Rural development
Rural development is the process of improving economic conditions, public services, infrastructure, and quality of life in rural areas.
Community development: A process through which residents organize to address shared needs and improve local conditions. Local participation gives rural development projects knowledge, legitimacy, and staying power.
Rural economy: The production, employment, and exchange of goods and services in rural areas. Its mix of farming and nonfarm activity determines where income growth can emerge.
Urban development: The process of improving economic conditions, services, infrastructure, and quality of life in urban areas. It addresses denser settlements and different service and infrastructure constraints.
Rural depopulation: A sustained decline in the population of rural areas. When local opportunities remain limited, outmigration can weaken services and community life.
Endogenous development: An approach that builds development on local resources, knowledge, institutions, and priorities. It challenges plans designed externally without sufficient local control.
Agricultural extension: Services that provide farmers with practical knowledge, technologies, and advice. Extension services help rural producers adopt practices that can raise productivity and incomes.
Rural–urban migration: The movement of people from rural areas to towns and cities. Migration changes rural labor supply, household incomes, and demand for local services.
Regional development: Policies and processes aimed at improving economic and social conditions across a geographic region. Its geographic scope can include both rural places and nearby towns or cities.
Food security: A condition in which all people have reliable access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. Rural livelihoods and agricultural systems shape food access for producers and consumers.
Participatory development: A development approach that involves affected communities in decisions and implementation. Participation raises questions about whose voices shape rural priorities and budgets.