Living Land

Jules Pretty is Director of the Centre for Environment and Society (CES) at the University of Essex. The CES is a transdisciplinary research centre that draws on the expertise of departments and research centres across the University. From 1989 to 1997, he was Director of the Sustainable Agriculture Programme at the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED). The Programme was engaged in a wide range of collaborative research, policy, training and outreach programmes, mainly in Africa, Asia and Latin America. It was involved in the methodological development of new participatory approaches for community and social development. He is a founding member of the Agricultural Reform Group and the Neighbourhood Think Tank, a trustee for the Farmers World Network and The Pesticides Trust, editorial adviser to various journals, and member of the Institute of Biology and British Agricultural History Society and the Government's Advisory Committee on Release to the Environment (ACRE).

• A Living Land for Rural Europe * Part I: Towards Sustainable Agriculture - The Dying Land: Modern Agriculture's Legacy * Sustainable Agriculture in Europe * Part II: Towards Sustainable Food Systems - The Food System; Hunger and Plenty * Adding Value to Food for Farmers and Local Communities * Part III: Towards Sustainable Rural Communities - Dying Rural Communities: The Social Costs of Countryside Modernisation * Participation and Partnerships for Community Regeneration * Part IV: Making Support and New Policies for A Living Land * References * Index

'A splendid book.' Derek Cooper, The Food Programme, BBC Radio Four'An important book which combines careful analysis with a positive vision of the future.' Jonathan Dimbleby, journalist and broadcaster'A helpful antidote to some of the guff that is written about the countryside, well argued and based on hard fact rather than sentiment.' John Humphrys, Today, BBC Radio Four'This is a good book: it is well researched, strong on analysis and creative in the vision that it portrays for the future.' Experimental Agriculture'The book has many praiseworthy characteristics, in particular, its copious references to practical examples from around the world, its clarity of exposition and argument, the relentless nature of its analysis and statistical illustration.' Agricultural Science