Resources on the rural economy
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
- Employment
- Education and training
- Youth
- Women
- Social inclusion
- Migrants
- Access to services
- Infrastructure
- Rural-urban linkages
- Energy
- Climate
- Entrepreneurship
- Social economy
- Tourism and heritage
- Forestry
- Agriculture and food
- Value chains
- Stronger Rural Areas
- Connected rural areas
- Resilient rural areas
- Prosperous rural areas
The webpage on the rural economy of the International Labour Organization (ILO) brings together information, guidance, standards, training materials, statistics, publications, projects and news relating to work and employment in rural economies.
Access the resource
Author: International Labour Organization
It presents the ILO's work around the premise that rural economies have potential to contribute to job creation, poverty reduction, food security and social justice, while noting persistent decent work deficits among rural workers, including informality, low wages, limited voice and insufficient social protection.
The page provides access to a broad range of ILO resources. These include policy guidance and codes of practice covering areas such as decent work in agriculture and agri-food systems, social protection, rural economic diversification, infrastructure, migration, women's and young people's employment, social dialogue, the social and solidarity economy, and the transition from informal to formal employment.
Moreover, the webpage provides access to trainings, including ILO International Training Centre material on rural development and an e-learning course on the future of work in the rural economy. In addition, it features statistics, research, projects and news relating to rural economies.
Why it is useful for rural areas
The resource brings together evidence, policy guidance, international labour standards and training resources specifically concerned with employment and working conditions in rural economies.
The material covers both agricultural and non-agricultural dimensions of rural economies. For example, ILO resources address economic diversification, rural services, infrastructure, tourism, forestry, social protection, skills, youth employment, women's economic empowerment and labour migration.
Who is this resource for?
The webpage can be useful to:
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public authorities and policymakers;
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rural development practitioners;
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employers' and workers' organisations;
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researchers and trainers;
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other stakeholders working on rural employment and economic development.
About the organisation
The International Labour Organization (ILO) is a specialised agency of the United Nations that works to promote workers’ rights and improve working conditions around the world. Its main goals include promoting decent work, fair wages, workplace safety, equality, and social protection. The organisation also works to prevent child labour, forced labour, and discrimination in the workplace.
See also
The social economy and rural development: how EU policies make a difference
News
New JRC report looks at the state of rural innovation
A new publication from the Joint Research Centre (JRC) shows that rural companies are not inherently less innovative than urban firms, but they innovate differently. It identifies drivers and barriers affecting rural businesses and offers policy directions to support rural innovation.
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
Read the new edition of the Rural Vision Magazine!
Explore rural stakeholder perspectives on the future EU policy framework, integrated rural development and the Rural Pact in action across Europe in the fourth edition of the Rural Vision Magazine.
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
Rural competitiveness: business support, local assets and social economy approaches – presentations and videos available
Strengthening rural competitiveness requires more than addressing the constraints faced by rural businesses. A Rural Pact Good Practice Webinar (17 September 2026) highlighted the importance of mobilising territorial assets and combining access to finance, business support, innovation and cooperation to create value locally.
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
Good Practices
e-Square: a multi-service community hub in rural Wallonia, Belgium
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
A hub for digital nomads on the Black Sea coast in rural Bulgaria
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
Holapueblo: connecting people with rural municipalities to revitalise depopulated areas in Spain
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
Publications
Rural Vision Magazine | Edition 4
The fourth edition of the Rural Vision Magazine brings together rural stakeholder perspectives on a wealth of topics, including the future EU policy framework, integrated rural development and how the Rural Pact is taking shape across Europe.
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
Good Practice Brochure 'Instruments for territorial development'
The third edition of the Rural Pact Good Practice Brochure focuses on territorial development. It highlights how integrated approaches like LEADER/CLLD, Integrated Territorial Investments (ITIs) and Smart Villages can help improve quality of life in rural areas.
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform
Highlights report | Good Practice Webinar on generational renewal
This highlights report showcases the main policy measures and examples presented during the Rural Pact Good Practice Webinar on generational renewal held on 10 June 2026.
- Rural Pact
- Rural Revitalisation Platform