Although this support remains minimal it offers a ray of hope. There is little doubt that Agricultural and Applied Economists could, with the necessary resource support, play a major role in helping resolve emerging problems of rural regions. There are a number of outstanding examples across the nation of their contributions to theory and practice relating to problems of community economic analysis, trade analysis, non farm business finance, public finance, taxation, transportation systems, solid waste management, land use planning, impact analysis and other problem areas. Economists often partner in these efforts with rural community leaders and Sociologists, Political Scientists, Regional Scientists and others in academia. Faculty members, no matter their tenure status or personal courage, must ultimately attend the priorities of their colleagues, department heads and deans.
Support is difficult to acquire and maintain.
The outlook for the maintenance of the current numbers is weak at best. The hope for growth in college of agriculture support sufficient to adequately address future rural development needs is dismal. In most cases the numbers are few and there has been little growth in resource support over the past ten years, but the toe-hold remains. Recognition of the subject has slowly gained grudging support among the leadership of Agricultural Economics profession. Although past editors of the American Journal of Agricultural Economics have exhibited little interest in rural development, the Regional Science association journals have provided a home for much of the research output of these professionals.