Sostenibilidad y políticas de desarrollo rural: el caso de la Tierra de Campos vallisoletana

The important problems of depopulation are of great concern to Spanish society and its political leaders. They are the result of a long process of physical and economic exodus of our rural areas in favor of a more efficient economy, based on the polarization of activities and resources in large urban areas, and the agricultural production specialization in rural territories. Rural Development Programs, such as LEADER and PRODER, have been an attempt to alleviate the perverse effects of this model through the development of greater productive diversity. This would allow the maintenance and attraction of new population and the development of new economic activities. After a quarter of a century of its application it is time to evaluate the results of these initiatives and analyze whether the goodwill but limited resources have even been able to alleviate the crisis of the most affected rural areas, the so-called deep rural areas. Although there was a genuine interest in the modernization and revitalization of rural areas, the effects have not always been as expected. In some cases, it has been due to an excess of perspectives, while in others a lack of real capacity in the target areas existed. In all cases, a clear disproportion between goals and effective means to achieve them happened. This study analyzes the Valladolid area of Tierra de Campos, with the aim of evaluating its effects on economic diversification, social sustainability and depopulation.