Neorurality is frequently associated with social economy projects, commonzing processes and the enhancing of alternative food production and distribution systems as well as re-framing imbalances between central and rural areas. However, neorurality as brand and institutional project can carry multiple colonialities, being vehicle of rural gentrification, essentialization and exploitation of both land and people. In this paper we compare different neorural experiences in the context of southern Europe. The first is the case of Cooperativa Minga in Montemor-o-Novo, Portugal. A group of neorurals, aiming for the possibility of developing personal life projects, create a cooperative that works as a common financial structure. This structure facilitates the development of autonomous productive, commercial and services-directed activities of its members as well as social solidarity economy. Moving to Italy, we identify the neorural discourse whereby different institutions, public organisations, foundations and private entrepreneurs articulating rurality as a possible strategy of economic development to fill the gap of state marginalization of these regions. Through these articulations, (images of) rurality circulates among local communities, attaching motivations and behaviour to a competition strategy constructed around the agrotouristic sector, producing a rural entrepreneurial subjectivity. Finally, we discuss a series of private agencies initiatives to promote a specific type of neorurality based in social innovations, rural idylls and extractive perspective of the rural areas. This discussion shows a divide between emancipatory-oriented neorurality based on the autonomous household practices constructing new commons and multispecies solidarities and a modernity-driven globally integrated small rural property by digital platforms (ecommerce) and the logistic sector constructed over an instrumentalist vision of nature. Furthermore, this discussion aims to point to the struggles and co-optation processes of these type of dynamics in rural areas, and how these co-optation processes influence not only the projects themselves but also the territory, urban planning as well as future neorurals perspectives.

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This talk is associated with the following record:

• Decolonizing neorurality. Co-optation processes and limitations of social economy practices among southern European neorurals