Beyond agri-environmental policy: towards an alternative model of rural environmental governance

Following the Second World War there were clear priorities for the domestic production of food. Agriculture was viewed as playing a central role in the protection of the rural environment and the support of the rural economy. These assumptions have now been largely rejected and a new framework for the conservation of the countryside is needed. The development of agri-environmental policy signals a start, but there are a number of limitations to this approach. A wider framework is required that includes a variety of alternative linkage mechanisms between the demand for countryside goods and the control of land. These include a range of alternative institutional arrangements among individuals and organisations, with significant roles for government, market and non-profit organisations. No single model can deliver the variety of environmental characteristics that is sought. The development of this new framework presents a challenge for the governance of the countryside.