Effectiveness of the Leader Initiative as an Instrument of Rural Development. Case Study of Extremadura (Spain)

Abstract

The Communication "The future of food and agriculture" (European Commission, 2017) is the starting point for a new reform of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) that, once again, will condition the future of European rural development actions. In this context, given the irrelevance to which the European policy of rural development is headed, this research aims to
claim the Leader Community Initiative as a useful and effective instrument to face the challenges of the rural environment. Taking as reference the first editions of the aforementioned Initiative and its application to a specific region, this research evaluates the capacity of these programs to mobilize rural resources and, at the same time, promote their economic diversification. The methodology used establishes these objectives as specificities of the Leader method and, based on an analysis of its financial execution and the projects, evaluates to what extent the implementation of the Initiative remains true to integraits principles and philosophy. The results of the investigation show that, in the achievement of these objectives, will be highly relevant the projects directed to the valorisation and commercialization of agricultural productions.