Heidi Vinge og Hilde Bjørkhaug fra Forfood-prosjektet arrangerte i samarbeid med Elin Slätmo fra Sverges landbruksuniversitet en arbeidsgruppe om arealforvaltning og kunnskap på den tverrfaglige miljøkonferansen Nordic Environmental Social Science Conference 2015. 9 paper med ulike studier av miljø- og arealproblematikk ble presentert.
Den tolvte NESS-konferansen i rekken hadde fått navnet Contested Natures – new strategies, ideas and dialogues, og ble arrangert i Trondheim av NTNU og Norsk senter for bygdeforskning. Dette var beskrivelsen av arbeidsgruppen:
Towards sustainable land use? Land management, knowledge claims and land practices in the global north
Management of agricultural resources to sustain a growing world population is seen as one of the key challenges of our time. Agricultural land is a vital yet limited resource – we depend upon it for food production, but it is also in direct competition with other land-based activities, such as housing, infrastructure, mining, investment, carbon off-setting, nature conservation and industry. This working group will focus on understanding principles and practices of land use in the global north. A central aspect will be how various forms of knowledge are a part of and influence land use governance processes. Land is a finite resource different interests and agendas compete over. The protection of land through regulations and law has always caused controversy and conflict. With varying interests and objectives, come also different means and modes of power. What is sustainable land use in a context of climate change and global population increase? How can this be achieved across levels of governance and through different means of participation?
Subject areas can be, but are not restricted to:
- Processes of balancing different societal goals to achieve economic, ecologic and social sustainability
- The role of measurement and models in land use governance
- Transparency in political processes
- The dilemma between collective values and private property rights
This workshop welcomes papers that contribute to a broadening of the understanding of land use processes in the global north.
Moderators:
Heidi Vinge, PhD Student, Centre for Rural Research and Dep. of Sociology & Political Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Elin Slätmo, Post doctor, Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences