ABSTRACT
The economic and social changes that characterized the 1990s in the Western Balkans radically shaped both the production system and population distribution within the region. Rural areas had to face migration issues, farm abandonment, and the inability to recognize and exploit the value of local resources. At the same time for historical, geographical, and economic reasons, land represents a crucial asset for the Western Balkan countries in Southeastern Europe. Agriculture and rural economies are a necessary basis for the promotion of economic development and social stability. Moreover, agriculture and rural development policies represent key challenges to the integration process of all Western Balkan countries into the European Community. However, in such frameworks rural development policies still maintain a strong agricultural connotation, being focused on food production and productivity, and on the farmers and the environment who manage them. This chapter discusses the major economic, political, social, and demographic factors driving rural development and provides a regional overview by analyzing the challenges, the design, and the objectives of rural policy in different countries of the region, with specific attention to the situations of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Kosovo, and North Macedonia.
