A new report released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Task Force on Agricultural and Rural Prosperity found that rural Americans working in agriculture still lack access to the electronic connectivity, technology, jobs, and businesses that improve quality of life. The report reveals the effects of the Great Recession (2007–2009) still permeate rural life, particularly for communities with high poverty rates, low educational attainment, and high unemployment.

To combat these detrimental effects, the report recommends reforms presented in five Calls to Action: electronic connectivity, quality of life, support for the workforce, technological innovation, and economic development.

With improvements in each of these categories, the task force envisions “a rural America with world-class resources, tools, and support to build robust, sustainable communities for generations to come.”

The task force recommends opening access to rural electronic connectivity for the 39 percent of the rural population lacking access to effective broadband, identified by the Federal Communications Commission.

Read the full article on rural American electronic connectivity by Katherine Walla at Food Tank