This book presents the methodology and results of a three-year, eleven-country science-to-policy research project - Toward a Policy Model of Multifunctional Agriculture and Rural Development - undertaken between 2005 and 2008 and financed under the European Union's Sixth Framework program. It deals with an important contemporary policy issue: how best to ensure that an agriculturally-based policy can contribute to the development of rural regions. It tackles this problem in a number of different but complementary ways, primarily by the development of a unique and innovative dynamic systems model, POMMARD (a Policy Model of Multifunctional Agriculture and Rural Development).

This book presents the methodology and results of a three-year, eleven-country science-to-policy research project, Toward a Policy Model of Multifunctional Agriculture and Rural Development, undertaken between 2005 and 2008 and financed under the European Union's Sixth Framework program. It deals with an important contemporary policy issue, how best to ensure that an agriculturally-based policy can contribute to the development of rural regions. It tackles this problem in a number of different but complementary ways, primarily by the development of a unique and innovative dynamic systems model, POMMARD (a Policy Model of Multifunctional Agriculture and Rural Development).

Integrated Development of Agriculture and Rural Areas in Central European Countries presents the exciting results of original research on the integrated development of agriculture and rural areas in the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland. This edited collection includes academics from both Western and Central European Countries who worked together on a three-year research project. The project yielded unique data that covers different aspects of rural development-both agriculture and non-agricultural activities-and is of special relevance owing to these countries' status as new members of the European Union. Following an introduction into the transition process and the current situations in each country, variations in farm performance are analyzed, a detailed look is taken at the rural development in the EU, the role of non-agricultural farm diversification is analyzed, and the major findings of the research are presented. This exceptional collection compiled by Davidova, Bauer, and Cuddy, will appeal to scholars of agriculture and rural economics and policy.