Dr. Maura Farrell NUI Galway

West Cork Development Partnership

Rural Development Conference

30th November

Personal Introduction

Rural Ireland – Spaces of Change

Shaping Intervention – via – DERREG Research

Key Research Outcomes – Relating to: ◦ Innovation◦ Resilience ◦ Community Spirit in Challenging Times

Lecturing

Undergraduate Agricultural Change andRural Development

Masters in Rural Sustainability

Research

PhD ResearchAgricultural Change andRural Sustainability

Most recent Research DERREG

Lecturer - Discipline of Geography, NUI Galway

Rural areas were always spaces of change

But..

Contemporary Rural Change is different and can be distinguished by two characteristics:

1. The pace and persistence of change Rural economy and society are changing constantly and

rapidly Driven by new technologies and social reform.

2. Totality and Interconnectivity of change Rural areas tightly interconnected by global social and

economic processes.

For Development Partnership to ‘Tap Into’Innovative Practices; witness Rural Resilience andCommunity Spirit they must:

Acknowledge Change

Embrace Variety

See Potential in Difference

Support Innovation

◦

Providing Examples of Good Practice

DERREG Research Project

Developing Europe’s Rural Regions in the Era of Globalisation:

An Interpretative Model for Better

Anticipating and Responding to Challenges for Regional

Development in an Evolving International Context

Seventh Framework Programme - Theme 8 – Socio-Economic Sciences and Humanities - Project – 36 Months Duration – 7 partners

- Aberystwyth University (Lead Partner) (Wales)

- Geography Department, NUI, Galway

- Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography (Germany)

- Mendel University (Czech Republic)

- Institute NeVork, Slovenia

- Nordregio Centre for Spatial Development (Sweden)

- Saarland University (Germany)

- Ljubljana University (Slovenia)

- Wageningen University, The Netherlands

- Sweden

- West Of Ireland

- Lithuania

- Spain

- Slovenia-Goriska

- Slovenia-Pomurska

- Czech Republic

- Netherlands

- Germany-Dresden

- Germany-Saarland

Case Study Regions

1. Global Engagement and Local Embeddedness of Rural Businesses

2. Environmental Capital and Sustainable Rural Development

3. International Mobility and Migration of Rural Populations

4. Capacity Building, Governance and Knowledge Systems

5. Synthesis and Contextualisation of Research and Development of an Interpretative Model

Environmental Capital and Sustainable Rural

Development

- Central Objective

To examine the repositioning of forestry within the Border Midlands and West (BMW) Region of Ireland under influence from the interaction of global, regional and local environmental discourses, including the relative positioning of productivist forestry.

Primary production - no longer mainstay of rural areas (Woods, 2011).

Diversification – may ensure farm viability for farm family - but also huge advantage as a wider rural development initiative

Forestry as a diversification initiative - represents many functions:

◦ Product value◦ Amenity value ◦ Recreation ◦ Energy

EU Policy

EU Rural Development and Forestry Policy: forestry has a role in realising rural development objectives, promoting employment, improving well-being and the environment.

Competitiveness of agriculture and forestry is at the core of Axis 1 of the EU’s Rural Development Policy.

Irish Policy

Ireland - Policy document ‘Growing for the Future’ (1996) increase in forestry cover from 4.8% in 1993 to 17% by 2035. Currently 10%.

Afforestation Scheme - provides forestry grants and premiums – incentives to plant

Five Dimensions

1. Collection of Statistical Data

2. Documentary Analysis

3. Media Analysis

4. Individual Interviews - Key stakeholders

5. Identification of best practice examples of forestry initiatives

Forestry increasingly viewed as an important element of sustaining the rural, but considerable challenges, in particular, ‘buy in’ from farmers.

Nonetheless, - increase in farmer and non-farmer planting and a decline in state planting – from 4.8% in 1993 to 10%.

On-farm diversification relating to forestry was evident –

But…..

Little effect on wider rural development.

County Clare Wood Energy Project

Afforestation as a Rural Development Initiative

Example – County Clare Wood Energy Project.

Clare Local Development Company & Teagasc.

Created a commercially viable wood energy sector.

Thinning cluster; Supply chain and knowledge transfer and information staff.

Forestry is suitably placed to:

◦ Help maintain viable rural communities

◦ To stimulate rural development

◦ Provide alternative/additional rural activities for enterprise, employment etc.

◦ Afforestation is an effective farm diversification policy for the farming community,

however, ◦ without putting additional structures in place it is not effective as

a wider rural development initiative.

Capacity Building, Governance and Knowledge Systems

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Considered the importance of governance arrangements to facilitate the development of grassroots initiatives at the regional and local level, particularly in answering the increasing challenges of globalizing forces.

Examples of specific interfaces/common boundaries

Illustrate diversity of arrangements and interfaces

Reveal extent of existing and potential learning and innovation capacity in a rural context

Highlight nature of blockages and constraints

Firstly - identified public strategies which support learning, innovation and capacity building in a rural and regional development context within the BMW Region

Secondly – carried out a review of the selected grassroots initiatives in terms of support of joint learning and innovation - focusing on support arrangements based on main criteria of initiation, expertise and facilitation, and finance.

10 initiatives selected – narrowed to 4 initiatives.

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EUGovernment DepartmentsBMW Regional AssemblyLEADER

Education and Advisory function

Gleeson’s TownhouseAnd Artisan Foods

Roscommon HomeServices

Grassrootsdevelopment

initiatives

TeagascSt. Angela’s College

VECWDC

‘Public Administration’

Kilbride CommunityDevt Co-operative

Úna Bhán TourismCo-operative

Facilit

ation

of

learn

ing &

inno

vatio

nSupporting

policies

RIDC

Local development prioritised

West of Ireland – County Roscommon

FASPobal CEBRos. Co. Co.

Interfaces or Common Boundaries

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Example 1: Local ‘agency’ collective interfacing

Example 2: Pobal;

Example 3: Gleeson’s Town House and Artisan Foods:

Local ‘Agency’ Collective Interfacing

• Strong inter-agency co-operation• Shared committee membership• A good overview of development needs - • Example: Training needs analysis of micro-

enterprises• Informal collaboration as effort to set locally-

relevant development agenda

• Constrained operational and funding remits (set at national level)

• ‘subcontractors’ of government? (Jones, 2001)

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Pobal (Agency) Interfaces• Delivery agency for government NDP

programmes• Social inclusion/equality focus• Parameters clearly set• One-to-one project support via local

area case officer (CO)• Familiarity with project context• Nature of project/CO relations - Key

to maximising project benefits within set parameters

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From 1996 - Townhouse, Restaurant 2007 - Artisan Food Shop - consolidating

locally-based food connection Place-based identity with high quality local

food production Informal networks with local producers

BMW Voucher Innovation Scheme (marketing local produce in shop)

RIDC’s “Roscommon Food Showcase” initiative –assistance with project planning

Gleeson’s as RIDC main promoters on this project

Catalyst for drawing in other producers

Membership of Good Food Ireland Network (i.e. accessing international network)

International (global) dimension essential to marketing

But, local agencies vital in consolidating local base

Direct forms of support and facilitation

None of the grassroots initiatives could operate without funding supports….

However, observed need for more flexibility in interpreting the way in which funding could be applied.

Certain conditions and parameters attaching to funding (driven by national imperatives) - can dilute core aims of initiatives – as they make decisions to ‘trade off’ between securing funding to keep them operating, or trying to go alone without support.

Level of paperwork and perceived ‘red-tape’ - applying for funding could be better streamlined - reflecting the voluntary nature of the initiatives.

Indirect forms of support and facilitation

Formal and informal networking - vital for exchange of information and developing systems of mutual support and facilitation.

For Example:

The on-going involvement of agencies - a core part of the value in this networking – they have ability to act as interface between initiatives and government (main provider of finance)

They are in the position to provide key information and advice on funding and other capacity-building opportunities such as training, or to guide initiatives in the case of major policy changes.

They provide more informal support through their ability to link initiatives with each other or with other agencies.

E.g. Agencies in County Roscommon - representatives on each other’s management boards - facilitates - on-going flow of information and knowledge

Linking initiatives and networking initiatives – hugely important

Achieved through representatives from organisations or initiatives occupying places on agency boards of management.

Links between the initiatives surveyed and third level institutes were almost non-existent.

Support from local communities for initiatives was regarded as an important dimension that would ultimately help to build capacity and ensure success.

However, it would appear that levels of local awareness and support varied and were not by any means assured. If there is not support and buy-in from the local community, then an important layer in the knowledge and capacity-building process is missing.

DERREG Project Research showed: Good Practice Example showed:

◦ Innovation◦ Resilience ◦ Community Spirit in Challenging Times

Significance of Rural Agencies as the interfacebetween RD initiatives/organisations andgovernment for the continued sustainability anddevelopment of rural spaces.

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Thank You