The idea of ecological modernization originated in Western Europe in the 1980s, gaining attention around the world by the late 1990s. At the core of this social scientific and policy-oriented approach is the view that contemporary societies have the capability of dealing with their environmental crises. Experiences in some countries demonstrate that modern institutions can incorporate environmental interests into their daily routines. Elsewhere, economic and political interests dominate development trajectories and environmental deterioration continues, challenging the premises of ecological...

This text explores the causes, contradictions and consequences of global social-ecological change, along with the uncertainties and governance dilemmas these create. Case studies illustrate the inter-connectedness of ecosystem health, natural resource condition, livelihood security, social justice and development.

Food is increasingly traded internationally, thereby transforming the organisation of food production and consumption globally and influencing most food-related practices. This book shows how conventional regulation of food provision through sovereign national governments is becoming elusive, as the distinctions between domestic and international.