The purposes of this article are: (1) to investigate and describe the scope of rural adult education needs in relation to a national policy of rural industrialization; (2) to elaborate upon the problems in delivering adult education programs; and (3) to recommend approved adult education practices designed to strengthen human resources development of rural populations which may, in turn, achieve national goals conceived in rural industrialization. The discussion is based on the Appalachian Adult Education Center's 5 year involvement with the experimentation and demonstration of improved practices in adult basic education (ABE) with special emphasis on the unique rural Appalachian populations of a 13 state region. The document includes the 1972 National Rural Policy; A Plea for a National Rural Adult Education Policy; Rural America Today (population, poverty levels, education, health, and employment). The section on Rural Populations covers rural Appalachia, American Indians, the Spanish speaking, and migrants. The Education chapter discusses ABE, Adult Education Manpower Development, indigenous personnel, curriculum, ABE delivery, community education, and media. Major recommendations are that, to alleviate economic and social distress in rural areas, adult education for these populations needs to be improved; and that the broader method of community education, which subsumes adult education, needs to be developed. (KM)