Smart, sustainable and inclusive rural development in post-growth times

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1 Smart, sustainable and inclusive rural development in post-growth times Robert Lukesch ÖAR Regional Consultants Ltd. Agricultural and Rural Convention (ARC)

2 The Draft Regulation on Rural Development Widening the scope of potential beneficiaries Enhanced focus on capacity development Support for cooperation Reasserted role of the LEADER method Greening: towards a better environmental fit of agriculture The recognition of small farmers contributions Emphasis on generational succession (only 6% < 35yrs.) Linkages and integration with cohesion policy (CSF)

3 The Draft Regulation on Rural Development EU 2020 is falling short of actually required policy redesign CAP goals therefore still subdued to numerical growth model (impact indicator: GDP/cap.) Countervailing forces fuelled by corporate interests (e.g. EFSA: clone meat, GM soy bean) Innovation, the frothy buzzword: serving which purpose, and through which processes? Coordinated delivery of cohesion policy instruments threatened by non-alignment of monitoring, accounting, reporting standards Rumor has it that ring-fencing (5%) for LEADER shall be downed No minimum threshold for environmental measures; moreover, greening measures in pillar 1 are under fire (from MS and famrers organisations) Risk management very good for...insurance companies To remain focused, I ll concentrate on three themes.

4 Greening and rural development Governance for CLLD Rural-urban relationships

5 Theme 1: Greening and rural development (1) Post-growth CAP: nowhere in sight Most accidents of mass panicking occur close to the (presumed) exit. The invoked exit from the financial crisis is...growth. Sorry, these recipes are outdated at least in full economies (H. Daly). Meanwhile we are facing overproduction (milk), wasted food (40%), volatility of global commodity prices. We have to accept living in a post-growth society. This implies that not inflating numerical turnover (GDP), but replacing unsustainable structures and value chains by more sustainable ones is what we shall head for. It goes by itself that this implies refraining from expansionist strategies and prioritizing agriculture and forestry practices which save resources, decrease CO 2 and other harmful emissions, foster short and medium range trade and processing, a cyclic economy, and healthy food. Such a strategy would be self-protecting, not requiring artificial protectionist measures (in respect to WTO).

6 Theme 1: Greening and rural development (2) Not less, but more greening to foster rural renaissance Investing in peripheral often rural areas increasingly comes under fire. Some denounce cohesion funding as a waste of resources (World Development Report of the World Bank 2009), others insinuate that urban lifestyles would be more resource-saving than rural ones (UNDP Decoupling Report 2011 and a number of quite explicit statements from spatial planners). By merely imitating urban development patterns rural areas end up being more ineffective and more unsustainable than urban areas (e.g. sewerage systems, enforced mobility, housing and diet patterns...). Therefore rural areas have to make the case. Being consequent means a radical shift towards green agriculture and forestry. Not isolated measures, but advanced sustainable farming system should be supported: e.g. Why not set organic standards as the basic requirement for any funding support from 2020 on...using as phasing in period? One example: 50% CROP ROTATION can sufficiently mitigate the corn rootworm hazard better odds for the survival of bees!

7 Theme 2: Governance for CLLD CLLD: don t just update Axis 4 Broad implementation of CLLD in rural, urban, agglomeration and coastal areas would be a great opportunity to rejuvenate the LEADER method which has actually suffered by its subordination under the CAP regime. The increased emphasis on reliable rules of the game (from top down) and on the responsible/accountable role of the LAG in terms of content (bottomup) are warmly welcome. Foreseeable administrative and funding conditions (e.g. earmarked national co-financing, advance payments) are paramount for local partnership-based governance to evolve. What could the area-based approach mean in densely populated (para-urban or peri-urban, in-migration) areas? Variable geometry with fuzzy limits ; molecular design with partly overlapping and freely coalescing LAGs etc. Disquieting: still unclear statements on multi-fund interventions; prevailing different accounting rules per fund; different indicators. Have mercy! Make extensive use of simplified cost options!

8 Theme 3: Rural-urban relationships (1) The challenge of inter-funds coordination CLLD is indeed an ideal methodology for building linkages between urban, rural and fishery areas (Commission fact sheet). However there is obvious reluctance from MS to involve ERDF and ESF in CLLD. CLLD will be the acid test for inter-funds-coordination! The hairy point is the facultative choice of multi-fund strategies shouldn t this become the standard model? We need institutional entrepreneurs in the MS who recognize and harness the innovative potential of the CLLD window.

9 Theme 3: Rural-urban relationships (2) CLLD could become the instrument for regional resilience strategies One of the rare Community policies which actually touches the ground. More sustainable mobility solutions Zero-carbon strategies (housing and urban development) Healthy and low-carbon food supply (short and medium distance value chains) Common welfare economy (social markets, food banks, local exchange and trade systems, third sector employment) Regional energy production/consumption systems Intercultural cohesion New forms of micro-, small and medium enterprise support and business networking (crowd sourcing, crowd funding...)

10 Key references (civil society statements) Kraków Declaration on Sustainable Urban and Rural Development in Europe: ARC Communication on the future agricultural and rural policy: CLLD declaration on CLLD: making it a success : Good Food March from August to 19 September in Bruxelles: