RURAL was founded in the early 1980s during troubled and confrontational times for the countryside. It grew from the belief that only clear facts, practical experience and constructive exchange of views and information could produce solutions and truly workable policies for the future.

Thus RURAL acts as a forum which identifies major policy issues, a builder of bridges and a positive catalyst. It does this by attracting the highest quality thinking, information and practice regardless of source; then bringing these together in seminars and conferences which are carefully structured to ensure that policy development benefits from the process.

RURAL aims to establish not only what is beneficial, but also what is practical. It seeks to serve as a think-tank, and to promote good farming and countryside practice. RURAL aims to look beyond current problems; to forsee and to prepare for the issues and difficulties of the future, and to find positive ways to resolve them. It seeks to contribute positively and objectively to the development and improvement of policies through the process of high quality information exchange.

The Society's early concerns were intensely pressing and practical. From that period there are RURAL reports, papers which remain well regarded reference material. Today, the "RURAL process" today makes a significant contribution to policy and strategic problem solving.

RURAL concentrates on identifying the key policy issues which will affect the future of agriculture, land use, the countryside and the associated food chain and rural economy - all in a European and wider international context.

These aims remain consistent with RURAL's early objective of creating opportunities for cross fertilisation of high quality ideas and information. This process continues through specialist seminars, conferences, networking, and the publication of RURAL Briefings.

RURAL's primary effort is through its policy level seminars. These include leading thinkers in all the related fields including government, academic, scientific, farming, food, industrial, countryside and consumer interests. The process contributes materially to national policy making.

Uniquely, RURAL thus provides an opportunity to support and contribute impartially to informed debate of food, farming and countryside issues, and the related policy development.

The Council of RURAL determines policy. Members are drawn from among leading nationally active figures in land use, agriculture, the food-chain and the countryside. An elected Executive drawn from organisations represented in the Council executes policy through a programme of events.RURAL is non-profit making; a registered charity supported by members subscriptions, grants and sponsorship.

The policy of the Society is only to convene events that contribute to the process of informing emerging policy. Thus, Seminars occur irregularly. The pattern is of two three events over any year, depending upon the topics examined, the policy cycle, and usefulness of the RURAL's contribution to particular topics. New issues constantly emerge, however subjects under examination include:

Membership is open to any corporate body or individual on application to the Director. It provides access to the latest thinking on land use and countryside issues and the opportunity to discuss related future policies. It appeals to all who are interested in the promotion of better and realistic policies for the natural and commercial environments of the future. Benefits include conferences, conference reports, RURAL Briefings on events and activities, and exchanges among members. Details of Corporate and Individual membership subscriptions are available on application. Opportunities exist for Corporate Sponsorship of major RURAL events.

It is intended to provide access to articles archived prior to publication of RURAL Briefings.

Rural Briefings are available for download on the Briefings page. If you wish to access earlier RURAL publications please write to the Director