Agriculture Environment And Development

This book deals with past legacies and emerging challenges associated with agriculture production, water and environmental management, and local and national development. It offers a critical interpretation of the tensions associated with the failures of mainstream regulatory regimes and the impacts of global agri-food chains. The various chapters include conceptual and empirical material from research carried out in Brazil, India and Europe. The assessment takes into account the dilemmas faced by farmers, companies, policy-makers and the international community related to growing food demand, water scarcity and environmental degradation. The book also questions most government reactions to those problems that tend to reproduce old, productivist approaches and are normally under the powerful influence of global corporations, mega-supermarkets and investment funds. Its overall message is that the trajectory of agriculture, rural development and environmental management are integral elements of the broader search for justice and novel socio-ecological thinking.

This volume is intended to provide a comprehensive understanding of recent innovations related to the study of agricultural and environmental management for sustainable development. The book clearly identifies why the fight to achieve sustainable development in agricultural production must be fought along a broad multidisciplinary front to overcome issues such as soil erosion, poor water quality, pesticide contamination, and food insecurity. Readers are given a broad exposition of the trends and current practices of basic principles on sustainable agriculture, along with a detailed understanding of the use of sustainable agriculture to develop environmentally sustainable food production systems. The chapters describe the ecological sustainability of agricultural systems, current innovations to improve efficiency in the use of resources for sustainable agriculture, and the proposal for technological options and new areas of research in this very significant field of ​​agriculture. The authors aim to provide readers with a good subject understanding which will assist in the identification of agricultural development, environmental risk, sustainable resource management and design of appropriate responses. This book will be very helpful for students, researchers and practitioners interested in the fields of agriculture, environment and sustainable development.

Summarising the democratic experience in modern Western civilisation, this text defines the term and looks at its changing meanings over the past two centuries or so. It records criticisms, and is especially concerned with the conditions that are necessary for democracy to exist.

Two of the greatest current challenges are climate change (and variability) and food security. Feeding nine billion people by 2050 will require major efforts aimed at climate change adaptation and mitigation. One approach to agriculture has recently been captured by the widely adopted term of "Climate Smart Agriculture" (CSA). This book not only explains what this entails, but also presents practical on-the-ground studies of practices and innovations in agriculture across a broader spectrum, including agroecology and conservation agriculture, in less developed countries. It is shown that CSA is not a completely new science and a number of its recommended technologies have been used for some time by local farmers all over the world. What is relevant and new is ‘the approach’ to exploit their adaptation and mitigation potential. However, a major limitation is the lack of evidence-based knowledge that is necessary for policy makers to prepare strategies for adaptation and mitigation. This book assembles knowledge of CSA, agroecology and conservation agriculture, and perspectives from different regions of the world, to build resilient food systems. The first part analyzes the concept, opportunities and challenges, and provides a global perspective, drawing particularly on studies from Africa and Asia. The second part of the book showcases results from various studies linked to soil, water and crop management measures from an ongoing program in India as well as experiences from other regions. The third section assesses the needs for an enabling policy environment, mainstreaming gender and sime final recommendations for up-scaling and/or out-scaling innovations.

Agriculture in developing countries has been remarkably productive during the last few decades; however, the production levels were achieved at the cost of placing more stress on natural resources and the environment. This volume brings together state-of-the-art applied, practical research related to agriculture, development, and the environment in the developing world. It attempts to distill current knowledge and to summarize it in readable form for development practitioners. Where possible, authors use specific examples to indicate which approaches have worked and which have not, under which conditions, and why.

The strategy presented in this paper is intended to provide decision makers in the agriculture and agri-food sector with useful tools and information to help make the sector's environmental performance a factor that enhances its growth prospects rather than limits them. The strategy follows four directions: improving the capacity of decision makers to integrate environmental considerations in daily management on a proactive basis; promotion of stewardship and sustainable use of the environment and agricultural resource base; focusing of research, development, and technology transfer to address environmental challenges and foster sustainability in the sector; and encouragement of marketing and trade that promote environmental quality and sustainability. For each strategic direction, priorities for action are described. Includes glossary and a profile of Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada.

Urban agriculture is an increasingly popular practice in cities worldwide, and a sustainable future for it is critical, especially for the urban poor of the developing world.