FACE

Rural Development
	The issue of Rural Development continues to climb up the European agenda, particularly as the calls for modulation of CAP payments grow. Given that hunting features as a socio-economic activity in most rural areas, more attention needs to be given to the actual value of hunting in these areas. This value includes:
Direct economic benefits - payments by hunters towards hunting fees, equipment accommodation etc. Environmental benefits - these include aspects related to conservation activities, ecosystem retention and management. Social benefits - hunting is often a very important social and cultural activity in many rural areas which has value in binding communities as well as offering useful social integration tools. Future bequest benefits - hunting helps retain a link to rural areas and an understanding of ecosystem functioning that serves to retain cultural knowledge and understanding for future generations. Given that hunting is a widespread component of rural activities it is vital that its importance be assessed, particularly in more marginal areas. To this end FACE is looking to support socio-economic evaluations of hunting in Europe in order to advance our understanding of the economic benefits to better inform rural development policy.