The collection of papers in this book and its companion volume, Property Rights in Social and Ecological Context: Case Studies and Design Applications, (*) examine the relationships between people, the environment, and property rights and the ways in which a given social and ecological context affects those relationships. The papers are products of a research program at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, Stockholm. The main objective of the program was to convene social scientists and natural scientists to address research questions in their full social and ecological dimensions. The program's participants addressed five general issues related to property rights and the environment: (1) the design of governance systems for sustainability; (2) the relationship between equity, stewardship, and environmental resilience; (3) the use of traditional knowledge in resource management, (4) the mechanisms that link people to their environments, and (5) the role played by population and poverty. The companion volume presents case studies that address questions of design application in those five areas. (*) Also available: Property Rights in a Social and Ecological Context: Case Studies and Design Applications. (ISBN 0-8213-3416-6) Stock No. 13416.

Changes in market organisation, climatic conditions and societal demands on food quality, animal welfare and environmental quality have created new conditions for farming families as well as for researchers and policy makers. New social, technical and economic solutions are needed for farming and rural areas. This book presents new perspectives for farms, farm products and rural areas, many of which were collectively developed by coalitions of farmers, farmer representatives, researchers, civilians and/or policy makers. Contributions are made from those involved in crop and animal production worldwide offering sections on natural resources management, development of sustainable rural systems, future perspectives for farming families, knowledge systems in transition and learning processes in multi-stakeholder processes. This unique collection of contributions, presenting insights from bio-physical as well as social sciences, shows where practice meets analysis and reflection and offers new perspectives for rural areas throughout the world.