ABSTRACT
Rural economies in the UK and US have undergone major transformations in recent decades, as traditional, primary sector activities have declined in terms of employment and income generation and as new growth sectors have emerged. Homeworking has also become increasingly important as individuals choose to combine their home and work, and new business start-ups have been generated by large numbers of in-migrants moving into many rural areas. Rural economies (particularly those outside urban commuting belts) are also increasingly becoming recognised as providers of important ecosystem services—the processes through which the environment produces resources utilized by humans—including clean water, fresh local food, renewable energy generation and waste management, as well as recreational, habitational and tourism services.
