Towards sustainable land use? : new arrangements for soil conservation in New Zealand

Abstract

This report discusses the problems that land degradation presents for New Zealand society. These include the implications of current land use practices for the sustainability of the resource, and the externalities that arise from culturally induced erosion. Land degradation problems are rendered complex by a range of physical, economic and institutional factors. These have influenced the effectiveness of past approaches to soil conservation and must be taken into account in future policy and institutional design if sustainable land use objectives are to be achieved. Such arrangements should be flexible, pay particular attention to implementation processes, and include a broad range of approaches encompassing both collective institutions and private markets.