ABSTRACT. There have been few comprehensive assessments of what research has learned about the development of real alternatives in rural Europe, major agents in sustaining rural economies and cultures, and the socio-environmental role of agriculture. My aim in this paper is to examine the emerging rural development paradigm, organizational systems of autonomous and endogenous rural development, and new opportunities and threats to rural social structures. pp. 239–244
JEL Classification: R51, O18, P25

Keywords: rural development, Europe, agriculture, social structures