Toward Partial Reorientation of Land Management for Sustainability in View of Material Circulation: Biophysical and Historical Analysis

Sylvie Ferrari, Kozo Mayumi () and Jesus Ramos-Martin

No 2010_02, UHE Working papers from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Departament d'Economia i Història Econòmica, Unitat d'Història Econòmica

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.

Keywords: land management; material circulation; sustainability; Liebig; Edo (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A12 B10 Q10 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 18 pages
Date: 2010-12
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-agr and nep-his
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Related works:
Working Paper: Toward partial reorientation of land management for sustainability in view of material circulation: biophysical and historical analysis (2008)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aub:uhewps:2010_02

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