Exploring a ‘Healthy Foodshed’: Land Use Associated with the UK Fruit and Vegetables Supply

Abstract

Bases the discussion of rural land-use competition on Coleman's landscape model. First, considers the progress made in describing and measuring the composition of land use and patterns of land use change for the whole system, before reviewing attempts to forecast land budget trends. Irrespective of balance at a national level, conflicts between urban and rural interests arise on a more local scale, especially in the 'urban fringe' and this is examined. Focus is then transferred to the 'marginal fringe' and the problems of this area at the outer edge of the productive rural area. Finally, the conflict between agriculturalists and conservationists in the 'farmscape' is examined. Several topics are identified for further research, including cost-benefit analyses of alternative levels of rural-urban land conversion; investigation of the compatibility of different land uses; and the monitoring of management experiments aimed to minimise land use conflicts.-from Editor