Sustainable Energy Solutions In Agriculture

Sustainability in agriculture and associated primary industries, which are both energy-intensive, is crucial for the development of any country. Increasing scarcity and resulting high fossil fuel prices combined with the need to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, make the improvement of energy efficient farming and increased use of rene

Modern industrial agriculture is not sustainable because of its heavy reliance on petroleum, a non-renewable source of the energy used in farming, and because of pollution caused by petroleum products such as fertilizers and pesticides. A systems analysis of farming suggests that agriculture will be more sustainable when services of nature, such as nutrient recycling by soil micro-organisms and natural controls of insects, replace the services now provided by energy from petroleum. Examples are drawn from the Southeastern USA, but lessons learned can be applied worldwide.

Solar Energy Advancements in Agriculture and Food Production Systems aims to assist society and agricultural communities in different regions and scales to improve their productivity and sustainability. Solar energy, with its rapidly growing technologies and nascent market, has shown promise for integration into a variety of agricultural activities, providing an alternative, sustainable solution to current practices. To meet the future demands of modern sustainable agriculture, this book addresses the major existing problems by providing innovative, effective, and sustainable solutions using environment-friendly, advanced, energy-efficient, and cost-optimized solar energy technologies. This comprehensive book is intended to serve as a practical guide for scientists, engineers, policymakers, and stakeholders involved in agriculture and related primary industries, as well as sustainable energy development, and climate change mitigation projects. By including globally implemented solar-based agriculture projects in each chapter and highlighting the key associated challenges and benefits, it aims to bridge the knowledge gap between the market/real-world applications and research in the field. Provides up-to-date knowledge and recent advances in applications of solar energy technology in agriculture and food production Introduces two advanced concepts of agrivoltaics and aquavoltaics and addresses their potentials, challenges, and barriers Explains the application of solar energy technologies in agricultural systems, including greenhouse cultivation, water pumping and irrigation, desalination, heating and cooling, and drying Explains the use of solar energy in agricultural automation and robotics, considering precision agriculture and smart farming application Describes new applications of solar energy in agriculture and aquaculture, and technoeconomic and environmental impacts of solar energy technologies in agriculture and food production

Energy and agri-food systems are deeply connected. Agri-food systems consume about 30% of the world's energy. While, energy is responsible for a third of agri-food systems' emissions. A joint approach to the Energy Transition and Food Systems Transformation is therefore essential to meet current and future demand for food and energy in an inclusive and environmentally sustainable manner. Renewable energy solutions represent a crucial opportunity to meet the energy needs in the agriculture sector that are key to raising farmer incomes, cutting losses, creating jobs, improving access to clean cooking fuels, and advancing climate action for mitigation and adaptation. This report jointly developed by the International Renewable Energy Agency and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations analyses the role of renewable energy in agri-food systems and the opportunity they offer to advance energy and food security objectives as well as contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement.

This book contains up-to-date studies on the economics of sustainable energy in agriculture. The studies focus on energy efficiency improvement and the use of biomass. Specific attention is paid to the economic aspects of land use and the competition for land, both for food production and dedicated energy crops. The book will be of special interest to economists, agronomists, energy experts, and politicians that deal with energy issues in agriculture, both in developing and industrialised countries. The book is relevant for those who are interested in the topic of global warming and carbon sequestration, and the transition towards carbon-free energy resources.

In 2021, the United Nations Secretary-General will convene the Food Systems Summit to advance dialogue and action towards transforming the way the world produces, consumes and thinks about food guided by the overarching vision of a fairer, more sustainable world. The Secretary-General will also convene the High-Level Dialogue on Energy (HLDE) to promote the implementation of the energy-related goals and targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Given the inextricable linkages between the energy and agriculture sectors, integrating the nexus perspective within the FSS and the HLDE is crucial to formulate a joint vision of actions to advance the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement. In this context, IRENA and FAO have decided to jointly develop a report on the role of renewable energy used in food chain to advance energy and food security as well as climate action towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Agreement. While energy has a key enabling role in food system transformation and innovation in agriculture, its current use is unsustainable because of the high dependence on fossil fuels and frequent access to energy in developing countries. The challenge is to disconnect fossil fuel use from food system transformation without hampering food security. The use of renewable energy in food systems offers vast opportunities to address this challenge and help food systems meet their energy needs while advancing rural development while contributing to rural development and climate action.

In the last decade, solar energy has experienced a rapid growth, which brings both environmental and economic benefits. In many countries, there is still no electricity grid extension in rural areas, and in the absence of a reliable electricity supply, farmers have to resort to diesel-based pumping irrigation systems. The solar photovoltaic (PV) system generates clean energy and eliminates the risk of environmental pollution in the form of oil spills, contaminated soil and carbon dioxide emissions. Operation and maintenance of the solar PV pumping system is a technical job that requires specialized knowledge and information to keep the system in working condition and sustainable and in working conditions. For this purpose, this sourcebook is designed to provide information on the design, operation, inspection, troubleshooting, and maintenance of solar PV pumping systems.

This book examines the characteristics and opportunities for farm energy in the northeast quadrant of the United States, with attention to energy use, strategic energy management, and energy production by solar, wind, biomass, and other means. Throughout, the distinct characteristics of the region and their impact on energy solutions are discussed, and the outlook for future energy strategies is considered. Farm energy production and use are topics of increasing interest, as the need for improved efficiency and the opportunity for sustainable energy production both drive agricultural enterprises to reduce energy use and pursue opportunities for renewable energy production and use on the farm. However, the unique regional characteristics of agriculture make it challenging to apply a single approach to all situations.