Main Outcome
Everyone has their own understanding of rural areas, a picture in their head of village life. Much of this may be accurate,
but unless regularly checked against reality, commonly-held views can become outdated and cease to be
a reliable basis for decision making. Many decisions have to be taken in the next few years as Bosnia and Herzegovina
strengthens its rural development plans and prepares to implement the EU’s “Instrument for Pre-accession in
Agriculture and Rural Development” (IPARD). The unique contribution of this report is not to anticipate the results
of that planning process but to prepare the ground, to challenge commonly-held assumptions and help establish
where the truth really lies.
