Sustainable Development of an Agricultural Region – The Case of the Allgäu, Southern Germany

Abstract

Since the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, much has been written about sustainable development. Nevertheless, information about sustainable development linked explicitly to a particular region is still relatively rare. In this review, we analyse and evaluate the sustainable development of the Allgau, a rural agricultural region in southern Germany which has high touristic potential. The Allgau is a typical rural region which had to experience many challenges, and undergo many changes and adaptations during its history, even when living conditions were not easy until the midst of the twentieth century. From our evaluation we conclude that there is a relatively positive economic, social and ecological development towards sustainability. There exists a good economic and income situation for most people, good ecological conditions with relatively rich biodiversity, a relatively well-established social structure, as well as a certain identity with the region and relatively low social discrepancy. Nevertheless, different actual and future threats exist such as potential negative impacts related to increased development of the tourism sector, intensification or abandonment of agriculture in certain areas, or loss of traditions and customs.