Rural Affective Economies

“Rural Affective Economies is a sophisticated theoretical meditation on the role played by visions of the past and future in creating narratives meant to sustain and rebuild rural communities.” David Sutton, Southern Illinois University "Blending practical case studies with anthropological theory, Rural Affective Economy is a great contribution to the study of local rural development in Europe and one which reveals the crucial importance of food cultures within resilient economies." Sabine Parrish, University of Aberdeen “Both theoretical and practical, Rural Affective Economies will be of interest to anthropologists, geographers, policy makers and others with an interest in using local foods to reinvigorate rural communities struggling with rapid depopulation and economic marginalisation, in Europe and beyond.” Jakob Klein, SOAS University of London This book delves into the development trajectories of rural Europe, with a specific focus on Italy. The book addresses the key challenges rural communities face and explores the potential for grassroots development. The concept of affective economy is central to the book, which is introduced and utilized to analyze these dynamics. The book assesses local food heritage and agrifood chains to showcase how these elements can serve as pillars for sustainable local development. It provides tools and methodologies for identifying and documenting food heritage, offering practical insights for public and private stakeholders interested in fostering local economic growth, and shows how how emotional and social bonds within communities can drive sustainable growth. This book is a must-read for academics and practitioners passionate about sustainable development who want to envision concrete strategies for rural development. Michele Filippo Fontefrancesco is an associate professor of cultural anthropology at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Italy. Since 2022, he has been the convenor of the Network of Anthropology of Food in the European Association of Social Anthropology. His research focuses on economic anthropology and food anthropology, particularly on issues concerning local development in Europe and Eastern Africa. He is the author of Food Festivals and Local Development in Italy (Palgrave, 2020).