Evaluating the European Approach to Rural Development

’One of the most important and systematic investments in rural development, the LEADER programme in the EU has many lessons for the entire world. By looking at single country applications of the programme, the premise, promise and perils of this grass-roots approach to rural development are cogently addressed. The resilience and sustainability of the approach is brilliantly examined and assessed through combining comparative case studies and focusing on the key issue of social and political processes, rather than material outputs.’ Cornelia Butler Flora, Kansas State University, USA ’LEADER programmes, born to support bottom-up development in marginal areas, have promoted a new way of thinking about agriculture and rural development policies. Now that the transition to a sustainable agriculture has become a policy priority, the experience gained with LEADER programmes represents a precious reservoir of ideas and tools for change. The book, giving a broad overview and analysis of the application of the programme in countries relatively unknown in English language literature, is an excellent outcome of a timely, well documented and rigorous work.’ Gianluca Brunori, University of Pisa, Italy