Human and Social Capital in Rural Development – EU and US Perspectives Human‐ und Sozialkapital in der Entwicklung des ländlichen Raums – Perspektiven aus der EU und den USA Le capital social et humain dans le développement rural: Perspectives aux États‐Unis et dans l’Union européenne

Abstract

Human and Social Capital in Rural Development – EU and US PerspectivesHuman and social capital play critical roles in rural development, in both the US and Europe. The development of these resources at the individual and community levels is both an ultimate goal of sustainable rural development (RD), and a key means to pursue it. Rural areas face a range of specific issues and challenges for human and social capital. In this article we examine some of these, finding similarity in many issues faced by EU and US rural areas, including the trend toward counter‐urbanization in some locations. We also give examples of some apparently useful policy and grass‐root approaches in the EU and US used to support farmers and in some cases rural people more generally. We assert that the US lags behind the EU in recognising the value of social capital development, but that it could learn from EU experience in terms of alternative approaches and their successes or failures. Traditionally, policies which promote the enhancement of rural human capital and strengthen social capital in rural areas have failed to attract large‐scale RD funding or prominence. They have, however, gained in credibility, and influence within the policy rhetoric, in recent years. We suggest that they deserve a higher profile in RD policies given likely future trends and challenges.