Rural Canada in the OECD Context

Rural policy issues are receiving renewed attention. Understanding commonalities and differences is the first step in the policy debate on the future of rural peoples. There is a wide range across OECD member countries in the proportion of the population that is rural. This suggests that different countries have different capacities to invest in rural development. Agriculture is not the major source of employment in the predominantly rural regions of OECD countries. As machinery is substituted for labor, regions that are dependent on agricultural jobs will need to find something new to export in order to maintain their employment base. However, the industrial structure of predominantly rural regions is not a major factor in their employment performance. Other factors, such as adjacent metropolitan areas, scenic vistas, an entrepreneurial culture, and the presence of educational institutions, make the difference.