Innovators in Rural Community Economic Development
Tags: Agriculture, Capacity Building, Community Economic Development, Forestry, Natural Resource Based Economic Development, Research, Value Chains, Wealth Creation
Client Name: Ford Foundation
Location: Online
Resource Type: Article
Author Org: Arizona State University, Baruch College, Center for Rural Entrepreneurship, Dynamica Consulting, Edith Cowan University, Northern Forest Center, Texas A&M University, Universidad de Costa Rica, University of British Columbia, University of Mississippi, University of New Hampshire, Yellow Wood Associates
Author: Omer Aijazi, Abel Duarte Alonso, Leonora C. Angeles, Gerardo Cortes, Julie Renaud Evans, Maria Fernanda Rodriguez, John J. Green, Curt Grimm, Richard C. Knopf, Martha West Lyman, Thomas S. Lyons, Deb Markley, David Matarrita-Cascante, Molly Phillips, Mikulas Pstross, Shanna Ratner, Craig A. Talmage, Barbara Wyckoff
Year: 2014
Many rural areas in the United States find themselves struggling to build local assets and create wealth. They often struggle to hold on to the wealth that is created within their boundaries. Conventional approaches to community and economic development have been inadequate to reverse these trends. Shifting from an old paradigm for economic development requires supporting community leaders in new ways of thinking about economic development and the role of rural places, based on valuing multiple forms of wealth. There is a real need for an approach that can help stem the potential loss of existing wealth and attract new investment that will allow rural areas to become valued partners in regional economies. The articles in this special issue provide important insights into rural wealth creation as a sustainable economic development strategy. At the same time, a number of compelling issues are raised that merit future research effort and discussion.
