First published in 1983. How had the situation developed in which agriculture had become such a creature of state protection, where public money supported prosperous landowners while poor farmers received practically nothing? Where the value of agricultural support exceeded net farm income, and vastly exceeded the level of support available to British Steel or British Rail? In answering these questions John Bowers and Paul Cheshire examined the real value of agricultural support in successive policy phases since the Second World War, and analysed the effects this support had on income distribution. Their thesis was that agricultural change, including the transfer of land from traditional farmers to institutions and corporations, was not the product of impersonal progress, but the direct result of agricultural support policies, resting on specious economic arguments. The authors’ analysis of this subject has inescapable relevance for the policymaker, for the taxpayer and consumer of foodstuffs, for the urban user of the British countryside and indeed for farmers and the farming lobby. Agriculture, the Countryside and Land Use will be an important book for all these groups and also for students of agriculture, geography and economics.

First published in 1983. In this study, John Bowers and Paul Cheshire examined the real value of agricultural support in successive policy phases since the Second World War, and analysed the effects this support had on income distribution.

Agricultural economics monograph on the interaction between agriculture and other rural areas land utilization in developed countries - includes the traditional approach to agricultural economics, and covers supply and demand, agricultural policy, cost benefit analysis of agricultural land use as compared to competing land use for urban areas, etc. Bibliography pp. 85 to 95, references and statistical tables.

"Agriculture and urbanisation are often considered to be mutually antagonistic land-uses. But in an increasingly urban-orientated world, agriculture depends on city markets and often has to operate within the complex mosaic of the urban fringe." "This book provides a broad analysis of the nature, structure and relationships of farming in the countryside surrounding cities. From the perspective of resource management and land use planning, the authors explore the biophysical and human dimensions of the organisation of periurban agriculture and identify four main elements around which they present their analysis, the resource base, the market, the farmer, and the role of government." "Bryant and Johnston use case study material mainly from the developed world to demonstrate how conflicts and problems can be resolved to the benefit of farmer and city-dweller. By applying systems theory, they provide a synthesis for understanding how modern agriculture functions under urban influence and how these trends are likely to develop in the future, in the context of conservation, economic factors and technological change." "An essential and stimulating study of a key issue, this book will appeal to students and researchers in urban studies, rural geography, agricultural economics, land-use studies and planning."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved

There is currently great concern throughout the world about the environmental problems associated with modern agricultural practices, particularly soil erosion, the side effects of pollution through excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers, and conservation of wildlife habitats, amenity landscapes and public recreational areas. Until recently, however, there has been little analysis of these unpriced side-effects, or (in economists' terms) 'externalities' and the related concept of public goods. This book is one of the first to bring together economic analyses of these external costs and benefits of agriculture and land use. It is written by authors from the UK, USA and continental Europe and will be of great interest to agricultural and environmental economists and scientists.

Planning for the use of rural lands in the developed countries of the world has become an increasingly contentious process as resources become more limited and conflicting needs grow stronger. The critical questions are "Which is more important—agriculture, livestock production, recreation, industry, or urban housing?" and "Who decides priorities and responsibilities for use?" The capacity of the land to meet all of the demands placed upon it, without serious environmental disruption, has become a major concern for all. Recognizing the exigencies of the situation, the contributors define and evaluate the theoretical and methodological frameworks within which rural land-use problems can be analyzed. In , the discussions focus on the identification and characterization of resources and competing users of rural lands, stressing that a careful articulation of the problem is essential to effective planning. is aimed at developing appropriate information bases useful in planning for the problems related to the management of these rural lands. The discussion of policy options for rural resource use in builds upon the material in the previous two sections to provide a framework for an analysis of rural resource use.

The first of a five-volume series, "Restructuring Rural Areas", from the London Countryside Research Centre, this book aims to put the rural domain firmly on the agenda of social science enquiry.

Planning and the Rural Environment examines the environmental issues affecting countryside planning. Emphasis is placed on the look and feel of the open countryside, the function and appearance of the rural environment, rather than the problems of its people and the settlements in which they live. Also discussed is the conflict of interest generated between some of the major planning systems concerned with the development of rural activities and the protection of rural resources. Comprised of 13 chapters, this volume begins with an assessment of conflicting views of how a countryside of the future should develop and the degree of control and direction that should take place. The following chapters consider how the emerging range of environmental problems and opportunities in rural planning can best be illustrated. In particular, the dominance of agriculture as a rural activity is analyzed, together with forest and woodland management; leisure activity in the countryside; and conservation of resources and wildlife. The next section is devoted to uplands and the urban fringe, paying particular attention to some of the ways in which rural interests interact in two very different areas. Finally, the development of rural planning is reviewed and issues that are expected to shape the countryside of the future are considered. This book should be of interest to postgraduate students of rural planning and specialists in various fields of countryside planning.