And while
such changes have yielded social benefits, they have also
carried with them a cost. Today, we see small and medium-sized
farms struggle in an increasingly concentrated and global
economy. (Some of these difficulties are described in A
Time to Act, a 1998 report from the USDA's National
Commission on Small Farms.) Similarly, forest communities
grapple with a change in natural resource management priorities
and mounting environmental concerns. A "digital divide" threatens
to exclude some rural communities from the benefits of the
new information economy. Some rural communities face a drain
of population, while others, particularly those with high
scenic or recreational value, struggle with burgeoning populations
placing new demands on ecosystems and traditional ways of
life.
Despite these
challenges, there is still plenty of cause for optimism. Resilience
and self-determination are two traits that characterize many rural
communities. For rural America, the rapid pace of change brings with
it not only challenges but opportunities as well. In some ways,
sustainable development aims to manage change that is inevitable,
and to do it in ways that are economically sound, environmentally
responsible and socially equitable. The most successful communities
strive to build on local assets and abilities while adopting and
adapting new ideas and technologies to the local context.
In Towards
a Sustainable America, the final report
of the President's Council on Sustainable Development, authors
noted that while rural America faces a different set of concerns
and issues than metropolitan areas, "these rural, suburban,
and urban areas are mutually dependent; and much information
and analysis is needed regarding their connections, such as
those between food production, food dependence, and ecosystem
management." The report looked to a variety of new development
strategies, "ones that appreciate the fragility and vulnerability
of rural economies and social structures."
This section aims
to highlight the efforts rural communities undertake in pursuit of
sustainability. Given the breadth of issues and concerns facing
rural America, the topical scope of this section is broad, ranging
from sustainable agriculture and renewable resource use to
alternative economic development strategies and rural
telecommunications. The aim here is not to articulate one vision of
rural sustainability but rather to offer an overview of some of the
successful approaches, as well as the tools and resources available
to assist rural Americans pursue their own course of sustainable
development.
To
begin this exploration, the following links help frame the
issue of rural sustainable development:
Understanding
Rural America, a report from the Economic Research
Service of the US Department of Agriculture.
Center
for the Study of Rural America of the Federal Reserve
Bank of Kansas City.
Last updated November 13, 2002
Back to Top
