Multifunctional agriculture (MFA) has attracted increased attention from academics and policymakers in recent years. Academic researchers have utilised various approaches to assess and measure the multifunctionality of agriculture and rural landscapes. This paper outlines the nature of MFA and key supporting policies, before reviewing the applied research approaches, drawing primarily from the European Union and China where specific policies on MFA have been implemented to support rural development and promote sustainable rural communities. Four distinct types of valuation of modern MFA are recognised: economic, biophysical, socio-cultural, and holistic. Following a search of both the recent and older MFA literature, evaluations of the strengths and weaknesses of quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods applications are provided using examples from a range of recent studies. The review illustrates the diversity of approaches to measure MFA. While noting that many studies operate at a landscape scale, the challenge remains that the lack of commonality in the research approaches applied means it is difficult to provide effective comparisons between studies or to compare findings. A future research agenda will need to emphasise the need for more consideration of the roles of MFA research to support decision-makers, especially policy makers, but also farmers who largely make decisions for individual farms but, if considered collectively, can transform production systems at a landscape scale.

Rapid urbanization in China in the last 4 decades was fuelled by a huge out‐migration of people from the countryside, contributing to rural decline in many areas. Recognition of ongoing rural poverty and the need to modernize the rural economy has given rise to a myriad of policies in the last quarter century supporting rural development, notably in two key initiatives: Creating the New Socialist Countryside (2005) and a Rural Revitalization Strategy (2017). The former focussed on creating improvements to the welfare system, health services and education in rural areas, and was subsequently accompanied by concerted efforts to eliminate rural poverty. Rural revitalization has emphasized the need for agricultural modernization and reducing the income gap between the countryside and the cities. Based on an assessment of the implementation and outcomes of the two initiatives, this paper explores the policies and key events in the process of rural improvement and revitalization in China. It summarizes the development stages of the relevant policies over time and examines the key facets of revitalization. It focuses on increased provision of services in rural areas as part of significant reductions in rural poverty, the reorganisation of agriculture via land consolidation, and the growth of new investment in rural‐based industry.