Suchergebnisse

The development of any region or territory stems from its own dynamic nature. Economic activity and employment are stimulated by the number of local initiatives plus the cross‐fertilisation of those same initiatives. Globalisation, external constraints and technological change are therefore not really obstacles to be overcome but rather opportunities to be seized. In our experience, participatory foresight exercise using simple and appropriate methods has proved to be a powerful lever for promoting territorial dynamics.

This article considers the European agricultural battlefield where farmers face the problem of new challenges to the environment and food safety which only add to the problems of productivity or competitiveness. Logical agriculture (or integrated farming) seeks to reconcile economic competitiveness, product quality and safety in the food chain with respect for the environment by using products to preserve the potential for development for future generations and by establishing quality assurance and certification systems to ensure sustainable development. In order to save the rural aspect of agriculture while simultaneously contributing towards sustainable development, the article suggests complementary routes which would smooth the transition from agriculture to ecoculture thereby keeping and reinforcing the trust of the citizen‐consumer.

In a recent issue of Futuribles, authors from the European Commission's Forward Studies Unit outlined five scenarios for Europe 2010. The scenarios were constructed using the so‐called "shaping actors, shaping factors" method, claimed by the authors as specific to their unit. In this article, Michel Godet reacts to that claim and makes two fundamental criticisms of their methodology.

Vor dem Hintergrund unterschiedlicher Entwicklungen im Verhältnis von Bevölkerungs- und Arbeitsplatzzahlen in den USA, Japan, ausgewählten europäischen Ländern und Frankreich skizziert der Autor mögliche missing link vor allem in Europa bis 2025. (IAB)