The Valorization of Agri-Food and Forestry Products as an Example of Innovation and Multifunctionality in the LEADER Approach in Castilla y León

Abstract

In this chapter, we investigate the contribution made by LEADER grants to the development of successful projects aimed at the valorization of agri-food and forestry products. We focus in particular on the typological analysis of these LEADER funded projects and their contribution to the development of territorialized, multifunctional agrarian systems in Castilla y León in Spain. The regional context of analysis—the 44 local action groups that operate in Castilla y León—provides a framework for this case study of three success stories that we believe are representative of the efficacy of these investments in both social and territorial terms. Our aim is to emphasize the continued importance of the farming and forestry sectors in rural areas and the economic potential for the diversification of associated activities which contribute to rural development. To this end, we investigate the investments and actions organized and channelled through the local action groups (LAG) aimed at improving rural areas within the framework of the new discourse on sustainability, which the climate, health and geostrategic crises have prioritized in relation to the supply of primary sector products.