Agricultural and Environmental Sustainability: Considerations for the Future
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Summary
Understand sustainable development from economic, ecological, and social perspectives
As world population continues to increase, the need grows for a safe, sustainable supply of food. Agricultural and Environmental Sustainability: Considerations for the Future provides the latest research results and vital information on the process of producing an enduring food supply that is healthy for consumers and does not harm the environment. Internationally respected experts provide diverse perspectives on the issues and problems in striving for a safe, continuous food supply that is stable for future generations. Researchers and practitioners will gain insight into the current and oncoming challenges in providing food for the hungry around the world.
The neglect of environmental factors would inevitably lead to the collapse of both industry and agriculture. Agricultural and Environmental Sustainability: Considerations for the Future focuses on the economic, ecological, and sociological issues that intertwine with efforts for effective agricultural sustainability in the coming years. This crucial look to the future provides a clear view of what needs to be done in long-term land use to ensure sustainability of resources, economic viability, and environmental preservation. This important resource is well-referenced and has several figures, tables, and graphs to clearly illustrate ideas.
Topics in Agricultural and Environmental Sustainability: Considerations for the Future include:
- sustainability of agriculture issues, such as economic returns, environmental preservation, and enhancing quality of life
- opportunities for alleviating poverty and stopping land degradation through agroforestry
- management principles to improve and restore soil
- whole-system modeling approach to work for sustainable agricultural systems
- global wheat mega-environments and sustainability
- enhancing the productivity and sustainability of the rice-wheat cropping system
- overcoming the use of the outmoded plow
- holistic model systems to help farm families become more food secure
- the economic impact of bacterial wilt and drought stresses in banana production
- the sale of environmentally friendly products in developed countries
Table of Contents
- Foreword (M. S. Swaminathan)
- Preface
- Sustainability of Agriculture: Issues, Observations, and Outlook (C. Jerry Nelson)
- Agroforestry for Sustainability of Lower-Input Land-Use Systems (P. K. Ramachandran Nair)
- Managing Soils for Food Security and Climate Change (R. Lal)
- Whole-System Integration and Modeling Essential to Agricultural Science and Technology for the 21st Century (L. R. Ahuja, A. A. Andales, L. Ma, and S. A. Saseendran)
- Sustainability Considerations in Wheat Improvement and Production (S. Rajaram, K. D. Sayre, J. Diekmann, R. Gupta, and W. Erskine)
- Sustainability of the Rice-Wheat Cropping System: Issues, Constraints, and Remedial Options (J. K. Ladha, H. Pathak, and R. K. Gupta)
- Tailoring Conservation Agriculture to the Needs of Small Farmers in Developing Countries: An Analysis of Issues (Patrick C. Wall)
- Improved Cowpea-Cereals-Based Cropping Systems for Household Food Security and Poverty Reduction in West Africa (B. B. Singh and H. Ajeigbe)
- Bacterial Wilt and Drought Stresses in Banana Production and Their Impact on Economic Welfare in Uganda: Implications for Banana Research in East African Highlands (S. Abele and M. Pillay)
- Greening of Agriculture: Is It All a Greenwash of the Globalized Economy? (Charles Francis, Roger Elmore, John Ikerd, and Mike Duffy)
- Index
- Reference Notes Included
Editorial Reviews
"It gives an excellent review of the concepts, issues, approaches, methods and achievements made so far on agricultural and environmental sustainability … ." This book is a good source of learning for researchers, students and extension agencies interested in applying principles and practices of sustainable agriculture."
– Piara Singh in Agricultural Systems, Vol. 97, No. 1-2, 2008
