Losing Land, Losing People

Guest Opinion by Richard Benderson

The fertile soil of Alabama’s Black Belt once anchored a thriving rural economy.

Small farms, family land ownership, and local supply chains kept work and wealth circulating through communities. Today, however, the legacy of that agricultural base has been destabilized by industry consolidation, structural economic change, and persistent regional inequality—leaving many Black Belt counties among the poorest in the state.

Recent census data shows that Alabama’s overall poverty rate remains above the national average, with more than 780,000 residents living below the federal poverty line. Across the state, about 15.6 percent of people are in poverty, higher than the U.S. rate of approximately 12 percent. But in key Black Belt counties, poverty rates climb above 30 percent.

When Big Agriculture Replaced Local Agriculture, Wealth Left Too

Between 2017 and 2022, Alabama lost roughly 8 percent of its farms while the average farm size increased to 231 acres. Larger operations now control more acreage, requiring fewer workers and circulating fewer dollars locally.

Meanwhile, many Black farmers have lost land ownership and access to capital. In Barbour County, the number of Black-operated farms declined over 650 percent across several decades. When land shifts out of local hands, rural residents lose not just economic footing, but community agency.

Metro Growth, Rural Stagnation

As agricultural opportunity shrank, Alabama’s urban centers diversified into aerospace, health care, logistics, and higher education. Huntsville consistently leads, while Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, and Mobile compete for new industry. Rural counties, however, were left anchored to a weakening agricultural base.

While Alabama’s statewide poverty rate fell between 2020 and 2023, Black Belt poverty rose from 23.8 percent to 24.6 percent. The region lacks the economic variety needed to absorb workforce shifts or retain young families.

Human Capital Flight—and What Might Reverse It

As opportunity concentrates in metro areas, rural population decline accelerates.

Young adults leave for Birmingham or Atlanta, seeking the very things rural communities struggle to provide: reliable employment, internet access, and modern amenities.

But urbanist thinkers point to a pivotal modernization opportunity: broadband access as a land-use and economic development strategy, not simply a utility upgrade.

If high-speed broadband were available reliably across rural counties, younger workers—especially those in remote-capable fields—could realistically choose to live in the Black Belt while participating in the metro economy digitally.

Post-pandemic workforce trends show that remote work is no longer niche. According to national labor surveys, more than a quarter of U.S. workers now perform hybrid or fully remote work. The number is higher among younger professionals.

This means broadband is no longer a convenience; it is a prerequisite for population retention. Rural communities that modernize digital infrastructure can reposition themselves competitively by offering:

• lower housing costs

• safer, slower-paced living

• proximity to land and nature

• ability to telework without relocating to a metro

Such modernization could reduce the brain drain by enabling rural Alabama to function as a viable residential alternative—not a stepping-stone on the way out.

A Regional Urbanist Approach

Urbanist principles—coordinated infrastructure, equitable access, and intentional land use—apply to rural renewal. The Black Belt needs a regional development strategy that:

• modernizes broadband and energy infrastructure

• rebuilds local agricultural value chains

• invests in skills training and remote-work pipelines

• connects rural towns to metro markets rather than isolating them

Without modernization, economic migration will continue and get worse. With it, rural counties can reposition themselves for a changing workforce and rebuild sustainable population.

The poverty of the Black Belt is not rooted only in agricultural decline. It is rooted in disconnection—from economic diversification, from digital infrastructure, and from the development engines powering Alabama’s metropolitan regions.

Reversing long-term decline requires investment in land, infrastructure, and people. If broadband expansion and modernization are prioritized, young workers may no longer have to choose between opportunity and home. With intentional planning, rural Alabama can once again be a destination—not a departure point.

Richard Benderson is an urbanist and community builder serving as a Cooperative Development Specialist Contractor with the Federation of Southern Cooperatives. In this role, he supports member cooperatives in expanding operations, strengthening modern business practices, and creating self sustaining businesses.

With more than two decades of experience in urban planning and development, Mr. Benderson has served municipalities across the southeastern United States, including Selma, Alabama; Winter Haven, Port St. Joe, Daytona Beach, and Lake City, Florida; and the South Georgia Regional Development Center.

He continues his public service as a Government Services Consultant, advancing initiatives in county/municipal operations, economic and community development, public charter schools, the arts, and voter advocacy at the federal, state, and local levels.

A native of Demopolis, Alabama, Mr. Benderson is an alumnus of Alabama A&M University and also attended the University of West Alabama. His professional and civic affiliations include the American Planning Association, Florida Redevelopment Association, Alabama A&M Alumni Association, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc., Ancient Egyptian Arabic Order Nobles Mystic Shrine, Joyful Farms, Two Rivers Arts Council, Southeastern Goat Cooperative, the Federation of Southern Cooperatives Land Assistance Fund, Gainesville Health & Wellness of West Alabama, Gun Owners of America, Bama Carry, and the Firearms Policy Coalition.

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