Introduction

Abstract

The theme of this symposium is the rehabilitation of severely damaged land and freshwater ecosystems in temperate zones. The importance of this theme is obvious. We live in a world whose population must certainly double and will very probably quadruple before development, education and medical technology combine to bring stability. We know that at present we do not feed the world’s population as well as we should, and the need to expand food supplies must grow as the numbers of people rise. This demand can be met in several ways: by bringing new land under cultivation, by cropping marine resources not used at present, by breeding new strains of plant and animal, by processing plant materials we and our livestock cannot at present use, and by changes in human diet so as to increase the efficiency with which we use the primary production of the earth.

The Conference in Reykjavik was opened by His Excellency Mr. Einar Agustsson, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland, who delivered an address of welcome. This was followed by a keynote speech by Dr. Holdgate as Scientific Director of the Conference, which has been slightly amended for publication here.