Natural Resources and Land Use

Living within environmental limits

The natural environment provides numerous services that are fundamental to human health and well being. These are often referred to as ecosystem services, and include:

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� The resources we need for our basic survival and for good health. For example, clean air to breathe and clean water for drinking.

� Natural processes which protect the environment in which we live. For example, through maintaining a stable climate.

� The resources we need for a strong and healthy economy. For example, raw materials for industry.

While resources such as biodiversity and soils are often thought of as 'renewable', they can be exploited to the extent that long-term irreversible damage will be caused. An 'environmental limit' is met, beyond which the environment is unable to accommodate a particular activity or rate of activities without sustaining unacceptable or irreversible change.

Green, Healthy and Fair: Supermarket thematic review

Our third thematic review focuses on the role of government in enabling supermarkets to deliver a sustainable food system in the UK.

We have reviewed the effectiveness of policies towards the food system and supermarkets, and the extent to which these policies are helping or hindering progress towards sustainable development. We make recommendations to government in six priority areas, to improve the effectiveness of existing policy and to address gaps.

View our Supermarkets project page for more details.

� Download Green, Healthy and Fair

Sustainable Land Use

Land supply in the UK is limited. As such, there is significant competition for land from a number of different uses, including agriculture, forestry and urban use.

The challenge for sustainable development is to manage land so as to integrate and maximise its economic, social and environmental value.

$100 a Barrel of Oil - This study asks a simple question: what would be the impact on food of oil prices rising to $100 a barrel?

Future of Agriculture in the UK

Despite recent progress towards a more sustainable food and farming system in the UK, through the Sustainable Food and Farming Strategy and recent CAP reforms, there is much work still to be done. Delivering these changes on the ground is a real challenge and there are still areas for debate such as the importance of food security. Furthermore, new and exciting challenges are emerging as understanding develops and circumstances change. The SDC�s work on agriculture includes One Planet Living and the role of agriculture in the UK.

� More on our work on Future of Agriculture
� Explore our Natural Resources work programme

Our team

Tim Lang, Natural Resources Commissioner, chairs our Natural Resources and Sustainable Land Use steering group.