Abstract
This article uses material from many extensive research projects starting from the construction of the electric power supply network and its water supply systems in northern Finland in 1973-1986, to the Agropolis agricultural strategy and networking for the Loimijoki project. A list of the material and references of the publications is available in Agronet on the Internet. All these projects applied integrated environmental research covering biology, the natural sciences, social sciences, and planning methodology. To be able to promote sustainable agriculture and rural development there is a pressing need to improve research methodology and applications for integrated environmental research. This article reviews the philosophy and development of the theory behind integrated environmental research and the theory of network economy.
Highlights
The world is witnessing enormous changes such as globalisation and networking of the economy and information
The only common denominator in the natural sciences, social sciences and applied sciences is the common direction of problems, i.e. they are all related to environmental issues
In an increasingly globalised economy, agricultural companies will only survive if they can develop competitive advantages that appeal to consumers
Summary
This article uses material from many extensive research projects starting from the construction of the electric power supply network and its water supply systems in northern Finland in 1973-1986, to the Agropolis agricultural strategy and networking for the Loimijoki project. A list of the material and references of the publications is available in Agronet on the Internet All these projects applied integrated environmental research covering biology, the natural sciences, social sciences, and planning methodology. A necessary response to the challenge is to expand the marketing of Finnish agricultural products in the EU and at the same time towards world markets This requires agriculture to strengthen its ability to innovate, i.e., to modernise production and organisational structures, to overcome traditional forms of the (Tayloristic) division of work, to improve the skills of farmers and to invest in R&D. Environmental research in such circumstances cannot give solutions and tools to decision-makers (society/political leaders) unless there is extensive integrated environmental research. The main issues cover landscape-related, ecological, regional, economic and socio-economic problems and the evaluation of policy implementation
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