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The economics of subsistence agriculture
Reviews and Notices CONFERENCE ON 'THE ARCTIC OCEAN', HELD AT DITCHLEYPARK, OXFORDSHIRE,ENGLAND, 14--17 MAY 1971
The terms of reference of this conference were to examine the possible consequences of the prospective opening-up of the Arctic area through sea, land, and air, transport, with special reference to exploitation of natural resources, questions of national and international jurisdiction, and questions of safety, pollution, and conservation. The thirty-five participants came from the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland, and were drawn from government, the universities, and industry. The Chairman was Sir Frank Fraser Darling. Discussion of pollution and conservation took place against the background of two recent major developments: the proposal to build a hot-oil pipeline across Alaska, and the Canadian legislation conferring powers to make and enforce regulations for ship operation off the north coast of Canada. The study group concerned, having taken note of the special vulnerability of the Arctic ecosystem, identified various possible economic developments in the Arctic, and considered their likely effects and ways of reducing or eliminating the harmful ones. Major schemes of river diversion and climate modification have been proposed in the Arctic, and the group urged caution in view of possible irreversible effects. The following pollution risks were noted: the effect of SO 2 on plants, and especially lichens; oil-spills on land and sea; radioactive contamination, including problems of
157
nuclear-powered vessels; toxic and persistent pesticides; and sonic bangs. The conference recommended that stringent standards should be established and enforced (while agreeing that so far the appropriate authorities were exercising notable responsibility in protecting the public interest), and that ships, port installations, drilling platforms, and pipelines, must be specially designed to take into account the additional risks due to floating ice. Planning of land-use was urged, in order to try to ensure the best combined use of all resources. These were identified as (not necessarily in order of priority) wilderness value and natural beauty, wildlife and its habitats, oil, gas, and minerals, opportunity for research in a relatively uncontaminated environment, and the abilities and skills of the indigenous peoples. The opportunities for recreation, adventure, and tourism, were recognized as great, but care should be taken to ensure that tourism does not destroy the special features people come to see. Inevitably, a main conclusion was that much more research was needed in many disciplines and in many places. This should be organized where possible on an international basis, and in this connection marine environments might provide a good starting-point. The Report of the conference, by its Rapporteur, Dr Brian Roberts, is being published by the Ditchley Foundation, Ditchley Park, Enstone, Oxfordshire, England. TERENCE ARMSTRONG,
Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, England.
REVIEWS & NOTICES The Economics of Subsistence Agriculture, Fourth Edition, by COLIN CLARK • MARGARET R. HASWELL. Macmillan, London: xiii + 2 6 7 p p . , 21-5 x 13'6cm, £3.00 (£1.25 paperback), 1970. The first three editions of this remarkable book were always good value for money; the fourth, now available in a paperback at £1.25, must be one of the 'best buys' in the ecologist's book-shop. Using the terminology of my previous review (Biol. Conserv., 2(4), p. 320, 1970), IV is an expanded version of III, brought up-to-date by the incorporation of new material (particularly some from Madagascar and the F a r East). The authors' claim that 'additional chapters have been added on wages and leisure, programming for full development, and the role of agriculture in national economic development', is, however, misleading, as three-quarters of both the first two mentioned are material cunningly reassembled almost word for word from other chapters of III, and the third is similarly the first ten pages or so of the final chapter of III, now given independent status. The final chapter of IV presents some interesting changes, the authors having had further thoughts about the world scene. Their table showing that developed countries now contribute twice as much to the growing export trade in food and raw materials as do the developing countries draws attention to the need to stimulate agricultural production in the latter. While many will look askance at their proposal to channel aid to businessmen
rather than governments in developing countries, the encouragement of exports by subsidy, as recommended, will be generally welcomed. In short, this is a better-based and better-argued edition of a book that has long been accepted as of the utmost importance. But the bibliography is still disgraceful, despite the expansion of a few citations. Cannot the publishers find some competent person to take it in hand for V? JOHN N. BLACK (Edinburgh, Scotland)
World Population and Food Supply, by J. H. LOWRY. Edward Arnold, London: 122 pp., many text figures and plates, 25 × 12 cm, £1.00, 1970. As a biologist, I found the predominantly geographical approach of this book both interesting and useful. It analyses, in some detail, the growth of the world's population, and then goes on to examine the possibilities that exist for extending world agriculture by the use of previously uncultivated land (e.g. tropical rain-forest) and by the more intensive use of existing agricultural resources. A final chapter considers the manufacture of synthetic foods. The book is intended for advanced students in secondary schools and as an introductory text for university
The terms of reference of this conference were to examine the possible consequences of the prospective opening-up of the Arctic area through sea, land, and air, transport, with special reference to exploitation of natural resources, questions of national and international jurisdiction, and questions of safety, pollution, and conservation. The thirty-five participants came from the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland, and were drawn from government, the universities, and industry. The Chairman was Sir Frank Fraser Darling. Discussion of pollution and conservation took place against the background of two recent major developments: the proposal to build a hot-oil pipeline across Alaska, and the Canadian legislation conferring powers to make and enforce regulations for ship operation off the north coast of Canada. The study group concerned, having taken note of the special vulnerability of the Arctic ecosystem, identified various possible economic developments in the Arctic, and considered their likely effects and ways of reducing or eliminating the harmful ones. Major schemes of river diversion and climate modification have been proposed in the Arctic, and the group urged caution in view of possible irreversible effects. The following pollution risks were noted: the effect of SO 2 on plants, and especially lichens; oil-spills on land and sea; radioactive contamination, including problems of
157
nuclear-powered vessels; toxic and persistent pesticides; and sonic bangs. The conference recommended that stringent standards should be established and enforced (while agreeing that so far the appropriate authorities were exercising notable responsibility in protecting the public interest), and that ships, port installations, drilling platforms, and pipelines, must be specially designed to take into account the additional risks due to floating ice. Planning of land-use was urged, in order to try to ensure the best combined use of all resources. These were identified as (not necessarily in order of priority) wilderness value and natural beauty, wildlife and its habitats, oil, gas, and minerals, opportunity for research in a relatively uncontaminated environment, and the abilities and skills of the indigenous peoples. The opportunities for recreation, adventure, and tourism, were recognized as great, but care should be taken to ensure that tourism does not destroy the special features people come to see. Inevitably, a main conclusion was that much more research was needed in many disciplines and in many places. This should be organized where possible on an international basis, and in this connection marine environments might provide a good starting-point. The Report of the conference, by its Rapporteur, Dr Brian Roberts, is being published by the Ditchley Foundation, Ditchley Park, Enstone, Oxfordshire, England. TERENCE ARMSTRONG,
Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, England.
REVIEWS & NOTICES The Economics of Subsistence Agriculture, Fourth Edition, by COLIN CLARK • MARGARET R. HASWELL. Macmillan, London: xiii + 2 6 7 p p . , 21-5 x 13'6cm, £3.00 (£1.25 paperback), 1970. The first three editions of this remarkable book were always good value for money; the fourth, now available in a paperback at £1.25, must be one of the 'best buys' in the ecologist's book-shop. Using the terminology of my previous review (Biol. Conserv., 2(4), p. 320, 1970), IV is an expanded version of III, brought up-to-date by the incorporation of new material (particularly some from Madagascar and the F a r East). The authors' claim that 'additional chapters have been added on wages and leisure, programming for full development, and the role of agriculture in national economic development', is, however, misleading, as three-quarters of both the first two mentioned are material cunningly reassembled almost word for word from other chapters of III, and the third is similarly the first ten pages or so of the final chapter of III, now given independent status. The final chapter of IV presents some interesting changes, the authors having had further thoughts about the world scene. Their table showing that developed countries now contribute twice as much to the growing export trade in food and raw materials as do the developing countries draws attention to the need to stimulate agricultural production in the latter. While many will look askance at their proposal to channel aid to businessmen
rather than governments in developing countries, the encouragement of exports by subsidy, as recommended, will be generally welcomed. In short, this is a better-based and better-argued edition of a book that has long been accepted as of the utmost importance. But the bibliography is still disgraceful, despite the expansion of a few citations. Cannot the publishers find some competent person to take it in hand for V? JOHN N. BLACK (Edinburgh, Scotland)
World Population and Food Supply, by J. H. LOWRY. Edward Arnold, London: 122 pp., many text figures and plates, 25 × 12 cm, £1.00, 1970. As a biologist, I found the predominantly geographical approach of this book both interesting and useful. It analyses, in some detail, the growth of the world's population, and then goes on to examine the possibilities that exist for extending world agriculture by the use of previously uncultivated land (e.g. tropical rain-forest) and by the more intensive use of existing agricultural resources. A final chapter considers the manufacture of synthetic foods. The book is intended for advanced students in secondary schools and as an introductory text for university