Introduction

Abstract

Communities across the rural landscape are facing a variety of challenges that are raising some important issues about the long-term vitality of these areas. In parts of rural America, the influx of new residents from domestic and/or international migration flows is generating concerns and conflicts associated with the growing volume and diversity of the local population. In other places, responses to these challenges are impacting the very viability of local farm enterprises as a result of consumption of prime agricultural lands for non-agricultural uses. In other communities, the issue is less one of growth and more a matter of addressing the depopulation of the area, a condition that is leading to the slow erosion of the social and economic fabric of these localities. And in still other situations, local leaders and citizens are struggling to rebound from major job losses experienced in their manufacturing and agricultural sectors. The challenge they face is resisting the temptation to attract jobs at whatever cost, and patiently looking for opportunities to recruit or generate quality jobs that are long-term in nature, environmentally friendly, and that add value to the area's current agricultural enterprises. In all of these circumstances, the core issue under consideration is sustainability--finding solutions that work to strengthen or maintain the social, economic, and environmental health of communities over the long-term. One of the seminal pieces on the topic of sustainability is the 1987 study released by the World Commission Environment and Development (commonly referred to as the Brundtland Commission report) titled, Our Common Future. Defining sustainable as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, the Commission outlined the three essential components of sustainability: (1) environment: the conservation and enhancement of our environmental and natural resource base; (2) economy: the economies that focus on long-term economic stability and the wise use of our resources; and (3) social: addressing the basic needs of all people (i.e., health, education, participation, equity) while remaining accountable to the critical needs of future generations (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987). Under the leadership of its Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the United Kingdom expanded on the Brundtland Commission report by formulating five key principles of sustainable development: (1) living within our environmental limits and ensuring that the natural resources necessary for life are not impaired; (2) pursuing a strong, healthy and just society by building social cohesion, inclusion, and equal opportunity for all; (3) undertaking sustainable economic activities that offer prosperity and opportunities for all, while minimizing environmental and social costs; (4) promoting strong governance that engages people's creativity and diverse insights; and (5) employing sound science in the pursuit of sustainable practice while taking into account public attitudes and values (Defra, 2006). The five elements embraced by the United Kingdom are aligned with the key recommendations emerging from the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (United Nations, 1992) and the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (United Nations, 2002). This special issue of the Journal of the Community Development Society flows from an important partnership created between the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (S-SARE) and the Southern Rural Development Center. Since 2002, this partnership has funded over 50 projects as part of its jointly sponsored Sustainable Community Innovations Grant Program (SCIG). These grants have been designed to build strong ties between agriculture and local communities, be they in urban or rural settings in the South. …