The Rural Economy and Society in North-Western Europe, 500-2000: The Agro-Food Market - Production, Distribution, and Consumption

Agriculture and nourishment are, from early times and up to now, crucial elements in the development of market systems. Shortage and surplus gave shape to different forms of exchange and sale, to the dynamics of supply and demand, and to expanding interconnections between regions and social groups. Farmers learned to adapt their production to market conditions and to the shifting needs and tastes of a growing and demanding public. But the path from a self-supporting way of life to the present forms of market integration in the complex, global world was far from uniform and linear. Food production, market structures and market mechanisms changed over time and differed between regions and countries of the North Sea area. This volume aims at exploring and unravelling the complexity of the agro-food market, from the field to the table. 1 Introduction: The Agro-food Market Around The North Sea, 500-2000 / Leen Van Molle Molle, Leen Van, Yves Segers Segers, Yves 1 -- 2 Agricultural Production, Distribution And Consumption Around The North Sea, 500-1000 / Jean-pierre Devroey Devroey, Jean-pierre, Alexis Wilkin Wilkin, Alexis, Alban Gautier Gautier, Alban 13 -- British Isles -- 3 British Isles, 1000-1750 / John Chartres Chartres, John 69 -- 4 British Isles, 1750-2000 / John Chartres Chartres, John 99 -- Northern France -- 5 Northern France, 1000-1750 / Florent Quellier Quellier, Florent 135 -- 6 Northern France, 1750-2000 / Marc De Ferrière Le Vayer Vayer, Marc De Ferrière Le, Jean-pierre Williot Williot, Jean-pierre -- The Low Countries -- 7 The Low Countries, 1000-1750 / Reinoud Vermoesen Vermoesen, Reinoud 199 -- 8 The Low Countries, 1750-2000 / Yves Segers Segers, Yves, Leen Van Molle Molle, Leen Van, Pim Kooij Kooij, Pim, Jan Bieleman Bieleman, Jan 225 -- North-west Germany -- 9 North-west Germany, 1000-1750 / Michael Kopsidis Kopsidis, Michael, Klaus-joachim Lorenzen-schmidt Lorenzen-schmidt, Klaus-joachim 261 -- 10 North-west Germany, 1750-2000 / Michael Kopsidis Kopsidis, Michael 293 -- Scandinavia -- 11 Scandinavia, 1000-1750 / Bjørn Poulsen Poulsen, Bjørn 331 -- 12 Scandinavia, 1750-2000 / Søren Bitsch Christensen Christensen, Søren Bitsch, Hilde Sandvik Sandvik, Hilde, Mogens R. Nissen Nissen, Mogens R. 365 -- 13 Conclusion: The Dynamics Of The Agro-food Chain In The North Sea Area, 500-2000 / Yves Segers Segers, Yves, Leen Van Molle Molle, Leen Van 403. Edited By Leen Van Molle And Yves Segers ; In Association With John Chartres, Marc De Ferrière Le Vayer, Pim Kooij, Michael Kopsidis, Bjørn Poulsen And Jean-pierre Williot. Research Report. Includes Bibliographical References. "Agriculture and alimentation have, from early times, always been crucial elements in the development of market systems. Shortage and surplus gave shape to different forms of exchange and sale, to the dynamics of supply and demand, and to expanding interconnections between both regions and social groups. Farmers learned to adapt their production to market conditions and to the shifting needs and tastes of a growing and demanding public. But the path from a self-supporting way of life to the present forms of market integration in the complex, global world was far from uniform and linear. Food production, market structures and market mechanisms changed over time and differed between both regions and countries of the North Sea area. This volume aims at exploring and unravelling the complexity of the agro-food market, from the field to the table"--Summary