OECD Rural Principles series: How Agriculture Links Urban and Rural Communities - Challenges and Opportunities for More Integrated Action – D. Freshwater
This presentation David Freshwater, H. B. Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Kentucky, United States, was made during the discussion “How Agriculture Links Urban and Rural Communities - Challenges and Opportunities for More Integrated Action” held as part of virtual discussions by OECD on The Rural Principles Series, on 11 December 2024.
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OECD Rural Principles series: How Agriculture Links Urban and Rural Communities - Challenges and Opportunities for More Integrated Action – D. Freshwater
1. Three Thoughts on Rural-Urban Interaction
David Freshwater, December 11, 2024
We ignore “raw materials” at our peril. The current focus of economic policy is
mainly on - workforce skills, finance and innovation/technology in an urban
context. But,
• Raw materials from rural areas are vital for climate adaptation –lithium, cobalt, copper, silicon,
etc.
• Green energy is largely rural – wind, large scale solar, biomass
• AI and cloud computing use vast amounts of electricity
• Rural industries, including agriculture and forestry, both produce carbon and can sequester
carbon
Bringing about effective rural-urban interaction requires joint governance
that satisfies both parties.
US Farm Bills support farming, forestry and rural settlements, but also provide food and nutrition
programmes that mainly benefit metropolitan areas.
Fayette Urban County government in Kentucky ensures a ”rural voice” in a county where the
majority of the population is urban by making one council member’s district purely rural.
Food prices matter.
“I won because of immigration and groceries.” Donald Trump, Dec. 14, 2024