Farming Systems Research

Farming Systems Research has three core characteristics: it builds on systems thinking, it depends on the close collaboration between social and biophysical sciences, and it relies on participation to build co-learning processes. Farming Systems Research posits that to contribute towards sustainable rural development, both interdisciplinary collaborations and local actor engagement are needed. Together, they allow for changes in understanding and changes in practices. This book gives an overview of the insights generated in 20 years of Farming Systems Research. It retraces the emergence and development of Farming Systems Research in Europe, summarises the state-of-the-art for key areas, and provides an outlook on new explorations, especially those tackling the dynamic nature of farming systems and their interaction with the natural environment and the context of action.

Long-Term Farming Systems Research: Ensuring Food Security in Changing Scenarios presents the legacy and heritage of Long-Term Experiments (LTEs) in Agriculture while also addressing the challenges and potential solutions. The book discusses how LTEs form an important asset in understanding agriculture’s significant influence on life on earth. As global governments and development agencies try to achieve the Global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations, this book’s content is of unprecedented importance, providing insights into the interactions of agricultural production with ecological, economic and societal aspects. In this regard, this book offers a thorough resource of information based on experiences from various ongoing LTEs in different parts of the world. The contextual variety and geographic diversity presented in this book makes it useful for agricultural and environmental scientists, as well as students and educators in such fields. --- From the Editors: "Thanks to the excellent panel of our contributing authors, in this book, we have attempted to offer the widest possible thematic and geographical coverage on LTEs. Experts from different institutions leading LTEs across the globe have provided their perspectives on different aspects of LTEs, not only highlighting the unique knowledge contribution of LTEs, but also discussing the unique challenges of effectively managing LTEs and maintaining their relevance to changing scenarios. We hope that this book will offer something for everyone interested in the history, present and future of our agroecosystem." Provides a comprehensive resource of information generated in various LTEs across the globe, with a focus on various aspects of farming systems, crop management practices, plant, soil and human nutrition as well as on capacity development Presents a holistic view on interactions of agricultural production and its relationship to the environment and society Identifies challenges and lessons learned from different LTEs and provides recommendations for potential solutions

This book provides a detailed history of farming systems research (FSR). While it includes the application of FSR to developed country agriculture, its main focus is on FSR in its original role, with small scale, resource-poor farmers in less developed countries. There are some 40 contributions from nearly 50 contributors from 20 countries, illustrating both the diversity and yet the coherence of FSR. The five parts of the book cover: (1) FSR - understanding farmers and their farming (FSR origins and perspectives; understanding farming systems); (2) the applications of farming systems research (FSR in technology choice and development; FSR in extension and policy formulation); (3) institutional commitment to FSR (FSR: some institutional experiences in national agricultural research; dimensions of the organization of FSR; training for FSR); (4) FSR: the professional dimension (regional and international associations; FSR and the professional disciplines); and (5) cutting edge methods, abiding issues and the future for FSR.

In recent years, policy makers have been paying more attention to the problems of small farmers in developing countries with the idea of increasing their pro-duction and standard of living. The policy makers' objec-tives are twofold: I 1 I to help those whose welfare is materially below the rest of society, and 121 to help a coun-try increase its agricultural production. With adequate agricultural policies, these two objectives are mutually reinforcing. For example, increased food production gives farm households additional food for consumption and surpluses for sale. Farmers can then use the money from these sales to buy items they do not produce, and the buyers of farm products benefit from the increased sup-plies.

The publication of this book has required the cooperation of many people along the way. From its very conception, the project of bringing together experiences from ongoing Farming Systems Research projects has faced a problem of communication due to the dispersal of the participants. Dr. William Partridge and Lynne Goldstein were instrumental in the initial presentation of the symposium on Social Science participation in Farming Systems Research at the 83rd Annual Meeting of the American Anthropological Association. Ben Wallace has done an admirable job not only as editor but 8s a ilpoint m-an"- throughout the process or organizirig the conference and preparing the manuscript. He deserves credit tor expediting countless actMties that could never have otherwise been accomplished because of the vagaries or international mails and telecommunications.

Agricultural Systems, Second Edition, is a comprehensive text for developing sustainable farming systems. It presents a synthetic overview of the emerging area of agroecology applications to transforming farming systems and supporting rural innovation, with particular emphasis on how research can be harnessed for sustainable agriculture. The inclusion of research theory and examples using the principles of cropping system design allows students to gain a unique understanding of the technical, biological, ecological, economic and sociological aspects of farming systems science for rural livelihoods. This book explores topics such as: re-inventing farming systems; principles and practice of agroecology; agricultural change and low-input technology; ecologically-based nutrient management; participatory breeding for developing improved and relevant crops; participatory livestock research for development; gender and agrarian inequality at the local scale; the nature of agricultural innovation; and outreach to support rural innovation. The extensive coverage of subjects is complemented with integrated references and a companion website, making this book essential reading for courses in international agricultural systems and management, sustainable agricultural management, and cropping systems. This book will be a valuable resource for students of agricultural science, environmental engineering, and rural planning; researchers and scientists in agricultural development agencies; and practitioners of agricultural development in government extension programs, development agencies, and NGOs. Provides students with an enhanced understanding of how research can be harnessed for sustainable agriculture Incorporates social, biological, chemical, and geographical aspects important to agroecology Addresses social and development issues related to farming systems

Farming Systems of the African Savanna: A continent in crisis