ABSTRACT

Agricultural activity is still a key factor for rural development. The high competitiveness of Murcia’s agriculture is everyday having to face new problems and challenges. The imbalance between natural resources and their regeneration capacity is due to the high agricultural and industrial holdings that have been instituted in recent decades as well as to southern Spain’s own meteorological problems. In addition, social difficulties also add up. Because of the existing problems, and with the aim of finding effective solutions to obtain the highest profitability and first quality products, certain entrepreneurs have adopted competitive strategies based on quality and innovation in the production process, under the conceptual basis of “Working With People” (WWP) and from a social learning perspective that encourages the resilience of the sector. The actual and future trend is that for the managing of agricultural systems, measures where agriculture development and environmental conservation coexist should be taken, allowing the progression towards a sustainable agricultural model. Measures taken in this direction and under the conceptual framework WWP by the Agrarian Transformation Society Camposeven will be looked at and discussed.

Keywords: rural development, intensive agriculture, innovation, product certification, organic farming, Working With People, resilience