The three pillars supporting rural areas: resident self-governance, village community, social economy

Residents' participation in creating a public forum for regional issues and building trust and cooperation within the community, establishing a sustainable foundation for the social economy. In 1992, as the Uruguay Round negotiations were coming to a close, the European Union (EU) boldly reformed its agricultural subsidy-centered policy, introducing the 'Direct Payment' and 'Rural Development' policies. It highlighted that agriculture is not merely an industry but a 'social role' that provides various public functions to the state and the people. Farmers were no longer just beneficiaries of subsidies but transformed into 'public service providers' who maintain the countryside and manage the environment. The EU's agricultural policy innovation became a turning point that changed the agricultural policy paradigms of countries around the world. Initially, the direct payment system was implemented for farmers, but later its scope expanded to the overall public functions of rural ...