Purpose: New approaches to extension service delivery are needed that stimulate increased agricultural production, contribute to collective action and which also foster the emergence of agricultural innovation systems. Research in Peru and Mexico explores some of these new approaches. Design/methodology/approach: In both countries, a qualitative…

Describes cooperatives as a new socioeconomic strategy for rural economic development. Cooperatives involve local control, local ownership, and empowerment through organization. Categorizes and gives examples of cooperatives in agriculture, retail grocery, credit, crafts, and health. Suggests some reasons why cooperatives tend to be ignored in…

Describes history, organizational problems and activities of Paraguay's Asociacion de Agricultores de Alto Parana (ASAGRAPA) and Programa de Ayuda Cristiana (PAC), farmer organizations. Details how cotton production losses forced farmers to invent new, varied markets, turning subsistence crops (peanuts, corn, and rice) into cash crops, while…

Results are presented of a study on the economic development efforts of ten rural community action agencies (CAAs). This report describes the role played by the various CAAs in the economic development of their communities: the problems faced by the different agencies, the program approaches tried and how these approaches were developed, what the…

Indigenous community organizations and organizational federations in Ecuador have moved from dealing with issues of land, civil rights, and cultural identity to promoting culturally appropriate, community-based, sustainable economic development ventures. The need for technical training and the success of Indian-to-Indian job training are…

Effective rural education depends on active community involvement. This ethnographic case study examines three models of community organization as an explanation of how community action occurs. The three models are: (1) individuals interacting in formal and informal groups; (2) networks of "weak ties" effective for diffusing information and…

Lying within the Cumberland Plateau of Appalachia, the Kentucky River Area Development District (KRADD) comprises eight rural Kentucky counties: Breathitt, Knott, Lee, Leslie, Letcher, Owsley, Perry, and Wolfe. This report reviews regional history of economic development and examines socioeconomic indicators, including education, poverty, and the…

A study of the process of a 1977-1983 oil and gas boom in Caldwell, Texas, disproved the assumption that local social effects of rapid energy development are severe and negative. Using interviews, surveys, observation, local newspapers, and other writings as data sources, researchers determined that during the boom, Caldwell's population grew…

This paper examines the role that colleges and universities play in the economy of rural northern New York. It is based on a 1992-93 survey of 20 of the 21 colleges and universities in the region. Parts of the survey were updated in 1997. The study found that the institutions played a vital role in assisting businesses and community organizations…

The general purpose of the research was to describe a specific instance of instigated social change, while the goal of the research was to identify and describe social factors influencing the rate of adoption of an innovation. Beal's social action process model, Warren's community organization model, and Rogers' adoption process model provided the…

Rural work-education councils are free-standing voluntary associations of community leaders averaging around 21 to 25 voting members who are organized by task-specific action committees working to improve and expand educational and economic development options and thus ease the education-to-work transition in rural America. There are currently…