Globalisation and Rural Landscape Change - Key Concepts, Development Trends and Some Implications for Policy

Abstract

Key features of globalisation and rural landscape change are briefly reviewed, and a typology of landscape types presented, based upon the balance between  intensity  of   production   and   influence of urbanisation. Two  major  global  policy  drivers of change are then described, the market and sustainability agendas, and their influence upon rural landscapes discussed. Six examples of agricultural landscapes from different countries and situations are analysed and change patterns characterisation these landscapes summarized. There is some convergence between landscapes with similar conditions for production, across different regions and countries. It is argued that the two policy agendas impact unevenly across different types of landscape. Recent policy initiatives are briefly reviewed and an approach based upon identifying effective mixes of policies for the four different landscape types is proposed.