Project B1 - Understanding the role of the social economy in advancing rural revitalization and development.

SERC II re-branded the focus and intent of our group to better understand and advance the role of “The Social Economy in Rural Revitalization and Development.” This organizing concept provides both a purpose and roadmap for understanding how our work can progress over the next five years. These initial scoping studies (combined with the broad literature overview currently being conducted) will be grounded in an understanding of sustainable rural development and rural revitalization, yet provide insights into the social economy specifics of different resource sectors. Put differently, our focus is on over-all community development but with specific ‘chapters’ on sectors/enterprises. The studies will also play an important role in linking our SERC II focus and objectives with the mapping project. The research team will gain a better understanding of the sectors, make connections with any sector-based associations or other research entities, and feed this information to the mapping team.This project will build upon the broad literature review currently being conducted for SERC II, and will focus on the role that social enterprises in specific resource sectors play in sustaining and revitalizing rural communities. This project will consist of two scoping studies – one in each province. Two graduate level students (one from each province), will work with four identified project leads for an initial term of 4 months and, provided their initial work is satisfactory, followed by a further 8 months to complete the scoping studies. Recognizing that we will be researching different sectors over the period of the project, these first studies will look specifically at the following areas: • non-timber forest products; • local and organic food systems; • eco-tourism; • fisheries; and • renewable energy (including biofuels from agricultural crops, forestry and industrial and household waste, wind, small-scale hydro, solar, tidal)