=Paper=
{{Paper
|id=Vol-2030/HAICTA_2017_paper50
|storemode=property
|title=Rural Renaissance – Fostering Innovation and Business Opportunities in the Quarry Sector of Paggaio Municipality
|pdfUrl=https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2030/HAICTA_2017_paper50.pdf
|volume=Vol-2030
|authors=Thomas Panagopoulos,Paraskevi Karanikola,Stilianos Tampakis,Nikoleta Gounari,Antonios Tampakis
|dblpUrl=https://dblp.org/rec/conf/haicta/PanagopoulosKTG17
}}
==Rural Renaissance – Fostering Innovation and Business Opportunities in the Quarry Sector of Paggaio Municipality==
https://ceur-ws.org/Vol-2030/HAICTA_2017_paper50.pdf
Rural renaissance – fostering innovation and business
opportunities in the quarry sector of Paggaio
Municipality
Thomas Panagopoulos 1, Paraskevi Karanikola2*, Stilianos Tampakis2, Nikoleta Gounari2,
Antonios Tampakis3
1
Research Center for Spatial and Organizational Dynamics (CIEO),
University of Algarve, Gambelas Campus, 8000
Faro, Portugal (tpanago@ualg.pt)
2
Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resources,
Democritus University of Thrace, 68200, Orestiada, Greece (pkaranik@fmenr.duth.gr,
stampaki@fmenr.duth.gr, nikoletadgounari@hotmail.com)
3
Department of Forestry and Natural Environment
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece (atampaki@for.auth.gr)
*Corresponding author: E-mail: pkaranik@fmenr.duth.gr
Abstract. In the Municipality of Paggaio near to Kavala city, the main sectors
of development in the region constitute agriculture and stock breeding. There
are also 8 active quarries extracting white marble and slate. The quarrying
industries take place in the region related only to a small part of the population.
Nevertheless residents of the nearby villages perceive that quarrying activities
contribute to the economic development and employment accepting the
creation of new quarrying industries in their region. Major problem according
to residents constitutes the abandonment of quarries after the exploitation that
reduces the quality of the landscape. They are of the opinion that the quarrying
products don’t have the appropriate promotion. The most preferable mean of
information is done from Internet and merely by the private companies.
Although the residents realize that there is a great opportunity of creative
tourism and elaboration of the materials extracted from the quarry for the
experienced handcrafters working the marble and slates. The development of
the quarrying activities in the region in combination with a sense of place in
architecture will offer a better quality of live to the young people to stay in
their region.
Keywords: Primary sector, development, quarrying activities, landscape
quality, creative tourism.
1 Introduction
As agriculture loses its importance as a source of income throughout the
development word, the rural population gradually shifts to alternative sources of
415
income (Apostolopoulos et al., 2000; Freshwater, 2000). The decline in farm activity
and the rise in farm income diversification through off income- generating activities
go hand in hand (Ahituv and Kimhi, 2006).
The question is if the relative importance of agriculture in the rural economy has
impact on the standard of living. On the one hand, it would be that communities with
a relatively large share of agriculture so that farming is profitable enough even at
times of decline overall terms of trade in agriculture. On the other hand, perhaps the
relatively large share of agriculture indicates lack of alternative income resources
rather than lower incentives to engage in other income generating activities (Kimhi,
2011). Creative tourism allows visitors to deepen contact with the local culture by
directly participating in cultural/creative activities and being involved in the creative
life of the destination. On the top of these arguments, given the flow of urban
families who join rural communities in order to improve their quality of life
(Mitchell, 2004).
The last eight years Greece covers a time of deep economic depression in which the
National GDP reduced about 25% and unemployed increased 28%. In those years of
economic crisis, we have the phenomenon that young people return to agriculture and
countryside. In rural areas the unemployment is little lower than in urban areas.
Young people return to agriculture activities because they expect a better quality of
life (Kasimis and Zografakis, 2014).
Although rural areas considered marginalized and having features that avert the
local population to establish a venture or make them less attractive for others to
invest, this handicap is twofold, linked to features regarding low density of
population, luck of infrastructure and geographical isolation, ageing, luck of skilled
labor force and conservatism (Spilanis et al. 2004) today there is a growing interest,
an outcome both of a globalized economy and the change role of the countryside in
the development of entrepreneurship. This trend has been embedded in policy
frameworks for the development of the rural, through a multi- sectorial approach
(Iakovidou, et al., 2012; Lekkos and Leventakis, (2015).
Within this framework residents have been stimulated to develop entrepreneurial
activities and new roles in the local communities. A prerequisite for the efficient and
effective local development strategy is innovation in products, processes and
management (Ciannarella and Piccioni, 2007). The Creative Tourism concept
appeared in the 2000′s, and defined as a tourism, which offers visitors the
opportunity to develop their creative potential through active participation in learning
experiences, which are characteristic of the holiday destination where they are taken
(Richards and Wilson, 2000).
Because households in rural communities that rely heavily more on agriculture have
negatively effects on their income comparatively that they created alternative
employment opportunities in rural areas and prevent rural poverty (Kimhi, 2011).
According to Kasimis and Zografakis (2014), in Greek households the higher
dependence have from agriculture, the most population has income under the poverty
level. So it is necessary to the rural communities to promote new economic activities
for supplementing their income.
The main objective of the paper is to record through questionnaire, the residents’
opinion about the opportunity there is in the region for the renaissance the primary
416
sector by fostering and promoting the quarrying products, marbles and slates that
have been excluded from the quarries developing creativity in tourist experiences.
2 Methodology
The research area of this study was the municipality of Paggaio in Northeastern
Greece, which covers a total area of 698.01 km2 and accounts 32,085 residents.
The sampling method used was simple random sampling. In order to calculate the
sample size, a pre-sampling was conducted on a sample of 50 respondents. The size
of this sample was calculated based on the formulae of simple random sampling
(where t = 1.96 and e = 0.048). Even though simple random sampling without off
reset was used, the correction of the finite population can be omitted as the sample
size n is small in relation to the population size N. More specifically, the sample size
was determined to 400 individuals. The data collection was carried out during the
second semester of 2016.
In the two groups of variables (variable 3 and 4) frequency analysis, with more
than two criteria, was carried out. The hierarchical loglinear analysis was applied.
Prior to the initiation of the loglinear analysis (in particular of the hierarchical) it is
intentional to examine the size of the expected frequencies in the crossing table.
Large number of the expected frequencies (higher than 20%) with rate lower than 5 –
but not lower than 1, run the risk of leading to the power loss of the applied analysis.
This examination is carried out with control of double-sided crossing tables through
the SPSS program. The classes of variables were grouped in order to satisfy the
above-mentioned conditions. Our data are classified in accordance with 3 or 4 criteria
and express frequencies. The assumption Ho is: Ho: 3 or 4 criteria are fully
independent from each other. It is unlikely for this assumption to be accepted, but the
analysis will allow the precise level of various interrelations and will be included in a
model that expresses the data interrelations.
Statistic controls of optimum adjustment are used for the estimation of the
correspondence degree between the model and the data. Statistical significance
shows that the examined model does not represent the observed frequencies
perfectly, whereas the statistical non-significance means that the examined model is
adjusted to the observed frequencies respectively. X2 test is applied.
Loglinear analysis forms a special case of multiple regression analysis according
to which one or more variables relate to others, in the framework of a
multidimensional crossing table. During this analysis, all homogrades are considered
independent and any recess of the crossing table dependent. Finally, in order to
interpret the impacts on the model of optimum adjustment, we present the data in the
form of one or two – dimensional tables.
417
3 Results and discussion
Four hundred completed questionnaires filled out from the local people (235 males
and 165 females). Most of them 34.8% are young (18-30 years old), mainly farmers
or stockbreeders (22%) with medium education (36.3%), married (52%).
Residents of Municipality of Paggaio asked to evaluate the development sectors (Fig.
1). According to this, the most important sectors are mainly agriculture and stock
breeding, tourism and forestry. The residents evaluate lower, sectors like mining and
quarrying activities. This happens because of the economic crisis, the constructions
in the area are very limited (the construction sector evaluated even lower).
Something else 3.8%, sp=0.0095
Quarrying activities 15.0%, sp=0.0179
Mining activities 5.5%, sp=0.0114
Cottage industry 16.3%, sp=0.0184
Trade 23.8%, sp=0.0213
Industry 8.5%, sp=0.0139
Tourism 40.3%, sp=0.0245
Construction 12.3%, sp=0.0164
Stock breeding 52.3%, sp=0.0256
Forestry 40.0%, sp=0.0245
Agriculture 76.5%, sp=0.0212
0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0%
Figure 1. Importance of main sectors of development in the Municipality of Paggaio
Then they asked about their satisfaction of their living in the village. The residents
are rather satisfied (43.5%, sp=0.0248) for their quality of life in their region and
42.0%, sp=0.0247 are little satisfied for their annual incomes. Also the majority of
them (50.3, sp=0.0250) are of the opinion that the region doesn’t give them
opportunities to stay young people in their village. It is important to mention that
only 2.5% (sp=0.0078) of the respondents activated in quarries, 2.3% (sp=0.0074)
with elaboration of marbles and slates and 3.5% (sp=0.0092) with placement of them.
Then the residents were asked to rate the level of significance of the quarrying
effects in the area (Table 1). Although it is well known the impacts of the quarrying
and mining activities in the environment and health, the residents of the municipality
of Paggaio underline more the positive effects of recruiting of the employment and
supporting the local economy and more negative the reduction of the landscape
quality almost ignoring the negative results in the soil, underground water and
418
peoples health. These make to us obvious the importance for the people to raise their
income finding job.
In the group of variables “quality of life”, “opportunities to stay the young people
in their village”, “Recruiting the employment” long liner analysis was applied.
We have interaction per 3 criteria, because the X2 for Pearson’s test is 0.755 with
probability (p)=0.686 and because the X2 likelihood ratio is 0.757 with probability
(p)=0.685. The above-mentioned results are confirmed by the zero/“null” controls for
the interaction of the k terms and the terms of higher degree, as well as the “null”
controls for the interaction of the k terms.
In fact, for two pairs of variables there is a statistically significant interaction:
Residents are absolutely satisfied or satisfied with the quality of life believe that there
are the opportunities of young people to stay in their village, correspondently the
people are not at all or little satisfied with their quality of life they are of the opinion
that there aren’t opportunities for the young people to stay.
Table1. Effects of the quarries in the area
Either
Very positive Very
positive negative
positive nor negative
negative
% 23.8% 34.5% 36.0% 4.5% 1.3%
Local economy
sp 0.0216 0.0238 0.0240 0.0104 0.0056
% 3.0% 10.5% 41.0% 40.8% 4.8%
Soil
sp 0.0085 0.0153 0.0246 0.0246 0.0106
% 0.8% 7.0% 49.0% 38.0% 5.3%
Underground water
sp 0.0043 0.0128 0.0250 0.0243 0.0112
% 2.8% 7.3% 25.3% 46.5% 18.3%
Landscape quality
sp 0.0082 0.0130 0.0217 0.0249 0.0193
% 0.8% 5.5% 68.8% 22.0% 3.0%
People’s health
sp 0.0043 0.0114 0.0232 0.0207 0.0085
% 37.0% 36.5% 22.8% 3.3% 0.5%
Recruiting the employment
sp 0.0241 0.0241 0.0210 0.0089 0.0035
Residents state that the quarries effects are very positive or positive to recruit the
employment also are of the opinion that there are opportunities of staying the young
people to their village. Respectively, residents rate as very negative to neither
positive nor negative the effect of recruiting the employment, also state that the
young people do not have opportunities to stay to their region.
419
As shown in Table 2 most residents agree to permit new excavations of aggregate
material, slates and marbles.
Most of the residents (52.3%, sp=0.0250), are of the opinion that the elaboration
units are little in the region, also (36.3%, sp=0.0244) the well trained personnel to
work on. To the group of variables “Recruit the employment”, “permission of
excavation stones” “elaboration units” “exist of well-trained personnel” also
longliner analysis is applied. We have interaction per 4 criteria, because the X2 for
Pearson’s test is 12.159 with probability p=0.144 and because the X2 likelihood ratio
is 12.388 with probability p=0.135. The above-mentioned results are confirmed by
the zero/“null” controls for the interaction of the k terms and the terms of higher
degree, as well as the “null” controls for the interaction of the k terms. In fact, for
three pairs of variables there is a statistically significant interaction: According to
this residents that agree with the permission of new excavations state that the quarries
effect very positive to positive to the local economy and there are few well trained
personnel work on elaboration unit. Respectively the ones that disagree or are
indifferent with the permission are also indifferent or negative about the effects of
quarries to the local economy and are of the opinion that there are a lot of well-
trained personnel that works on units.
Table 2. Permission for create new excavations
Absolutely Neither agree Absolutely
disagree agree
Disagree or disagree Agree
Extraction of aggregate % 10.5% 13.5% 28.3% 31.3% 16.5%
material sp 0.0153 0.0171 0.0225 0.0232 0.0186
% 10.0% 11.3% 24.3% 36.8% 17.8%
Extraction of slates
sp 0.0150 0.0158 0.0214 0.0241 0.0191
% 9.3% 8.8% 28.3% 35.5% 18.3%
Extraction of marbles
sp 0.0145 0.0141 0.0225 0.0239 0.0193
4 Conclusions
Municipality of Paggaio bases its wealth on agriculture, extractive industry and
tourism. Famous for its wine, fine marble and slates industry. Because of the
economic crisis in Greek countryside, the shrinkage of the income leads people
searching for other ways to supplement their income. A great opportunity is given in
the specific Municipality because of the extracted materials can be elaborated and
promoted to new products. Local architecture based on handcrafted materials can
create a sense of place that will attract tourism and economic development. Creative
tourism may offer to visitors the opportunity to develop their creative potential
through active participation in learning experiences characteristic of the region where
420
they are taken. The creative tourism approach will allow Paggaion to benefit from
significant advantages, and enables artistic and other creative activities to play a
driving role in broader socio-economic development. Residents are well predisposed
to the permission of new marble and slate quarries and see the elaboration industries
and handcraft art as a mean of increasing employment and supporting the local
economy.
References
1. Freshwater, D. (2000). Three papers on Rural Development TVA Rural
Studies Stuff Paper 00-14, University of Kentucky.
2. Ahituv, A. and Kimhi, A. (2006).Simultaneous Estimation of Work Choices
and the Level of Farm Activity Using Panel Data “European Review of
Agricultural Economics, 33, 49-71.
3. Mitchell, C.J.A. (2004). Making Sense of Counterurbanization . “Journal of
Rural Studies, 20, 15-34.
4. Kasimis, C. and Zografakis, S. (2014). The new agriculturists in the primarily
sector. Agriculture and employment, 26-27/7/2014.
5. Lekkos, H. and Leventakis, A. (2015). The contribution and perspectives of
agricultural sector in Greece. Economic research and investment strategy.
6. Apostolopoulos, C., Stoforos, C. and Kalogeropoulos, D. (2000). Rural
household and employment, new trends and necessary measures for the
formation of a balanced relationship: The case of a Greek province (Mesini-
Peloponnese). New Medit, 1, p. 30-36.
7. Cannarella, C. and Piccioni, V. (2007). Barriers to Innovation in Rural
Enterprises: the Strategy of “Doing Nothing” New Medit, 4, p. 54-61.
8. Iakovidou, O., Koutsou, S., Partalidou, M. and Emmanouiliou, M. (2012).
Women entrepreneurs in rural Greece: do they come from the same “neck of
the woods”? Locals, Daughters-in-law and Urban-newcomers. New Medit, 2,
58-62.
9. Spilanis, I., Kizos, A. and Iosifidis, Th. (2004). “Oikonomikes, koinonikes kai
perivallontikes diastaseis tis anaptiksis stis ligotero eunoimenes perioxes”, in
Spilanis, I. (Ed.), Stratigikes anaptiksis se Ligotero Eunoimenes Perioxes,
Gutenberg, Athens, pp. 13-37 (in Greek).
10. Kimhi, A. (2011). The role of agriculture in rural well-being: The case of
Israel. An expert-novice comparison in musical composition. New Medit, 2,
33-41.
11. Richards, G. and Wilson, J. (2006) Developing creativity in tourist
experiences: A solution to the serial reproduction of culture? Tourism
Management, 27(6), pp. 1209-1223.
421