A community is a group of people residing in a particular geographical setting and has a common characteristic. A rural community is a set of the people living outside towns or cities. In other words, rural communities are often farmlands. Rural areas are further described by geographical areas located outside urban areas ( Flora et al., 2015 ). Typically, these the rural community is illustrated by low population density as well as small settlements. The rural communities are have been contemporarily divided as a result of changing economic trends. In this regards, the communities have been classified into academic communities, area trade-centers, exurbs, government centers, recreation, and retirement communities.
The major economic activity in the rural areas is farming. A profound or rather sudden change implicated in the farm sector is deemed to have severe consequences in social and political terms of the rural societies ( Glover & Kusterer, 2016 ). In respect to that, agriculture is said to play a pivotal role in rural development. The development is depicted in land use capabilities. Government policies should be put in place to oversee local farms in the rural areas due to their importance. With regards to the importance of rural farming, there are a couple of potential contributions associated with the activities. They include employment support, ancillary businesses, and environmental services ( Glover & Kusterer, 2016 ). In peripheral geographical locations, farming has been identified to come in handy in support of the regions’ economic as well as social infrastructure. For this matter, rural development policies should be exploited regarding improving on-farm activities as well as supporting ancillary services in a bid to ensure sustainable rural development.
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Local farms represent a significant component in the rural areas. Farming and other related activities significantly contribute to the overall state of rural regions regarding business as well as employment opportunities, environmental quality, and infrastructure. Farming in the local farms represents the lion’s share of the rural economy and hence depicts a potential economic contribution to rural development. Rural development is a process of progressively improving economic security in the rural areas. Support of local farms in the capacity of social, political, and economic terms is pivotal in the quest of maximizing benefits to the society. Support of rural development is achievable in both on-farm and non-farm activities where the critical factor is the state of agriculture (Deininger, 2012). On-farm activities include the maintenance of appropriate levels of employment on the farm, mechanizing farm activities to maximally utilize the available labor which in turn increases the throughput, environmental-based agricultural activities, and adoption of policies that manage structural adjustment including land reform and generational change. Non-farm activities, on the other hand, include all activities that encourage farming but as an ancillary practice. Activities like increased economic stability as provided to farm-based rural economy add value to production and in turn encourage farmers to have greater control of their economic position that bolsters rural development. Buildings and land are noted as farmers’ assets. They can also be used to develop non-farm income through educational initiatives as well as farm tourism. Infrastructural improvements, especially communication networks increase competitivity of the entire rural economy.
Big corporates positively and adversely impact the local communities ( Deininger, & Byerlee, 2012 ). However, the adverse effects are readily felt compared to the benefits presented by the corporate farms. Multinational corporate farms offer both employment and business opportunities to the local or somewhat rural communities. The corporate farms can improve infrastructural facilities within the rural communities. These facilities include access to good roads, electricity, water, telecommunication facilities, and other social amenities. However, these benefits come at a cost. The corporate farms have been found to exploit the rural communities and in turn deprive them their right to land ownership as well as access to basic infrastructural amenities ( Donham et al., 2007 ). These corporates, for instance, dictate the cause of action regarding contractual agreements. They favor themselves with long-term concession agreements that are in most cases granted on communal lands. These corporates misuse the political as well as parent-country support to cut behind-the-curtain agreements that deprive rural communities their deserved rights.
Corporate farms, especially factories, pose health hazards to their employees who happen to be in the rural communities. Studies denote an increased respiratory, neurobehavioral, and mental illnesses amongst the immediate rural communities where these corporate farms are situated. Further, expectant women, as well as children, become more susceptible to factory farm emissions. Factory waste also harbors a serious risk for immediate local communities. Evidence denotes that sewerage lagoons hugely pollute the air resulting in respiratory-related infections among the rural communities (Deininger, 2012). These farms ought to take into consideration measures to reduce the adverse effects on the locals. For instance, stringent policies on waste disposal ought to be enforced to ensure the released exhaust or instead emissions are not harmful to the people living around the corporate farms (Deininger, 2012). Also, the farm's management ought to ‘put themselves in the communities’ shoes’ in a bid to realize the harm they cause unto them and eradicate the ways that harm the rural communities.
In conclusion, agriculture is pivotal to rural development and also the economic growth of the entire country. Agriculture is a source of employment for the people residing in the rural areas. The sector favors both on-farm and non-farm activities. On-farm activities include direct farm employment and cultural and environmental services. Non-farm activities involve value addition in the farming process as well as infrastructural investments. Lastly, corporate farms have been found to both benefit and adversely affect the immediate rural communities.
References
Deininger, K., & Byerlee, D. (2012). The rise of large farms in land abundant countries: Do they have a future? World Development , 40 (4), 701-714.
Donham, K. J., Wing, S., Osterberg, D., Flora, J. L., Hodne, C., Thu, K. M., & Thorne, P. S. (2007). Community health and socioeconomic issues surrounding concentrated animal feeding operations. Environmental health perspectives , 115 (2), 317.Flora, C. B., Flora, J. L., & Gasteyer, S. P. (2015). Rural communities: Legacy+ change . Westview Press.
Glover, D., & Kusterer, K. (2016). Small farmers, big business: contract farming and rural development : Springer.
