Rural Coalition

The Rural Coalition, a national alliance of regionally and culturally diverse organizations concerned with rural issues, was formed by about two dozen non-profit organizations in 1978 to provide a national, unified voice for rural people and their communities. One of the major goals of the Rural Coalition has been to influence public policy to create fair legislation and returns for rural communities and to minority and small farmers. The principles of the Rural Coalition include: justice and equal opportunity for all regardless of race, sex, and place of residence, entitlement to goods and services essential for a decent quality of life including education, health and employment; effective control and use of resources for the long-term viability of rural areas; and the importance of community-based organizations to the development of rural communities. Finally, the Rural Coalition believes the federal government must ensure and maintain these rights for all peoples and endeavors to make this happen. In pursuit of these principles, the Rural Coalition works to influence public policy, increase the effectiveness of rural community organizations, helps organizations to identify issues and work together toward common goals, and serves as an information resource and provider of technical assistance to its member organizations.

Throughout the years, the Rural Coalition has worked on a wide variety of issues to improve the lives of rural people. During its early years, the Coalition developed task forces based on identified concerns such as agriculture, natural resoources, rural military issues, Native American issues, rural economy and development, community development, and jobs. As of 2009, the Rural Coalition had created a number of different programs to support its goals, including The SuperMarket, Food 'N Justice Campaign, Community Responsive Partnerships for Environmental Justice, Equal Access to Agriculture Programs and Opportunities, and Women in Agriculture: A Needs Assessment. The number of organizations in the Coaltion has ranged from about two dozen when it was first organized to over hundred and fifty member organizations.

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