Rural areas are vital to national economies and addressing global challenges, according to the OECD.
The OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) held its 11th Rural Development Conference in Edinburgh this week.
The policy statement, which provides guidance to governments to support rural economic development, also declared that innovation will be critical to the future competitiveness and sustainability of rural economies.
The statement outlines the case for focusing on rural areas as engines of national prosperity and how policies should leverage this opportunity.
Jose Enrique Garcilazo, Head of OECD’s Regional and Rural Policy Unit, said rural areas should be seen as "places of growth, opportunity and inspiration".
“Yet rural is still not central to government policy. Rural areas have a key part to play in some of our major global challenges,” Mr Garcilazo said.
“They are best placed to develop new energy sources, to help sustain our natural environment and to ensure food security.
“In an increasingly interconnected world, opportunities are emerging to promote rural prosperity.
Mr Garcilazo added: “Digitalisation will propel rural economies forward, and the conference has highlighted that supporting innovation in rural areas will be key to the future prosperity and wellbeing of rural regions.”
Rural innovation
The policy statement identifies 10 key drivers of change predicted to influence the future of rural economies and communities and their potential to prosper, including digital connectivity and drones.
The statement also recommends that, in addition to prioritising rural innovation, a robust rural policy should place social, environmental and economic wellbeing at the forefront of policy decisions and take an integrated view across policy sectors to avoid one policy detracting from another.
Alistair Prior, Head of the Scottish Rural Network, said: “Scotland continues to be a world leader in rural development and innovation, and by bringing together the world’s leading policy officials and international experts to map out a framework, we can take inspiration from around the world.
“We can continue to share effective practice and support our own rural communities – through policy decisions – to benefit from technological change and to promote job creation, economic growth and service delivery.”
The 2018 Conference, Enhancing Rural Innovation, was hosted by the Scottish Government and co-hosted by the European Commission and the UK, to provide a forum for key policy officials and academics from OECD member countries to engage and share ideas and experiences on rural policy.
