Search Results (4,463)

Retaining population is a core condition for the long-term sustainability of rural communities, yet rural out-migration is often treated merely as evidence of local development failure. Agriculturally productive regions may continue to lose population even when output, corporate activity, and local services improve, which raises the question of what kinds of rural development are demographically sustainable. This study examines that puzzle in Akmola, Kazakhstan, a major grain-producing region surrounding Astana. It asks how corporate social responsibility (CSR), rural amenities, economic vitality, and agricultural dependence are associated with net migration across rural districts. The question is important because CSR and agricultural modernization are frequently expected to support rural communities, yet their demographic implications depend on whether they generate broad local opportunities or mainly improve services and production capacity. Using an unbalanced district-level panel of eight rural districts from 2010 to 2023, the study estimates PLS-SEM models under alternative measurement specifications and compares the results with fixed-effects panel estimates and PPML (Poisson) gross-flow models. The findings show that economic vitality is associated with population retention or attraction, while agriculture-oriented development is associated with out-migration. Amenities generally support the retention-oriented interpretation, and CSR is more consistently associated with amenity provision than with migration directly. These patterns suggest that the sustainability of rural communities depends less on agricultural output or CSR-funded services in isolation than on economic diversification and enhanced local livability. Full article

The sustainability of Coffea arabica L. production in Oaxaca, Mexico, is increasingly threatened by climate change, biodiversity loss, and pest pressure, along with other factors that undermine the responsiveness of small-scale producers in the state, such as trade restrictions and coffee-related regulatory frameworks. These challenges are particularly acute in mountainous regions like Oaxaca, where coffee cultivation plays a central role in rural livelihoods, cultural identity, and territorial development. Studies demonstrate that localized models are vital for rural improvement, reducing the carbon footprint, and maintaining economic viability. Despite extensive research on agronomic, environmental, and market factors, sustainability strategies for coffee production often remain fragmented and insufficiently integrated. This systematic review used the Scopus Review database, searching by title, abstract, and keywords such as “sustainable coffee production” from 2015 to 2026. A total of 1085 documents were retrieved and processed using VOSviewer software to generate a bibliographic map in which frequently used words are grouped by color to show their relationships. Using Oaxaca as a regional case study, the article synthesizes the key factors influencing coffee productivity and quality, examines the main socio-environmental challenges, and proposes a conceptual framework that integrates agroecosystem management with socioeconomic processes under external climate and market pressures. The proposed framework highlights the central role of agroforestry systems and ecosystem services in improving climate resilience, conserving biodiversity, and supporting quality-oriented value chains. These processes generate feedback loops that influence farmers’ livelihoods, food security, and territorial sustainability. While grounded in the context of Oaxaca, the socio-ecological review and conceptual framework presented here are applicable to other Arabica-producing regions facing similar challenges, providing a structured basis for future research, policy design, and integrated sustainability strategies. Full article

Wine tourism is increasingly recognized as a key driver of sustainable rural development and the integrated enhancement of cultural heritage. However, in many production areas, including Southern Italy, the sector remains fragmented, with limited integration between wine production, cultural heritage, and territorial identity, restricting its potential for experiential and sustainable tourism. This study addresses this gap by proposing a relational, heritage-based approach that connects wine landscapes with archaeological and cultural resources. The aim of the research is to examine how wine tourism can contribute to sustainable territorial development in Basilicata (Southern Italy) through an integrated interpretative framework. This study also develops a georeferenced wine tourism map and evaluates the readiness of wineries to adopt integrated wine tourism models. Methodologically, the research is structured into three phases: (i) literature review and data collection on wine-related cultural heritage; (ii) development of a georeferenced map identifying 21 points of interest within the main regional DOC areas; and (iii) stakeholder engagement through participation in sector events and a strategic questionnaire administered to 30 wineries (response rate: 50%). Data were analysed using spatial interpretation and descriptive and thematic analysis. Results show that wine tourism in Basilicata is consolidating but remains characterized by territorial imbalance and weak integration between wine production and cultural heritage. Wineries demonstrate strong territorial identity and growing interest in experiential tourism, while communication and interpretation tools remain underdeveloped. The wine tourism map effectively integrates spatial and cultural data and supports cooperation among stakeholders. In conclusion, integrated mapping-based wine tourism can foster sustainable rural development in inner areas and provide a replicable framework linking heritage, identity, and tourism. Full article

The United Nations, in developing the Sustainable Development Goals, pays particular attention to cities, as they are crucial to achieving established benchmarks. Globally, many cities have high levels of food insecurity, and food access is a major component of the problem. Cities have increasingly complex and interdependent food environments. Yet, urban food systems are not well understood with respect to the impacts of redlining, residential segregation, and food store closures on food outlet distribution. Limited work is also being done on the relationship between urban sustainability efforts and food access. Here, we analyze 2229 open and closed food outlets in the Greater Grand Rapids area of southwest Michigan to examine their distribution and whether disparities are evident. We examined the impact of historic redlining on the distribution of food outlets. We also described sustainability efforts in the study area and the way county and city plans connect food access with sustainability. Roughly half of the food outlets are restaurants, 13.3% are small grocery and convenience stores, and 6.3% are pharmacies, dollar stores, and variety stores. Supermarkets and large grocery stores, which are the subject of most food access studies, account for 5% of food outlets. The most reliable predictors of food outlet distribution in the fully adjusted regression models are HOLC classification grade, median household income, educational attainment, and population density. The racial composition of the census tract was significant in only one model. The study leads us to urge more researchers to compare cities and adjacent municipalities, as income dynamics, neighborhood characteristics, population density, and educational attainment vary across urban, suburban, and rural areas. Full article

Based on microscopic survey data of 10,057 kiwifruit growers from the Shaanxi, Guizhou, and Sichuan provinces in China, this study takes the initial and sustained adoption of low-carbon agricultural technology by farmers as dependent variables. A comprehensive evaluation system is constructed based on the digital capability of farmers. The system covers four dimensions, namely, digital access, digital acquisition, digital processing, and digital sharing. Multiple empirical models, including Lasso regression, extreme gradient boosting, random forest, and back propagation neural network are adopted to compare the fitting and predictive performance of different approaches. The model comparison results demonstrate that the random forest model presents the optimal fitting performance among all alternative specifications. To identify the core influencing factors and explore the underlying mechanisms, this study employs the SHAP method to quantitatively evaluate the marginal contribution of each variable. The empirical findings reveal that the digital capability of farmers significantly and positively promote both initial and sustained adoption of low-carbon agricultural technology with distinct dimensional heterogeneity. Specifically, digital access and digital acquisition capability act as core driving factors for the initial adoption of technologies by farmers, while digital processing and digital sharing capability play a decisive role in facilitating sustained low-carbon technology application. In addition, farmers’ education level, health status, household income, cooperative participation, and household labour scale are crucial characteristic variables affecting the behaviours of farmers in the adoption of low-carbon technology across different stages. Accordingly, this study proposes targeted policy implications for low-carbon agricultural development. On the basis of promoting digital rural construction and improving the systems of digital skill training and digital agricultural technical services, it is essential to strengthen dynamic tracking surveys of farmers, accurately identify their technology adoption stages, and implement differentiated supporting policies. These targeted measures can effectively consolidate and assess the low-carbon production behaviours of farmers and promote the long-term and sustainable development of low-carbon agriculture. Full article

The aim of this article is to determine the significance of short supply chains for local and regional development in Poland. The supply chain in Poland is defined as a coordinated set of people, financial and material resources, and activities involved in the process of delivering goods and services from the producer to the end consumer. Short Supply Chains (SSCs) are the foundation of the green economy, aiming to minimize the number of intermediaries and build direct relationships based on trust. Although short supply chains have been widely discussed in the context of sustainable agriculture and rural development, there is still limited research examining how digitalization and local organizational models jointly influence the development of SSCs and their contribution to local and regional development in Poland. This study addresses this gap by analysing selected Polish case studies and examining the combined role of digitalization, institutional support, and local initiatives in strengthening short supply chains. The article presents the situation of short supply chains in Poland using the example of selected organizations and initiatives, such as Poznań Green Market, Sady Grójeckie, Warmiński Koszyk, and Wiejska e-skrzynka. These cases demonstrate the impact of advancing digitalization on the development of local food markets, particularly in terms of shortening distribution channels, increasing access to local products, and strengthening producer–consumer relationships. The economic basis of SSCs is based on farmers taking over market margins and diversifying their income through agricultural retail trade (RHD), marginal, local, and limited (MOL) activities, and agritourism. This development is stimulated by EU funds, including the Rural Development Program (RDP) and Local Action Group (LAG) initiatives, as well as ongoing digitization and growing demand for local food. Furthermore, the development of local markets and short supply chains in the food sector is in line with the European “Farm to Fork” Strategy, which aims to ensure better food quality, reduce waste, and decrease the environmental impact of food systems. The analysis presented in the article will highlight the potential of short supply chains in political processes and make a significant contribution to the debate on strategies for supporting local and regional food markets. Full article

Women’s empowerment through social entrepreneurship has become an important strategy for promoting social inclusion and sustainable rural development, particularly in culturally distinctive communities. However, limited evidence explains how individual and environmental factors encourage women to transform social entrepreneurial intentions into concrete actions. This study aims to investigate the determinants of social entrepreneurial behaviour among entrepreneurs committed to empowering Madurese women. It examines the moderating role of environmental munificence in the relationship between social entrepreneurial intention and behaviour. A quantitative approach was employed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to analyse survey data collected from 143 entrepreneurs on Madura Island, Indonesia. The findings indicate that empathy and self-efficacy positively influence social entrepreneurial intention, whereas moral obligation has no significant effect. Social entrepreneurial intention significantly predicts social entrepreneurial behaviour, and environmental munificence strengthens this relationship by providing supportive conditions for entrepreneurial action. These findings highlight the importance of combining individual capabilities with enabling social environments to foster women’s empowerment. The study contributes to research on gender, rural development, and social entrepreneurship by providing evidence from an underexplored cultural context and offering practical implications for policymakers and community development initiatives. Full article

Publicly funded rural-regeneration programs often deliver facilities, yet post-completion continuity depends on whether the outputs remain usable, active, and maintainable. This study examines Hsinchu City, Taiwan, through a five-year documentary trajectory (2020–2024) comprising five annual reports, one citywide achievement booklet, and four case evidence bundles. It asks how project delivery may support—or fail to support—everyday landscape stewardship. Using an abductive documentary case-study design and maximum-variation comparison of Haishan, Gangbei, Qiedong, and Xiangcun, the analysis develops conditional landscape stewardship around three interdependent conditions: material–spatial usability, functional continuity, and social-organizational maintenance. It identifies four indicative interruption modes: completed but underused space, event-dependent activation, responsibility and resource gaps, and livelihood value disconnected from shared maintenance. The weakest-link heuristic treats a pronounced weakness as a review trigger rather than proof of project failure. The study contributes a document-supported diagnostic framework and a proposed ex ante/ex post governance checklist. It identifies governance conditions and vulnerabilities; it does not directly measure long-term use, environmental performance, or sustainability outcomes. Full article

The increase in global carbon dioxide emissions is intensifying climate change and severely affecting diverse communities. Addressing these impacts requires sustainable planning approaches that promote environmental and social balance. This research aims to develop a transferable planning methodology incorporating ex ante evaluation for sustainable productive rural settlements, the application of which is examined through a design proposal in Pocollay, Tacna, used as a case study. The methodology comprises six sequential phases: integrated territorial diagnosis, construction of the multicriteria evaluation model, assessment of the baseline scenario, formulation of the planning model, application of the methodology to the case study, and comparative multicriteria evaluation of the projected scenario. As an application of the methodology, a Master Plan and a productive housing module were developed, integrating the proposed planning principles within a circular economy approach, together with bioclimatic design strategies aimed at resource efficiency, passive comfort, water management, renewable energy integration, and reduced environmental pressure. Compared with the baseline scenario, the projected scenario obtained higher potential performance scores across the architectural, environmental, productive, and socioeconomic indicators evaluated. These results represent expected performance according to predefined criteria rather than impacts observed after construction. In conclusion, the main contribution of the research is the proposed planning and evaluation methodology, which can be replicated or adapted in future applications by recalibrating its indicators, weights, climatic parameters, productive systems, material strategies, and community priorities. Full article

The dominant discourse on tourism resilience has traditionally emphasized physical infrastructure, environmental management, and technological solutions as key mechanisms for adapting destinations to climate change and socio-economic disruptions. While these dimensions remain essential, growing evidence suggests that the long-term sustainability of tourism destinations, particularly in remote and vulnerable regions, depends equally on less visible but equally essential community capacities. This paper introduces the concept of human infrastructure as a complementary perspective for understanding resilience in tourism development. Human infrastructure encompasses social relationships, local leadership, collective efficacy, cultural identity, community participation, intergenerational knowledge transfer, and educational capacity, which enable communities to adapt, recover, and innovate under conditions of uncertainty. Drawing upon an integrative conceptual review of the literature on tourism studies, community psychology, rural development, resilience theory, and sustainable development, this conceptual paper proposes a human-centered framework explaining how communities themselves function as adaptive infrastructures. The article argues that resilient tourism destinations emerge not only from investments in roads, visitor centers, and digital technologies, but also from investments in social cohesion, local knowledge systems, community empowerment, and cultural continuity. The paper concludes by discussing policy implications for sustainable tourism planning and proposing future research directions for operationalizing and measuring human infrastructure in tourism contexts. Full article

This study evaluates the technical, environmental, and economic feasibility of converting plantain and banana biomass (PBB) into renewable energy in the Santa Elena province, Ecuador. Through GIS-based assessment, empirical correlations for heating value estimation, and energy/exergy analyses, our work identifies 253,389.98 tons/year of field residues with a theoretical energy potential of 382.79 GWh/year. Passive solar drying and mechanical grinding enable low-energy pre-treatment, yielding a net energy output of 12.41 MJ/kg and an exergy efficiency of 51.2%, confirming the system’s thermodynamic viability. If implemented at scale with a 20% plant factor, the energy recovered could meet 17% of the province’s current electricity demand. Economic projections estimate a potential annual revenue of USD 18.95 million based on current electricity prices, supporting the profitability of decentralized combustion systems. The integration of PBB into the regional energy matrix contributes to reducing fossil fuel reliance, enhancing energy security, and promoting sustainable rural development. These findings align with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7 and 13, positioning biomass energy as a viable solution to Ecuador’s decarbonization goals and rural energy challenges. Full article

The accelerating aging of China’s rural labor force—characterized by an ‘earlier and more severe’ trajectory in rural areas compared to urban ones—poses a fundamental challenge to agricultural modernization, yet its implications for the development of agricultural productive services remain poorly understood. This study addresses a central question for agricultural sustainability: does rural labor aging act as a ‘catalyst’ or a ‘stumbling block’ for the development of agricultural productive services? To address this question, we employ fixed-effects, panel threshold regression, and mediation models using provincial panel data from 2011 to 2022, systematically investigating the nonlinear effects and transmission mechanisms. A significant single threshold is identified at an aging rate of 8.17%. Below this threshold, labor aging promotes productive service development via a demand-pull effect; above it, the promoting effect weakens substantially due to an adoption-inhibition effect driven by human capital decline. Mechanism analysis reveals a negative mediating role of cultivated land scale management: land concentration induced by labor aging, without corresponding human capital upgrades, is associated with “inefficient scale management” as reflected in the suppression of service development. While our empirical measure captures operational scale rather than efficiency per se, this negative mediation pattern is consistent with the presence of an inefficiency trap. Heterogeneity analysis shows the strongest inhibitory effect in northeast China, while eastern regions with strong factor substitution capacity are less affected. As most provinces had crossed the threshold by 2022, policies should shift from leveraging the dividend period to addressing deep-aging challenges, including breaking the trap of inefficient scale management and adopting region-specific strategies. These findings highlight that achieving agricultural sustainability in an aging society requires shifting from relying on the demographic dividend to proactively overcoming the structural lock-in of deep aging. Our proposed policies could contribute to fostering a more resilient and sustainable agricultural system in China, and may also offer valuable references for other rapidly aging economies with appropriate contextual adaptation. Full article

Romanian agricultural landscapes have undergone substantial transformation between 2000 and 2024, driven by agricultural modernization, market integration, and uneven regional development. This study assesses the opportunities and risks associated with these changes within a landscape-scale sustainability framework. Using 24 indicators describing land use, crop structure, productivity, mechanization, irrigation, input use, and socio-economic characteristics, we combined paired-sample t-tests, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis to examine temporal and spatial patterns of agricultural transformation across Romanian counties. The results reveal significant increases in arable land, mechanization, labour productivity, and cereal yields, accompanied by declining agricultural employment and growing crop specialization. PCA identified six key dimensions of transformation, highlighting increasing differentiation between intensive, productivity-oriented systems and traditional agricultural structures. Cluster analysis revealed nine distinct agricultural typologies and increasing spatial polarization between highly modernized, input-intensive lowland systems and persistent grassland-based mountain agroecosystems. The comparison between 2000 and 2024 indicates stronger specialization, technological intensification, and territorial differentiation of agricultural systems. These changes create opportunities through improved labour productivity and efficiency, while also reflecting increasing landscape simplification and evolving agri-environmental management patterns. The findings emphasize the need for regionally differentiated policies that support agricultural competitiveness, territorial cohesion, and sustainable rural development. Full article

Tourism is an activity that contributes positively to economic growth. Although tourism should be supported because of its benefits for a region’s development, it can place a strain on the environment. Integrating the principles of sustainable development into tourism is essential to ensuring its long-term viability while protecting natural and cultural resources. The purpose of this study is to determine the extent of tourism pressure, its trends, and its impact on sustainable development in three major rural tourist regions of Romania, namely Humor, Câmpulung Moldovenesc, and Dorna, located in the historical province of Bucovina, Suceava County. An analysis of the trends in the three evaluation indicators (density, duration, and pressure level) at the rural region level (Humor Region, Câmpulung Moldovenesc Region, and Dorna Region) is warranted, as these regions are the main centers of attraction and development for rural tourism in Suceava County. Between 2001 and 2023, the density indicator (arrivals/km²) showed significant increases in all three rural regions analyzed—over 6000% in Humor, 2200% in Dorna, and 2000% in Câmpulung Moldovenesc, significantly amplifying the pressure on these three areas; the duration indicator (overnight stays/km²) recorded considerable increases of over 7400% in Humor, 2400% in Dorna, and 2250% in Câmpulung Moldovenesc, proving to be a much more severe pressure indicator than the density indicator; and the pressure level indicator (arrivals/resident population) increased substantially, by over 8000% in Humor, 2100% in Dorna, and 2000% in Câmpulung Moldovenesc, indicating profound sociocultural pressure on the rural communities analyzed. The importance of this research and the originality of this study are closely linked to an understanding of the evolution and intensity of tourism pressure in the three regions analyzed, with a view to informing future strategies for sustainable rural development. An analysis of the environmental pressure caused by tourism in the three regions of Bucovina for the period 2001–2023 reflects a shift from a localized and negligible impact to an increasingly significant pressure. Currently, the regions face the challenge of balancing rapid economic development with the critical need to preserve their unique heritage. Identifying increases in tourist pressure can facilitate the implementation of effective mitigation measures, which are essential for ensuring the sustainability of tourism-related activities in the most popular tourist regions of Bucovina. Full article

Background/Objectives: Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) requires frequent specialist follow-up, yet patients in remote areas face significant geographic barriers to care. Healthcare delivery also contributes substantially to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with patient travel a major source. The Promoting Access and Care through Centres of Excellence (PACE) virtual care program was designed to improve access for IBD patients in underserved regions of Ontario. This study estimated travel-related carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions potentially avoided. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using the PACE registry at the Mount Sinai Hospital IBD Centre between June 2016 and October 2024. Adults with Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or IBD-unclassified residing ≥100 km from the Centre and completing ≥1 virtual visit were included. Two-way travel distance avoided was calculated using Google Maps, adjusting for any travel to local facilities. Carbon emissions were estimated using a composite base-case factor of 260 g CO₂/km with predefined sensitivity analyses covering alternative vehicle-mix and transport scenarios. Results: Among 389 IBD patients, 2222 virtual visits were completed. The mean (±SD) two-way distance avoided per visit was 843 ± 812 km, corresponding to 219 ± 211 kg CO₂ per visit. The mean cumulative reduction per patient was 1252 ± 2245 kg CO₂, totalling 487,104 kg (487 tonnes) over eight years. Conclusions: The PACE program was associated with substantial estimated reductions in travel-related CO₂ emissions for IBD patients in remote Ontario, with results robust across vehicle mix and transport assumptions. Virtual care may offer a scalable pathway advancing both equitable access and healthcare-sector decarbonization. Full article