Developments in rural areas in relation with developments in land and water management research in the Netherlands. I. Economic development and rural development plans.

Abstract

Since 1900 seven successive stages can be distinguished in the development of agricultural engineering and in land and water management research in the Netherlands. The development process is traced from the introduction of fertilizers during 1900-1930, through mechanisation, improvement of water management and land accessibility, and increase in the size and specialisation of units, to increasing emphasis on the ecological and recreational value of land. The main features of economical development in agriculture after 1945 are disucssed, including changes in production volume, structure and costs, labour input and productivity, and the cost of wages. The influence of land and water management projects on the rise in agricultural productivity is considered, together with the present policy of selective growth. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)