Contribuciones y limitaciones de los programas LEADER en la diversificación económica rural: Alcarria conquense, España (1991-2023)

Francisco José Gallego Moreno; José Álvaro Hernández Flores; José-María Díaz-Puente; Cintya Elizabeth Manrique Anticona

Contributions and Limitations of LEADER Programmes to Rural Economic Diversification: The Case of the Alcarria Conquense Region, Spain (1991-2023)

Authors

Francisco José Gallego Moreno Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2908-0513
José Álvaro Hernández Flores Centro de Estudios Demográficos, Urbanos y Ambientales. El Colegio de México https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8349-0505
José-María Díaz-Puente Universidad Politécnica de Madrid https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8073-560X
Cintya Elizabeth Manrique Anticona Universidad Politécnica de Madrid https://orcid.org/0009-0001-5152-6067

Abstract

Economic diversification is one of the ways to promote the development of European rural territories, particularly those experiencing stagnation and depopulation. The aim of this paper is to examine to what extent the rural development programs with LEADER approach, implemented in La Alcarria Conquense in the last 30 years, have favored the emergence and consolidation of non-agricultural activities and how these have influenced the dynamization of the territory. Through the analysis of the development programs, the categorization of fundable measures, and the evaluation of their impacts on the territory, it is concluded that the actions aimed at supporting SMEs, promoting rural tourism, and enhancing the agricultural sector have been crucial for diversifying the economy of the studied area. Among the limitations associated with this process include the following: the impacts of demographic dynamics on entrepreneurial capacity and innovation; the decline of effectiveness of investments in job creation recorded in recent programming periods; and the limited volume of financial resources allocated to funding programs with the LEADER approach.

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Published

2026-01-07

How to Cite

Gallego Moreno, F. J., Hernández Flores, J. Álvaro, Díaz-Puente, J.-M., & Manrique Anticona, C. E. (2026). Contributions and Limitations of LEADER Programmes to Rural Economic Diversification: The Case of the Alcarria Conquense Region, Spain (1991-2023). AGER. Journal of Depopulation and Rural Development Studies, 42, 5–49. Retrieved from https://recyt.fecyt.es/index.php/AGER/article/view/118266

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Issue

Vol. 42 (2025)

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Artículos

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