Rethinking the links between farm modernisation, rural development and resilience

RETHINK is a transdisciplinary research project supported by the European Commission and and funding bodies in 14 countries under the umbrella of FP7 and RURAGRI-ERANET. The project ran from August 2013 until January 2016.

In RETHINK we address following questions: How do market forces, societal demands and resource constraints interact to create opportunities and constraints for agriculture and rural areas across Europe? Where are the links between farm modernisation, rural development and resilience and how can we shape positively? And, how can we develop the relationships between rural areas and urban centres in ways that increases overall resilience? In addressing these questions the RETHINK project also explores the meaning of agricultural, modernisation. It does so at a time of potentially profound change - when the agricultural sector must finally respond to increasing resource scarcity and distributional demands, and when economies, production systems and lifestyles must be transformed. RETHINK explores the connections between the development of agriculture and the wider societal and policy goal of vibrant and prosperous rural areas, explicitly recognizing the complexity of the challenges, the diversity in situations, and the multidimensionality of strategies for a more balanced development.

Visit the website of the international project   |   Download the flyer of the int. project

The results from the 14 participating countries are available as 4-page leaflets at the international Rethink website: Reports and publications on the Rethink website

Publications in English

Darnhofer, I. (2018). Using comic-style posters for engaging participants and for promoting researcher reflexivity. International Journal of Qualitative Methods 17(1): 1-12.

Knickel, K., M. Redman, I. Darnhofer, A. Ashkenazy et al. (2018). Between aspirations and reality: Making farming, food systems and rural areas more resilient, sustainable and equitable. Journal of Rural Studies 59: 197-210.

Sumane, S, I. Kunda, K. Knickel, A. Strauss, T. Tisenkopfs, et al. (2018). Local and farmers' knowledge matters! How integrating informal and formal knowledge enhances sustainable and resilient agriculture. Journal of Rural Studies 59: 232-241.

Darnhofer, I., C. Lamine, A. Strauss, and M. Navarette (2016). The resilience of family farms: Towards a relational approach. Journal of Rural Studies 44: 111-122.

Strauss, A. (2016). Farmers facing change: The role of informal knowledge and social learning. Jahrbuch der Österreichischen Gesellschaft für Agrarökonomie 25: 169-178.

Darnhofer, I. and A. Strauss (2015). Organic farming and resilience - Strengthening networks and creative adaptation. Folder with key results for the Rethink Final Conference, on 2 Dec. 2015 in Brussels.

Darnhofer, I. and A. Strauss (2015). Organic farming and resilience. Poster with key results for the Rethink Final Conference, on 2 Dec. 2015 in Brussels.

Strauss, A., I. Darnhofer (2015). Enabling diversity: the ‘Organic Hay Region’. Proceedings of the XXVI ESRS Congress - Places of Possibility? Rural Societies in a Neoliberal World, held 18-21 August 2015 in Aberdeen (Scotland), pp. 178-179.

Šūmane, S., K. Knickel, I. Kunda, I. de los Rios, M. Rivera Méndez, A. Strauss and T. Tisenkopfs (2015). Informal knowledge and learning for alternative modernisation pathways in agriculture. Proceedings of the XXVI ESRS Congress - Places of Possibility? Rural Societies in a Neoliberal World, held 18-21 August 2015 in Aberdeen (Scotland), pp. 180-182.

Darnhofer, I., A. Strauss (2015). Organic farming and resilience. Case Study Report, Deliverable 3.3; 55 pp.

Strauss, A. (2014). Family farms in the mountain regions: What principles contribute to resilience? Poster presented at the Forum Alpinum - Alpine resources: Use, valorisation and management from local to macro-regional scale, held 17-19 Sept. 2014 in Darfo Boario Therme, Italy

Darnhofer, I., A. Strauss (2014). Resilience of family farms: understanding the trade-offs linked to diversification. Proceedings of the 11th European IFSA Symposium - Farming systems facing global challenges: Capacities and strategies, held 1-4 April 2014 in Berlin (Germany), pp. 1777-1787.

Darnhofer, I., I. de los Rios, K. Knickel, M. Koopmans, C. Lamine, G. Olsson, K. de Roest, E. Rogge, S. Sumane and T. Tisenkopfs (2014). Analytical Framework. RETHINK - Rethinking the links between farm modernisation, rural development and resilience in a world of increasing demands and finite resources. FP7/RURAGRI Project.

Darnhofer, I., C. Lamine and K. Knickel (2013). Conceptual Framework. RETHINK - Rethinking the links between farm modernisation, rural development and resilience in a world of increasing demands and finite resources. FP7/RURAGRI Project. More publications available in German, see German website

Interviews and workshops

In the year 2014 over 30 interviews were held with farmers, 10 workshops with farmers, and 3 workshops with stakeholders were held. These yielded rich data which is currently being analyzed. The protocols of the workshops (in German) are available for download from the German project-website.

Short movies from Salzburg

To make the project results available to a broad audience, farmers were asked to state their insights about farm resilience and we filmed them. Five families were visited: they present their farms and talk about their perception, experiences and opinions regarding whalt allowed their farm to persevere and adapt over the decates.

The films were made in Sept. 2014, with gorgeous weather. The results are available as three short video clips (of about 7 minutes each), which are available on YouTube (in German with English subtitles):
Resilience requires diversity
Resilience means learning
Resilience as a process

We would like to thank the families for their time and their valuable input for the project.

Project results as graphic-poster

Resilience of farms - File in high resolution

Farm resilence in the regional context - File in high resolution

To avoid yet another lengthy and word-laden project report, we chose to summarize the key results from the interviews and the workshops on two large 'graphic posters' (originals are: 1 x 3 meters). The posters were designed in collaboration with graphic recording artist DI Alexander Czernin.

Final RETHINK-conference in Brussels in December 2015

On 2nd of December the final RETHINK-conference was held in Brussels. Participants of the 14 countries used this conference to reflect on their case study results and exchange experiences and lessons learned.

You can find the program here: Final conference

How is modernisation interpreted by farmers and regional actors across the different countries? Which pathways do they create and shape and what kind of regional and international support strengthen the resilience of agricultural and rural systems?

The Austrian case study results were presented in from of a 4-page leaflet and a poster.

Both is available here:
Leaflet
Poster

The results from the other project countries are also available as 4-page leaflets at the international Rethink website:
Reports and publications on the Rethink website (in english)

Project team

Assoc.Prof. Dr. Ika Darnhofer   |   Website

Dipl.Ing. Agnes Strauss

Institute of Agriculture and  Forestry Economics
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Feistmantelstr. 4. 1180 Vienna