Transitional Rural Landscapes : Socio-Environmental Dynamics, Economic Performances and Climate Change

Sustainable development is at the forefront of urban, rural, social, agricultural and economic development policies in European countries, out of these areas, agriculture is researched the least as there is currently more focus on central and urban areas. Salvati and Konaxis present an interdisciplinary and multidimensional examination of the complex evolution of rural systems in advanced economies, and more specifically in Europe and the Mediterranean region, providing an integrated framework approaching environmental problems and socioeconomic issues jointly. Distinctive chapters authored by leading scholars in Europe identify the intrinsic peculiarity of the environmental-economic nexus characteristic of advanced economies and the most important differences with other socioeconomic contexts. Both contributions from a traditional ecological/agronomic vision, and studies having a more strict socio-demographic and economic focus, clarify the role of policies addressing sustainable development goals in the ‘kaleidoscopic’ rural landscape, confirming the need of place-specific approaches to socio-ecological complexity and the partial effectiveness of generalized, top-down measures. Against the archetypal vision of economic backwardness of agricultural and forest systems, Transitional Rural Landscapes shows a dynamic image of rural landscapes under the increasing impact of climate change, providing novel interpretations, conceptual definitions, and operational tools designed to reduce ecological fragility and economic vulnerability.