"The "triple bottom line" (TBL) is now widely used as term to indicate that there are social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability. To a large extent it is the social sciences that has been more explicitly embraced by the move to TBL. Rural communities have also embraced TBL and are pressuring governments to include considerations of the social costs and benefits of policy alternatives and to report on the social impacts of their programs... Seventy-five researchers, policy makers and program managers attended the two-day workshop and this mix of particpants was a key factor in stimulating discussion and refining the excellent set of refereed papers presented in this Workshop Proceedings. Together, the papers provide a comprehensive overview of the potential and pitfalls of TBL and of ways to move forward. One of the strongest legacies of the workshop was the linkage established by the social researchers and policy and program managers who attended."-- p. iii.