OECD Rural Policy Reviews The New Rural Paradigm: Policies and Governance: Edition 2006

What Is The New Rural Paradigm? Its Main Characteristics Are A Focus On Places Rather Than Sectors And An Emphasis On Investments Rather Than Subsidies. In An Era Of Reduced Agricultural Employment, this Report Highlights The Important And Diverse Challenges Facing Rural Areas, Their Unused Potential, And The Inability Of Sectoral Policy To Address This. It Also Provides An Overview Of The Main Socio-economic Trends Affecting Rural Areas Across The Oecd. Further, It Addresses The Governance Requirements Of The New Cross-sectoral Approach To Rural Policy. Executive Summary -- The State Of Rural Regions -- Rural Policy -- Governance Strategies To Support Rural Policy -- Tdpc Chairman's Statement -- Regional Typology Maps. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 157-164). With a dramatic reduction in farm employment, rural regions across the OECD now depend on a wide range of economic engines for growth. Increasing globalization, improved communications and reduced transportation costs are additional drivers of economic change in rural areas. Traditional policies to subsidize farming have not been able to harness the potential of rural regions. Promoting integrated rural development poses numerous policy and governance challenges: it requires co-ordination across sectors, across levels of government, and between public and private actors. This report seeks to explain the paradigm shift in rural development policy to account for these important changes. What is the new rural paradigm? Its main characteristics are a focus on places rather than sectors and an emphasis on investments rather than subsidies. The report highlights the diverse challenges facing rural areas, their unused potential, and the inability of sectoral policy to address this. It also provides an overview of the main socio-economic trends affecting rural areas across the OECD. Further, it addresses the governance requirements of the new cross-sectoral approach to rural policy.--Publisher summary