Toward partial reorientation of land management for sustainability in view of material circulation : biophysical and historical analysis
Ferrari, Sylvie
Mayumi, Kozo
Ramos Martín, Jesús

Imprint: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Unitat d'Història Econòmica 2010
Description: 20 p.
Abstract: This paper explores two major issues, from biophysical and historical viewpoints. We examine land management, which we define as the long-term fertility maintenance of land in relation to agriculture, fishery and forestry. We also explore humans' positive role as agents aiming to reinforce harmonious materials circulation within the land. Liebig's view on nature, agriculture and land, emphasizes the maintenance of long-term land fertility based on his agronomical thought that the circulation of matter in agricultural fields must be maintained with manure as much as possible. The thoughts of several classical economists, on nature, agriculture and land are reassessed from Liebig's view point. Then, the land management problem is discussed at a much more fundamental level, to understand the necessary conditions for life in relation to land management. This point is analyzed in terms of two mechanisms: entropy disposal on the earth, and material circulation against gravitational field. Finally from the historical example of the metropolis of Edo, it is shown that there is yet another necessary condition for the sustainable management of land based on the creation of harmonious material cycles among cities, farm land, forests and surrounding sea areas in which humans play a vital role as agent.
Rights: Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús de Creative Commons, amb la qual es permet copiar, distribuir i comunicar públicament l'obra sempre que se'n citin l'autor original, la universitat, el departament i la unitat i no se'n faci cap ús comercial ni obra derivada, tal com queda estipulat en la llicència d'ús Creative Commons
Language: Anglès
Series: Departament d'Economia i d'Història Econòmica. Unitat d'Història Econòmica. Documents de treball
Series: Documents de treball (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Unitat d'Història Econòmica) ; 2010/02
Document: Working paper
Subject: Recursos naturals ; Història ; Agricultura



20 p, 281.2 KB

The record appears in these collections:
Research literature > Working papers > Economic History Unit. Working papers

 Record created 2011-02-18, last modified 2022-07-16



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