Trade Agreements, Multifunctionality and EU Agriculture
Trade Agreements, Multifunctionality and EU Agriculture

Author: Eleni Kaditi

Publisher: CEPS

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13: 9290796723

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This volume is the result of research and exchange activities within the European Network of Agricultural and Rural Policy Research Institutes (ENARPRI). It synthesizes various analyses related to EU agricultural policies, trade agreements, and the issue of multifunctionality. The book focuses on the impact of regional, bilateral, and multilateral trade agreements that the EU has concluded or is in the process of negotiating, as well as on the interaction between EU policies and trade agreements, in the context of multifunctionality and sustainable development. Most of the trade agreements examined are extremely complex and impact not only efficiency and growth, but also income and welfare distribution within the EU. Special attention is given to the effects of possible WTO negotiation outcomes on the EU and third countries, as well as on the impact of the EuroMed trade proposals and agreements on trade flows and economic development of the EU's trading partners in the Mediterranean.

Irrigation Water Pricing
Irrigation Water Pricing

Author: François Molle

Publisher: CABI

Published: 2007-01-01

Total Pages: 367

ISBN-13: 1845932927

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Much hope has been vested in pricing as a means of helping to regulate and rationalize water management, notably in the irrigation sector. The pricing of water has often been applied universally, using general and ideological policies, and not considering regional environmental and economic differences. Almost 15 years after the emphasis laid at the Dublin and Rio conferences on treating water as an economic good, a comprehensive review of how such policies have helped manage water resources an irrigation use is necessary. The case-studies presented here offer a reassessment of current policies by evaluating their objectives and constraints and often demonstrating their failure by not considering the regional context. They will therefore contribute to avoiding costly and misplaced reforms and help design water policies that are based on a deeper understanding of the factors which eventually dictate their effectiveness.

The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity: Ecological and Economic Foundations
The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity: Ecological and Economic Foundations

Author: Pushpam Kumar

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2012-12-20

Total Pages: 455

ISBN-13: 1136538798

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Human well-being relies critically on ecosystem services provided by nature. Examples include water and air quality regulation, nutrient cycling and decomposition, plant pollination and flood control, all of which are dependent on biodiversity. They are predominantly public goods with limited or no markets and do not command any price in the conventional economic system, so their loss is often not detected and continues unaddressed and unabated. This in turn not only impacts human well-being, but also seriously undermines the sustainability of the economic system. It is against this background that TEEB: The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity project was set up in 2007 and led by the United Nations Environment Programme to provide a comprehensive global assessment of economic aspects of these issues. This book, written by a team of international experts, represents the scientific state of the art, providing a comprehensive assessment of the fundamental ecological and economic principles of measuring and valuing ecosystem services and biodiversity, and showing how these can be mainstreamed into public policies. This volume and subsequent TEEB outputs will provide the authoritative knowledge and guidance to drive forward the biodiversity conservation agenda for the next decade.

Land-Use and Land-Cover Change
Land-Use and Land-Cover Change

Author: Eric F. Lambin

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2008-01-08

Total Pages: 236

ISBN-13: 3540322027

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This book presents recent estimates on the rate of change of major land classes. Aggregated globally, multiple impacts of local land changes are shown to significantly affect central aspects of Earth System functioning. The book offers innovative developments and applications in the fields of modeling and scenario construction. Conclusions are also drawn about the most pressing implications for the design of appropriate intervention policies.

Rewilding European Landscapes
Rewilding European Landscapes

Author: Henrique M. Pereira

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2015-05-04

Total Pages: 239

ISBN-13: 3319120395

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Some European lands have been progressively alleviated of human pressures, particularly traditional agriculture in remote areas. This book proposes that this land abandonment can be seen as an opportunity to restore natural ecosystems via rewilding. We define rewilding as the passive management of ecological successions having in mind the long-term goal of restoring natural ecosystem processes. The book aims at introducing the concept of rewilding to scientists, students and practitioners. The first part presents the theory of rewilding in the European context. The second part of the book directly addresses the link between rewilding, biodiversity, and habitats. The third and last part is dedicated to practical aspects of the implementation of rewilding as a land management option. We believe that this book will both set the basis for future research on rewilding and help practitioners think about how rewilding can take place in areas under their management.

Sustaining Agriculture and the Rural Environment
Sustaining Agriculture and the Rural Environment

Author: Floor Brouwer

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2004-01-01

Total Pages: 392

ISBN-13: 9781781958032

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Apart from food and raw materials, agriculture can also provide ancillary benefits such as landscapes, biodiversity, cultural heritage and thriving rural communities. This book offers a state-of-the-art overview of strategies for sustainable management practices and their implementation through the adoption of suitable instruments. Such practices aim to sustain and support the multiple functions provided by agriculture and natural resources in the rural countryside. The authors explore the value of alternative governance structures and examine the design of policy models and institutional mechanisms for a range of different countries and agricultural methods. The empirical results allow them to identify successful examples as well as recognize practices which have failed. They can then transfer positive policies to geographical areas or production systems where effective and efficient strategies for the sustainable management of natural resources are urgently needed. In doing so, the authors hope to improve the design, identification and implementation of appropriate policy instruments to help sustain the rural economy in the future. They also aim to strengthen the establishment of markets for nature which overcome institutional constraints. This timely new book explores emerging perspectives on multifunctionality in agriculture and the rural environment. It will be widely read by academics, researchers and policymakers with an interest in agricultural and resource economics, environmental governance and sustainable development.

Multifunctional Land Use
Multifunctional Land Use

Author: Ülo Mander

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2007-05-11

Total Pages: 422

ISBN-13: 3540367632

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This book is a major contribution to the debate on future land development strategies, as well as helping to supporting land use decision making at all levels. Scientists from across Europe installed the Landscape Tomorrow network to prepare for upcoming challenges in research on sustainable land development. The book’s interdisciplinary perspective analyses, among other things, the general principles of land use multifunctionality and reports on a variety of success stories.