Higuera la Real, Cumbres Mayores and Jabugo. Using secondary data, a comparison is made between 2002 and 2020 to establish the changes, causes and consequences on the LPS-IPTIs studied. The results obtained indicate (1) the business and territorial concentration of LPS-IPTIs; (2) changes in the structure of the LPS-IPTI due to internal and external causes that were already present before the international economic crisis; (3) productive and territorial specialisation in standardised products and quality products that generated the polarisation of the sector; (4) simplification of industrial processes; (5) loss of employment, especially female; (6) external control of companies in the sector which, accordingly, brings about the loss of prominence of local actors in favour of foreign companies, reduced social capital and the progressive loss of ownership of the LPS. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic, Social and Demographic Challenges of Rural Areas: Contributions From the Analysis of the Economic Activity Location and the Study of Depopulation)
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21 pages, 1840 KiB  
Article
Industrial Structure and Economic Resilience of Non-Metropolitan Regions: An Empirical Base for the Smart Specialization Policies
by Jan Ženka, Marcela Chreneková, Lucie Kokešová and Veronika Svetlíková
Land 2021, 10(12), 1335; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10121335 - 3 Dec 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2987
Abstract
In this paper, we aim to describe and explain the regional disparities in economic resilience in Slovakia in the period 1997–2017. We focus on the effects of economic structure in combination with the vertical (potential accessibility) and horizontal geographical location. Since the early [...] Read more.
In this paper, we aim to describe and explain the regional disparities in economic resilience in Slovakia in the period 1997–2017. We focus on the effects of economic structure in combination with the vertical (potential accessibility) and horizontal geographical location. Since the early 1990s, Slovak (non-)metropolitan regions exhibited deep changes in the sectoral structure of the economy that were followed by sharp unemployment increases. Due to the FDI-fueled economic growth in the last two decades, however, considerable progress in regional economic growth and reduction in unemployment was recorded. Therefore, Slovak non-metropolitan regions provide valuable lessons for the analysis of regional economic resilience in a long-term period. We ask if, and to what extent were, the prospects of regional renewal after economic crises associated with the geographical location, economic diversity, firm size and sectoral structure of the economy. We employed spatial regression models to test the effects of the potential accessibility, horizontal geographical location and industrial diversity, and sectoral (agriculture, manufacturing) and firm size structure. The dependent variable, Economic Resilience, was measured by the Regional Development Index, combining the indicators of demographic ageing, net migration, income per capita and registered unemployment rate. Potential accessibility and horizontal geographical location were the key predictors of regional economic resilience. Districts with tertiarized and diversified industrial and firm size structures scored, on average, higher in RDI than specialized districts with large firms and/or a high share of agriculture/manufacturing in total employment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic, Social and Demographic Challenges of Rural Areas: Contributions From the Analysis of the Economic Activity Location and the Study of Depopulation)
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24 pages, 8730 KiB  
Article
Farmers’ Distress Index: An Approach for an Action Plan to Reduce Vulnerability in the Drylands of India
by A. Amarender Reddy, Anindita Bhattacharya, S. Venku Reddy and Sandra Ricart
Land 2021, 10(11), 1236; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10111236 - 12 Nov 2021
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 5901
Abstract
Farmer distress is a widely recognized problem in India induced by multiple causes ranging from climate variability to price volatility and the low risk-bearing ability of farmers. Tracking farmers’ distress in a localized context is a prerequisite for timely action to provide sustainable [...] Read more.
Farmer distress is a widely recognized problem in India induced by multiple causes ranging from climate variability to price volatility and the low risk-bearing ability of farmers. Tracking farmers’ distress in a localized context is a prerequisite for timely action to provide sustainable livelihood options. Therefore, a field survey was conducted with 640 dryland farmers of 10 sub-district units from two states in India with the aim to identify the major indicators based on seven dimensions of distress and to construct a multidimensional Farmers’ Distress Index (FDI) at the farmer and sub-district levels. The FDI was built with seven dimensions of distress: exposure to risk, adaptive capacity, sensitivity, mitigation and adaptation strategies, triggers, psychological factors, and impacts. The study developed a broad-based FDI which can be used as a planning tool that can address the causes of farmers’ distress and also evolve measures to tackle those causes. Based on the result, the study recommends a location-specific distress management package based on various dimensions of the FDI. The paper also suggests an upscaling strategy to identify and prioritize the highly distressed farmers as well as sub-district geographical units by tracking a few sets of variables. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic, Social and Demographic Challenges of Rural Areas: Contributions From the Analysis of the Economic Activity Location and the Study of Depopulation)
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13 pages, 1949 KiB  
Article
Factors Affecting the Long-Term Development of Specialized Agricultural Villages North and South of Huai River
by Li Li, Ning Niu and Xiaojian Li
Land 2021, 10(11), 1215; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10111215 - 9 Nov 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 1491
Abstract
Village-level agricultural specialization in China is becoming increasingly important for rural development. However, existing knowledge of specialized agricultural villages (SAVs) based on singular assessment criteria and data describing static time points becomes insufficient in addressing multifaceted developmental questions today. We examined the long-term [...] Read more.
Village-level agricultural specialization in China is becoming increasingly important for rural development. However, existing knowledge of specialized agricultural villages (SAVs) based on singular assessment criteria and data describing static time points becomes insufficient in addressing multifaceted developmental questions today. We examined the long-term development patterns of SAVs in Anhui, China, with attributes from multiple angles, and explored how local factors affected SAV development across space and time using random forest regression. We found that as time elapsed, economic rationality drove specialized farmers closer to sale dependency and made SAVs more susceptible to market and economic factors, which builds upon previous findings analyzing SAVs at specific time points and consolidates the importance of market factors in the long-term development of SAVs. However, this susceptibility manifests differently in these two geographically contrasting regions north and south of Huai River. The northern SAVs received increased influences from market and economic factors, while the southern SAVs were continuously controlled by market and location factors. The dynamic spatial and temporal patterns of the two regions point to different dependencies, which emphasized local sales in the north and distant sales in the south. We propose that policies and strategies regarding SAV development accommodate these dynamics and address appropriate influencing factors accordingly. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic, Social and Demographic Challenges of Rural Areas: Contributions From the Analysis of the Economic Activity Location and the Study of Depopulation)
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15 pages, 4506 KiB  
Article
Analysis on the Evolution of Rural Settlement Pattern and Its Influencing Factors in China from 1995 to 2015
by Jieyong Wang and Yu Zhang
Land 2021, 10(11), 1137; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10111137 - 26 Oct 2021
Cited by 23 | Viewed by 4678
Abstract
Since the early 1990s, China has experienced rapid industrialization and urbanization. As cities have expanded rapidly, the spatial patterns of rural settlements also changed significantly. This study uses land use data from satellite imagery interpretation, socioeconomic statistics, and field survey data, together with [...] Read more.
Since the early 1990s, China has experienced rapid industrialization and urbanization. As cities have expanded rapidly, the spatial patterns of rural settlements also changed significantly. This study uses land use data from satellite imagery interpretation, socioeconomic statistics, and field survey data, together with techniques including landscape pattern analysis, kernel density estimation, and spatial measurement models, to analyze the evolving spatial patterns of rural settlements influencing factors in China from 1995 to 2015. The results indicate the following: First, China’s rural settlements experienced significant changes in the period 1995–2015, as 88.92% of Prefectural-level administrative district units saw an increase in rural settlement area, with total settlement size increasing by 1.35 million hectares, and settlement area sprawl index values can be summarized as “high in the west and low in the east”. Second, in the two-decade study period, the population agglomeration capacity of rural settlements in China continuously weakened, and the shape and structure of rural settlement became more complex and irregular. The scale and scope of the disappearance of rural settlement areas in the northeast and southeast regions was relatively drastic, and the kernel density value of settlements dropped significantly. Third, the increase in rural settlement land area is concentrated in low-altitude and low-slope areas, with a significant tendency to be near water and roads. Fourth, social and economic factors, such as per capita net income of rural residents, the proportion of the population employed in agriculture, the size and structure of the permanent rural population, local fiscal revenue, and urbanization level, are the main factors that cause changes of rural settlement patterns. The results of this study can serve as a reference for promoting regional rural sustainable development policies and advancing rural spatial governance and comprehensive revitalization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic, Social and Demographic Challenges of Rural Areas: Contributions From the Analysis of the Economic Activity Location and the Study of Depopulation)
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24 pages, 4409 KiB  
Article
Bibliometric Mapping of Research on Magic Towns of Mexico
by Martha B. Flores-Romero, Miriam E. Pérez-Romero, José Álvarez-García and María de la Cruz del Río-Rama
Land 2021, 10(8), 852; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10080852 - 15 Aug 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2876
Abstract
The tourism program “Pueblos Mágicos” was created in 2001 by the Mexican Secretary of Tourism (Sectur), together with its brand, with the aim of promoting tourism by preserving secular and ancestral traditions, as well as revitalizing cities and towns that make great efforts [...] Read more.
The tourism program “Pueblos Mágicos” was created in 2001 by the Mexican Secretary of Tourism (Sectur), together with its brand, with the aim of promoting tourism by preserving secular and ancestral traditions, as well as revitalizing cities and towns that make great efforts to protect and safeguard their cultural wealth. In this context, the aim of this research work is to show the current state of scientific research carried out within the context of the Magic Towns of Mexico. The work methodology is based on the bibliometric analysis of the scientific production indexed in two main international databases: Web of Science and Scopus. The application of this technique will make it possible to obtain a scientific mapping of the production (growth, researchers in the subject, production impact through the number of citations, network analysis, etc.), with the aim of observing the evolution in the generation of knowledge regarding this tourism development tool that acts as a distinctive brand for tourism in Mexico. This mapping is useful for researchers as it provides information on the research carried out so far, allowing them to identify gaps to work on in their future research work. The systematic search process identified 52 articles. The results indicate that the research carried out in this context is incipient, with few researchers addressing the subject on a continuous basis and most of them being transient researchers with a single article. Most of the research was approached from the perspective of cultural heritage, cultural resources, inherited resources, cultural tourism, public policy, local development and sustainable tourism, and sustainable development. In light of the number of articles published, all of these can be considered to be incipient lines of research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic, Social and Demographic Challenges of Rural Areas: Contributions From the Analysis of the Economic Activity Location and the Study of Depopulation)
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16 pages, 526 KiB  
Article
Recognizing Determinants to Smallholders’ Market Orientation and Marketing Arrangements: Building on a Case of Dairy Farming in Rural Kenya
by James Wangu, Ellen Mangnus and A. C. M. (Guus) van Westen
Land 2021, 10(6), 572; https://doi.org/10.3390/land10060572 - 28 May 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3900
Abstract
Smallholder commercialization is central to international development policy and practice. As a result, several arrangements to foster market linkages are being implemented. Especially popular are farmers’ organizations, which are believed to be owned, controlled, and financed by smallholders. As such, their design is [...] Read more.
Smallholder commercialization is central to international development policy and practice. As a result, several arrangements to foster market linkages are being implemented. Especially popular are farmers’ organizations, which are believed to be owned, controlled, and financed by smallholders. As such, their design is considered inclusive given every household in a community is theoretically allowed to become a member, and the governance and management structure encourage participatory decision-making. However, even in the context in which farmers’ organizations are actively promoted, a notable proportion of smallholders may not be able to engage in market-oriented production or may opt for the existing alternative marketing arrangements, as dictated by individual households’ socioeconomic characteristics. Focusing on the case of smallholder farming in Olenguruone, Nakuru county, Kenya, where a donor funded dairy farmers’ cooperative marketing arrangement is promoted alongside existing marketing opportunities, the present research investigated the factors that determine smallholders’ commercial farming orientation and marketing arrangements. It employed a case study approach, combining both quantitative and qualitative research methods for a more complete empirical inquiry. The findings demonstrate that irrespective of the external support provided through marketing opportunities such as farmer organizations, smallholders’ engagement in commercial farming and marketing is dictated by the socioeconomic attributes and market perceptions that are heterogeneous among households in a smallholder community. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Economic, Social and Demographic Challenges of Rural Areas: Contributions From the Analysis of the Economic Activity Location and the Study of Depopulation)
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