Market and State-supported Sustainability: A Tale of Two Rural Communities in Iowa and Italy

The aim of the article is to compare, using surveys, interviews and participant observation, long-term development strategies in two rural communities, one in Iowa (Amana Colonies) and the other in southern Italy (Val Comino). The Amana Colonies have chosen a market model whereas the Val Comino uses a model supported with funds from the European Community. Both strategies prioritise local ability to co-ordinate actions across geographical and institutional scales. The findings suggest that the efficiency of the two strategies is wearing out and their long-term sustainability is in question. In the case of southern Italy, this is because powerful members in local institutions operate on conventions of clientelism and corporativism; in the Amanas it is because shareholders who live in the community are interested in preserving the identity of the territory whereas those who do not are interested in the corporation's dividends.