Food Produciton, Food Demand and Food Trade Aspects of the Economic Relations Between Town and Countryside

Erik Thoen, Piet Van Cruyningen

"This book is a collection of articles studying various aspects of the relationship between town and countryside during the period from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century. The focus is on how towns were supplied with basic foodstuffs, and especial attention is paid to the two most urbanized regions within the North Sea area: England and the Low Countries. Among the articles, several deal with the food-provisioning strategies of some of the major cities within that area - Antwerp, Ghent and London - and show among other things that large cities were unable to meet their requirements from local supplies and had consequently to access markets further afield. Important matters given substantial elucidation are transport costs and market integration".--Back cover.