A rural sociologist working on the intersection of human and natural communities in a variety of contexts in North and South America, Africa and Europe. As the Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor of Agriculture and Life Sciences Emerita from Iowa State University, I am also a Research Professor at Kansas State University. My major research tool is the Community Capitals Framework, which we developed through community development practice with colleagues in the field.
The crisis in the rural USA is far from over; changing demography, economic decline, and increasi... more The crisis in the rural USA is far from over; changing demography, economic decline, and increasing poverty continue to plague rural areas. The book focuses on policy-relevant research that addresses the crucial issues of employment, demography, environment, and technology ...
North Central Regional Center for Rural Development 107 Curtiss Hall Ames, IA 50011-1050 Tel: 515... more North Central Regional Center for Rural Development 107 Curtiss Hall Ames, IA 50011-1050 Tel: 515-294-8321 Fax: 515-294-3180 Cflora@iastate.edu ... Margaret Kroma Cornell University Allison Mears Heifer Project, International ... Engaging in behavior to change a local ...
... the editorial staff at Earthscan, including Rob West, Olivia Woodward, Alison Kuznets and Cam... more ... the editorial staff at Earthscan, including Rob West, Olivia Woodward, Alison Kuznets and Camille Bramall; Angel Kosch for pain ... approach to activism, friendships and life; Tim Collinsforyourfearless natureand deeper insights; John, Bec, Barry, Odin and Brad, Stradbroke Island ...
Our physical communities – the places we live and the people with whom we live – shape our lives.... more Our physical communities – the places we live and the people with whom we live – shape our lives. Often, our communities choose us; we are born into them, and we simply stay because it is what we know. Some get to choose or create their community. Others choose or are forced to leave. Rural communities differ widely in their economic base, culture values and practices, and social structure (Flora, 1992). The rural economy influences the opportunities with which we are presented, which in turn influences whether we leave or whether we stay. But the economy and jobs are not the only factors. A community’s other resources such as social infrastructure, physical infrastructure, and governmental bodies build a community’s narrative. That narrative, the story we tell ourselves and each other about why we do what we do, is central to our experience of community. These forces also influence who stays, who returns, or who moves to a rural community (von Reichert, Cromartie, & Gibbs, 2009). C...
Production for self-provisioning contributes to food security in rural territories; however, stud... more Production for self-provisioning contributes to food security in rural territories; however, studies have indicated that this capacity is limited. We analyzed the impact of livelihood strategies on self-provisioning conditions in 162 rural households in the department of Huila, Colombia. We analyzed: a. source of foods; b. composition of home gardens; c. push and pull factors towards self-provisioning. We found that rural households are 79% dependent on grocery stores for their food. Only 51% of households have a home garden, with limited plant species diversity. Capacity for self-provisioning varies according to the livelihood strategies and capitals endowment of the household. Those households with a greater diversity of agricultural activities have higher capacity for self-provisioning. Conditions that are often the main objective of rural development programs, such as improving the economic income of families, turn out to be contradictory to the capacity to produce the food itse...
Social movement organizations in the local food movement: Linking social capital and movement sup... more Social movement organizations in the local food movement: Linking social capital and movement support
Perspectives on Global Development and Technology, 2017
In this article we analyze the community capital implications of an emerging canola biofuel value... more In this article we analyze the community capital implications of an emerging canola biofuel value chain within wheat-producing regions of the United States as radical changes are taking place in energy markets and prices drop. We analyze the intersections of the motivations that encourage and sustain value chain participation and stocks and investments of community capitals. We use the Community Capitals Framework (Flora et al. 2016) to analyze the ways that new biofuel value chains affect various types of capital within rural communities, and to understand the context, processes, and impacts of decision-making within the biofuel value chain. Interviews and focus groups with actors along the value chain including farmers, processors, transporters, plant breeders, extension professionals, and farm service suppliers identify motivational factors and how community resources affect participation decisions.
Reference Module in Food Science#R##N#Encyclopedia of Agriculture and Food Systems, 2014
Women are an increasing proportion of the paid agricultural labor force. They tend to be a part o... more Women are an increasing proportion of the paid agricultural labor force. They tend to be a part of flexible labor force that falls outside of normal labor protection and worker benefits. They are further vulnerable due to their gender and gender-related specific legal status-. Organization and legislation and its enforcement can contribute to gender equity.
The crisis in the rural USA is far from over; changing demography, economic decline, and increasi... more The crisis in the rural USA is far from over; changing demography, economic decline, and increasing poverty continue to plague rural areas. The book focuses on policy-relevant research that addresses the crucial issues of employment, demography, environment, and technology ...
North Central Regional Center for Rural Development 107 Curtiss Hall Ames, IA 50011-1050 Tel: 515... more North Central Regional Center for Rural Development 107 Curtiss Hall Ames, IA 50011-1050 Tel: 515-294-8321 Fax: 515-294-3180 Cflora@iastate.edu ... Margaret Kroma Cornell University Allison Mears Heifer Project, International ... Engaging in behavior to change a local ...
... the editorial staff at Earthscan, including Rob West, Olivia Woodward, Alison Kuznets and Cam... more ... the editorial staff at Earthscan, including Rob West, Olivia Woodward, Alison Kuznets and Camille Bramall; Angel Kosch for pain ... approach to activism, friendships and life; Tim Collinsforyourfearless natureand deeper insights; John, Bec, Barry, Odin and Brad, Stradbroke Island ...
Our physical communities – the places we live and the people with whom we live – shape our lives.... more Our physical communities – the places we live and the people with whom we live – shape our lives. Often, our communities choose us; we are born into them, and we simply stay because it is what we know. Some get to choose or create their community. Others choose or are forced to leave. Rural communities differ widely in their economic base, culture values and practices, and social structure (Flora, 1992). The rural economy influences the opportunities with which we are presented, which in turn influences whether we leave or whether we stay. But the economy and jobs are not the only factors. A community’s other resources such as social infrastructure, physical infrastructure, and governmental bodies build a community’s narrative. That narrative, the story we tell ourselves and each other about why we do what we do, is central to our experience of community. These forces also influence who stays, who returns, or who moves to a rural community (von Reichert, Cromartie, & Gibbs, 2009). C...
Production for self-provisioning contributes to food security in rural territories; however, stud... more Production for self-provisioning contributes to food security in rural territories; however, studies have indicated that this capacity is limited. We analyzed the impact of livelihood strategies on self-provisioning conditions in 162 rural households in the department of Huila, Colombia. We analyzed: a. source of foods; b. composition of home gardens; c. push and pull factors towards self-provisioning. We found that rural households are 79% dependent on grocery stores for their food. Only 51% of households have a home garden, with limited plant species diversity. Capacity for self-provisioning varies according to the livelihood strategies and capitals endowment of the household. Those households with a greater diversity of agricultural activities have higher capacity for self-provisioning. Conditions that are often the main objective of rural development programs, such as improving the economic income of families, turn out to be contradictory to the capacity to produce the food itse...
Social movement organizations in the local food movement: Linking social capital and movement sup... more Social movement organizations in the local food movement: Linking social capital and movement support
Perspectives on Global Development and Technology, 2017
In this article we analyze the community capital implications of an emerging canola biofuel value... more In this article we analyze the community capital implications of an emerging canola biofuel value chain within wheat-producing regions of the United States as radical changes are taking place in energy markets and prices drop. We analyze the intersections of the motivations that encourage and sustain value chain participation and stocks and investments of community capitals. We use the Community Capitals Framework (Flora et al. 2016) to analyze the ways that new biofuel value chains affect various types of capital within rural communities, and to understand the context, processes, and impacts of decision-making within the biofuel value chain. Interviews and focus groups with actors along the value chain including farmers, processors, transporters, plant breeders, extension professionals, and farm service suppliers identify motivational factors and how community resources affect participation decisions.
Reference Module in Food Science#R##N#Encyclopedia of Agriculture and Food Systems, 2014
Women are an increasing proportion of the paid agricultural labor force. They tend to be a part o... more Women are an increasing proportion of the paid agricultural labor force. They tend to be a part of flexible labor force that falls outside of normal labor protection and worker benefits. They are further vulnerable due to their gender and gender-related specific legal status-. Organization and legislation and its enforcement can contribute to gender equity.
This presentation expose the landing process of Wind Farms in Yucatán. The hypothesis is that win... more This presentation expose the landing process of Wind Farms in Yucatán. The hypothesis is that wind companies reproduce colonial patterns in a historical context marked by colonialism. The information is concentrated in cases that are located in the northwest of Yucatan.
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Papers by Cornelia Flora