Agricultural History Review, Volume 38 Part 1 (1990), pp. 1–19

Manorial estates survived many centuries of change and appear to have been highly sustainable agricultural systems. Yet this sustainability was not achieved because of high agricultural productivity - indeed it appears that farmers were trading off low productivity against the more highly valued goals of stability, sustainability and equitability. These were promoted by the integrated nature of farming, the great diversity of produce, induding wild resources, the diversity of livelihood strategies, the guaranteed source of labour, and the high degree of cooperation. 

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