Rural community development encompasses a range of approaches and activities that aim to improve the welfare and livelihoods of people living in

rural areas In general, a rural area or a countryside is a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities. Typical rural areas have a low population density and small settlements. Agricultural areas and areas with forestry typically are describ ...

. As a branch of

community development The United Nations defines community development as "a process where community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems." It is a broad concept, applied to the practices of civic leaders, activists ...

, these approaches pay attention to social issues particularly

community organizing Community organizing is a process where people who live in proximity to each other or share some common problem come together into an organization that acts in their shared self-interest. Unlike those who promote more-consensual community bui ...

. This is in contrast to other forms of rural development that focus on

public works Public works are a broad category of infrastructure projects, financed and constructed by the government, for recreational, employment, and health and safety uses in the greater community. They include public buildings ( municipal buildings, sc ...

(e.g. rural roads and electrification) and

technology Technology is the application of knowledge to reach practical goals in a specifiable and reproducible way. The word ''technology'' may also mean the product of such an endeavor. The use of technology is widely prevalent in medicine, science, ...

(e.g. tools and techniques for improving agricultural production). Rural community development is important in

developing countries A developing country is a sovereign state with a lesser developed industrial base and a lower Human Development Index (HDI) relative to other countries. However, this definition is not universally agreed upon. There is also no clear agreem ...

where a large part of the population is engaged in

farming Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

. Consequently, a range of community development methods have been created and used by organisations involved in

international development International development or global development is a broad concept denoting the idea that societies and countries have differing levels of economic or human development on an international scale. It is the basis for international classifications ...

. Most of these efforts to promote rural community development are led by 'experts' from outside the community such as government officials, staff of

non-governmental organizations A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

and foreign advisers. This has led to a long debate about the issue of

participation Participation or Participant may refer to: Politics *Participation (decision making), mechanisms for people to participate in social decisions *Civic participation, engagement by the citizens in government *e-participation, citizen participation ...

, in which questions have been raised about the

sustainability Specific definitions of sustainability are difficult to agree on and have varied in the literature and over time. The concept of sustainability can be used to guide decisions at the global, national, and individual levels (e.g. sustainable livi ...

of these efforts and the extent to which rural people are – or are not – being

empowered Empowerment is the degree of autonomy and self-determination in people and in communities. This enables them to represent their interests in a responsible and self-determined way, acting on their own authority. It is the process of becoming strong ...

to make decisions for themselves. The international association for Community Development (IACD) is the main global network for practitioners and scholars working in this field www.iacdglobal.org

United Kingdom

In the UK rural community development is seen as very important. Rural areas are often some of the most deprived in the country.

Rural Community Council The rural community councils (RCCs) were established in rural England during the twentieth century to promote rural community life. Each shire county now has one, although some are relative newcomers. The RCCs also form a national coalition call ...

s around the country support local rural communities in securing sustainable futures. The local rural communities are supported by experienced community development workers. In Pembrokeshire (Wales), Pembrokeshire Local Action Network for Enterprise and Development (PLANED) apply a community-led integrated approach to rural development, in which communities, public sector and voluntary partners and specialist interest groups come together to undertake development. PLANED has a long experience of introducing and developing pioneering methodologies, tools, techniques and processes for the engagement of communities in local development. This best practice has been shared across Europe, primarily through the LEADER network. In 2004 the Carnegie UK Trust established a Commission of Inquiry into the future of rural community development across the UK and Ireland. The Commission was chaired by Lord Steel, the former leader of the Liberal Party and included in its membership Lord Haskins and Jonathan Porritt. It was also informed by a country wide action research programme funding over 60 projects in partnership with the Big Lottery Fund. This was the largest rural community development programme in the UK and lasted until 2010. The Trust also funded national and international communities of practice to exchange experiences. This included the International Association for Community Development and work around the potential impact of climate change on vulnerable rural communities and the need for more sustainable development approaches to land use. The Commission produced a number of influential reports.

United States

In the United States, rural community development is an essential tool in keeping rural areas economically viable in a competitive global arena. Under the

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the United States federal executive departments, federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, ...

, this is addressed through the Rural Development mission area, comprising the

Rural Housing Service The Rural Housing Service (RHS) is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Located within the Department's Rural Development mission area. RHS operates a broad range of programs to provide moderate- low- and very-low-incom ...

Rural Utilities Service The United States Rural Utilities Service (RUS) administers programs that provide infrastructure or infrastructure improvements to rural communities. These include water and waste treatment, electric power, and telecommunications services. it is ...

, and

Rural Business-Cooperative Service The Rural Business-Cooperative Service (abbreviated as "RBS") is one of three agencies within USDA Rural Development (along with the Rural Housing Service and Rural Utilities Service) responsible for administering various economic development pro ...

. Research and data sources for rural areas of the United States is also addressed by the

through the Economic Research Service, th
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
and the

National Agricultural Library The United States National Agricultural Library (NAL) is one of the world's largest agricultural research libraries, and serves as a national library of the United States and as the library of the United States Department of Agriculture. Located ...

’s Rural Information Center. The

Center for Rural Affairs The Center for Rural Affairs was established in 1973 as an unaffiliated nonprofit corporation under IRS code 501(c)(3). The Center for Rural Affairs was formed by rural Nebraskans concerned about family farms and rural communities, and was origina ...

is a grassroots organization originating in Nebraska that puts an emphasis on leadership development to reinvigorate rural communities. They strive to promote entrepreneurship and increase the farm returns per food dollar to maintain the economy in rural areas. Colleges and Universities, many located in rural communities, have also played a key role in rural community development throughout United States history. The

Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1862 The Morrill Land-Grant Acts are United States statutes that allowed for the creation of land-grant colleges in U.S. states using the proceeds from sales of federally-owned land, often obtained from indigenous tribes through treaty, cession, or s ...

provided funding for agricultural education. Since the passage of the Morrill Act, there has been significant demographic changes in the population of colleges, including student gender, population size and number of commuters. This shift has created opportunities for rural colleges to play a part in the development of the communities in which they reside.

References

University of Florida Community Development SeriesMission
Economic Development Administration.
Center Activities
North Central Regional Center for Rural Development. ;Notes

External links

ACRE - the network for Rural Community Councils in the UKCenter for Rural AffairsRural Information Center's Community Development Resources
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rural Community Development

United Kingdom

United States

See also

References

External links