FS 3.224: Agricultural and non-agricultural jobs in rural communities and attractiveness o

Working and living in the mountain areas can be a challenge, taking into account the natural constraints: steep slopes limit the development of highly productive agriculture compared to the lowlands and make it difficult to link rural communities in mountain areas with adjacent urban centers (e.g. roads). Despite these difficulties, farming and communities in mountain areas remain dynamic and face fast transformations. Agriculture and livestock farming are still significant economic activities that provide jobs. However, low wages and high workloads are some of the reasons for people to leave, especially younger people. The development of tourism, alternative energy production, and other emerging economic sectors in mountain areas can increase the area’s attractiveness by creating new opportunities and jobs for people living in rural communities. We invite proposals addressing (but not limited to) the following topics: 1. Integrating agricultural and non-agricultural activities: opportunities and challenges 2. Impact of tourism development, renewable energy, and other emerging sectors on mountain communities. 3. Attracting and retaining people to work on mountain farms 4. Resources to promote the diversification of agricultural and non-agricultural jobs in rural communities (logistics, labour, infrastructure, energy, knowledge, etc.) 5. Opportunities and challenges for public and private initiatives to improve the attractiveness of mountain areas Interdisciplinary approaches are encouraged.