March is the official start of the annual commercial agriculture growing season. During February, agricultural migrant workers start their journeys toward their contracted seasonal destinations. Most traditional agriculture occurs in rural areas. Climate change is already disrupting agricultural production. These disruptions increased significantly during the pandemic, having cascaded economic impacts that are lasting longer than expected by economists.
Rural communities across the United States are inherently resilient compared to their urban counterparts. The pandemic tested the resiliency of rural communities. The rate of spread of the pandemic demonstrated that rural communities are not as isolated as thought. Challenges associated with accessibility showed that rural communities can benefit by adapting sustainability processes and strategies to resolve persistent vulnerabilities.
A social determinants of health survey, supported by Census reports on accessibility and transportation in rural areas, showed rural populations had fewer community-based institutions and required greater distances to travel to access these resources. Rural access to medical services, pharmacies, social services, schools, is challenging during nonemergency states; accessibility to these resources became exacerbated to near failures during the first two years of the COVID19 pandemic.
From the perspective and focus of many experts and advocates, environmental sustainability has its greatest value mitigating the environmental impacts of high-density population communities. Some benefits of incorporating sustainability, address advancing transportation to leverage ridesharing using smartphone technology, wireless accessibility for online face-to-face meetings, and incorporating alternative fueled vehicles to reduce air emissions. Implementing sustainable accessibility and transportation initiatives in urban communities reduces greenhouse gas emissions while maintaining access to community resources. However, the success of implementation relies heavily on the underlying electric and broadband networks, which are poorly maintained and sparsely implemented in rural communities.
Three beneficial outcomes of the pandemic and progress of sustainable transportation and communication are 1) the commitment to address sparse, undermaintained broadband networks, 2) the commitment to update and expand electric service networks, and 3) funding support for alternative-fueled transportation. Improving broadband networks will enable remote access to health and social services on demand and optimize the ability to engage emergency resources sooner when needed. Remote access reduces the need to travel great distances. Broadband technology, such as computers, servers, smartphones, relies on electric networks. To assure the best outcome for updating the broadband network, the electric network needs addressed simultaneously. If travel to community resources is necessary, alternative fueled transit options, such as school buses, utility minivans, and public transit shuttles, cost less to maintain than a petroleum fueled high occupancy vehicles. As many rural communities do not have large budgets, this presents an opportunity to save on fuel costs and redirect funds to other needs. Integration of these sustainable accessibility strategies well expedite getting to a more environmentally friendly, and economically stable state sooner.
For more information see these websites:
Census based Rural Population Characteristics