Workshop E; 16th WCSS (World Congress of Soil Sciences
Montpellier, France) 20-26 August 1998
The world is faced today with increasingly intense antagonisms. On the one hand, there is a will to submit all things, even pollution, to market regulation, and on the other there is rising awareness of the need to preserve the essential assets of humanity: air, water, soil, living species, and the major balances necessary to life.
The general public is increasingly informed on waste, the degradation of natural resources, and environmental issues.
In developed countries, due to public pressure, environment has begun to be taken into account by policy makers but solutions are not always found. In developing countries, food production and food security are almost a daily concern and the pressure on natural resources is constantly growing, leading to their deterioration.
Should we consider all of this as the negative effects of the market on the management of natural resources? What role do state policies play in natural resources?
In other words, is it possible to reconcile the market rationale with the needs of food security, of a sustainable use of natural resources, and of environmental protection?
If the market cannot play a positive sustainable role with regard to resources, what kind of regulation is needed? Can principles such as care, moderation, equity, and solidarity be included in this new kind of regulation?
The seven papers of this workshop are an attempt to shed new light on these questions.
