The Governance of the Countryside: Property, Planning and Policy

Description

Conflicts over the conservation of biodiversity, changing patterns in land use, pollution, climate change, public access and increasing demands for food and energy security lead to the creation of policies designed to reconcile interests and promote society's objectives. This book examines the origins and evolution of the institutions that determine the use and management of land and the delivery of ecosystem services, through private property rights, markets and public policies. Divided into five accessible parts, the book provides detailed coverage of the institutions, property and governance of the countryside, historical models, governance under sectoral policies and alternative approaches. It is carefully developed to meet the needs of anyone studying or interested in agricultural sciences, countryside management, rural environment and geography. Students, lecturers, policy makers, managers and consultants in these areas will find this a valuable resource.

Ian Hodge is Professor of Rural Economy in the Department of Land Economy and Fellow of Hughes Hall at the University of Cambridge, where he has held appointments since 1983. He has over 40 years' experience of working in the areas of agricultural and environmental economics and policy, rural development and land use and countryside governance. He is currently a member of the Defra Economic Advisory Panel, previously a member of the MAFF/Defra Agricultural Economics Academic Panel, English Nature Socio-Economic Advisory Group, MAFF Task Force for the Hills and was a technical advisor to the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Review Group.