Rural populists? Questioning the link between anti-environmentalism, populism and science criticism in rural areas

This paper aims to disentangle the dynamics of environmental conflicts in rural areas through a mixed qualitative and quantitative analysis of two case studies, in Italy and Portugal. Focusing on how opposition to environmental policies can be interpreted beyond reductive labels such as ‘rural populism’ or ‘anti-environmentalism’, our findings emphasise the importance of considering context-specific needs and community perspectives. By questioning the relationship between anti-environmentalism, populism and criticism of expert knowledge, we explore how, in a context of growing scientisation of controversies, expert knowledge and broader onto-epistemological issues intersect with the inequalities of recognition affecting rural areas.