Afforestation of rural land in Greece: A multinomial logistic regression analysis of driving factors

Abstract

This article deals with the importance of European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development through the implementation of afforestation schemes in rural communities. The main aim of the article is to investigate the spatial patterns of afforestation in Greece, the driving factors behind these patterns as well as the degree of the success of the EU policy for forest expansion through afforestation of arable land. Therefore, the focus is on providing a concrete appraisal regarding the contribution of EU 2080/92 and 1257/99 Regulations to the improvement of regional forest status by means of increasing forest areas and improving the local people's standard of living. The study area covers the entire Greek territory which consists of 51 administrative prefectures. Methodologically speaking, the empirical analysis is based on a multinomial logistic regression model targeted at providing a thorough understanding of the major driving factors that influence rural communities' response to the regulations. The environmental importance of arable land afforestation is highlighted as well as the extent to which the regulations has met the initial expectations. © 2009 WIT Press.