The sustainable development of rural areas

Up to now, a large part of the debate and the initiatives involving rural areas have still tended to concentrate on activities orientated to markets (qualification of the productions, valorisation of the system of services to tourism, interventions on the valorisation of cultural resources), leaving the support actions regarding social capital and human resources in the background. The renewed centrality of the rural nature of local development directions needs careful reflection on the significance of the support actions and policies of these areas. The material resources (the products, services, high quality manufactured goods) and immaterial resources (local culture, traditions, lifestyles) present in rural areas are an integral part of the values around which the development actions of these territories, and not only these, must absolutely revolve. For this reason, rural area support policies must provide for, besides the support of productive activities, interventions on the available social capital, favouring its continuity and renewal. Investment in human resources assumes, therefore, renewed significance for the promotion of the rural character, laying the bases, for a re-qualification action, which has now become indispensable.