Pamela C. Ronald and Raoul W. Adamchak
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- May 2008
- ISBN:
- 9780195301755
- eISBN:
- 9780199867196
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195301755.003.0003
- Subject:
- Biology, Plant Sciences and Forestry
This chapter gives a history of organic farming and the biological technologies that organic farmers rely upon. Based on present trends, consumer demand and organic-based research are likely to ...
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This chapter gives a history of organic farming and the biological technologies that organic farmers rely upon. Based on present trends, consumer demand and organic-based research are likely to increase. This raises the question of whether GE varieties can help forge a future sustainable agriculture.Less
This chapter gives a history of organic farming and the biological technologies that organic farmers rely upon. Based on present trends, consumer demand and organic-based research are likely to increase. This raises the question of whether GE varieties can help forge a future sustainable agriculture.
Gordon Conway, Ousmane Badiane, and Katrin Glatzel
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9781501743887
- eISBN:
- 9781501744419
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Cornell University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7591/cornell/9781501743887.003.0006
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Cultural Studies
This chapter proposes that the way forward will be a prosperous and sustainable agriculture sector deeply rooted in the concept of sustainable intensification (SI): producing more with less, using ...
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This chapter proposes that the way forward will be a prosperous and sustainable agriculture sector deeply rooted in the concept of sustainable intensification (SI): producing more with less, using inputs like seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides more prudently, adapting to climate change, reducing GHG emissions, improving natural capital such as soil moisture capacity and the diversity of pests' enemies, and building resilience. One approach to SI is to employ precision agriculture, ensuring that inputs—whether nutrients, pesticides, seeds, or water—are used in a precise, sparing, effective, and strategic way in order to minimize their environmental impact. Thus microdosing permits the prudent, targeted use of inputs such as fertilizers, thereby improving soil quality and moisture while reducing the environmental impact that excessive use can cause. It also reduces costs and helps improve nutrient use efficiency and protection against drought. Precision farming focuses on just one aspect of SI. More generally, it is a concept that includes three mutually reinforcing pillars: ecological intensification, genetic intensification, and socioeconomic intensification.Less
This chapter proposes that the way forward will be a prosperous and sustainable agriculture sector deeply rooted in the concept of sustainable intensification (SI): producing more with less, using inputs like seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides more prudently, adapting to climate change, reducing GHG emissions, improving natural capital such as soil moisture capacity and the diversity of pests' enemies, and building resilience. One approach to SI is to employ precision agriculture, ensuring that inputs—whether nutrients, pesticides, seeds, or water—are used in a precise, sparing, effective, and strategic way in order to minimize their environmental impact. Thus microdosing permits the prudent, targeted use of inputs such as fertilizers, thereby improving soil quality and moisture while reducing the environmental impact that excessive use can cause. It also reduces costs and helps improve nutrient use efficiency and protection against drought. Precision farming focuses on just one aspect of SI. More generally, it is a concept that includes three mutually reinforcing pillars: ecological intensification, genetic intensification, and socioeconomic intensification.
Sinan Koont
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- May 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780813037578
- eISBN:
- 9780813042114
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813037578.003.0003
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Latin American Studies
The National Group for Urban Agriculture (GNAU) in the Ministry of Agriculture has been designated as the lead institution in the urban agriculture effort in Cuba. Their (and other Cuban experts') ...
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The National Group for Urban Agriculture (GNAU) in the Ministry of Agriculture has been designated as the lead institution in the urban agriculture effort in Cuba. Their (and other Cuban experts') views on what constitutes urban, sustainable agriculture open the discussion in this chapter. Land-tenure institutions and different modalities of production—organóponicos, huertas intensives, parcelas, and patios—within urban agriculture are briefly covered. GNAU, at the top of a pyramid that includes Groups of UA at the provincial and municipal levels, publishes a Manual Tecnico de Organopónicos and oversees the 28 subprograms that make up urban agriculture, three of which are discussed in some detail. It also carries out a program of site visits, and has an inspection and evaluation function. On the executive, administrative side, GNAU is complemented by a system of granjas urbanas and urban-agriculture representatives. Together they constitute a system of “centralized decentralization.”Less
The National Group for Urban Agriculture (GNAU) in the Ministry of Agriculture has been designated as the lead institution in the urban agriculture effort in Cuba. Their (and other Cuban experts') views on what constitutes urban, sustainable agriculture open the discussion in this chapter. Land-tenure institutions and different modalities of production—organóponicos, huertas intensives, parcelas, and patios—within urban agriculture are briefly covered. GNAU, at the top of a pyramid that includes Groups of UA at the provincial and municipal levels, publishes a Manual Tecnico de Organopónicos and oversees the 28 subprograms that make up urban agriculture, three of which are discussed in some detail. It also carries out a program of site visits, and has an inspection and evaluation function. On the executive, administrative side, GNAU is complemented by a system of granjas urbanas and urban-agriculture representatives. Together they constitute a system of “centralized decentralization.”
Jill Lindsey Harrison
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780520292130
- eISBN:
- 9780520965652
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520292130.003.0002
- Subject:
- Sociology, Economic Sociology
This chapter showcases the work of California’s pesticide drift activists, who address their environmental concerns by advocating for regulatory restrictions on the use of the most-toxic and unruly ...
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This chapter showcases the work of California’s pesticide drift activists, who address their environmental concerns by advocating for regulatory restrictions on the use of the most-toxic and unruly pesticides. It shows that pesticide drift activism is a critical reaction to the longstanding inadequacies and more recent neoliberalization of the pesticide regulatory apparatus, as well as to the sustainable agriculture movement’s reliance on market-based practices. Pesticide drift activists mobilize their anger about pesticide exposure not by giving up on the state but by holding it responsible for reducing environmental hazards that threaten human health. Their work illustrates why stronger health-protective pesticide regulations are necessary and demonstrates that they are possible.Less
This chapter showcases the work of California’s pesticide drift activists, who address their environmental concerns by advocating for regulatory restrictions on the use of the most-toxic and unruly pesticides. It shows that pesticide drift activism is a critical reaction to the longstanding inadequacies and more recent neoliberalization of the pesticide regulatory apparatus, as well as to the sustainable agriculture movement’s reliance on market-based practices. Pesticide drift activists mobilize their anger about pesticide exposure not by giving up on the state but by holding it responsible for reducing environmental hazards that threaten human health. Their work illustrates why stronger health-protective pesticide regulations are necessary and demonstrates that they are possible.
Penny Levin
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- November 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780824847616
- eISBN:
- 9780824868208
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Hawai'i Press
- DOI:
- 10.21313/hawaii/9780824847616.003.0004
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Pacific Studies
This chapter explores how the concept of sustainable agriculture is being defined, redefined and restored in Hawaiʻi, through the traditions and resurgence of kalo (taro) farming—the first, oldest, ...
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This chapter explores how the concept of sustainable agriculture is being defined, redefined and restored in Hawaiʻi, through the traditions and resurgence of kalo (taro) farming—the first, oldest, and culturally most significant food crop in the state. At the peak of Hawaiian cultivation, 29,700 farmers turned to wetland kalo systems. On that note, the Taro Security and Purity Task Force legislative report addressed the issue of sustainable agriculture wholly within the context of kalo. The task force met with taro farming communities on all the main islands over the course of a year to record the complexity of issues facing taro farmers and make recommendations for its survival.Less
This chapter explores how the concept of sustainable agriculture is being defined, redefined and restored in Hawaiʻi, through the traditions and resurgence of kalo (taro) farming—the first, oldest, and culturally most significant food crop in the state. At the peak of Hawaiian cultivation, 29,700 farmers turned to wetland kalo systems. On that note, the Taro Security and Purity Task Force legislative report addressed the issue of sustainable agriculture wholly within the context of kalo. The task force met with taro farming communities on all the main islands over the course of a year to record the complexity of issues facing taro farmers and make recommendations for its survival.
Thomas A. Lyson
- Published in print:
- 2008
- Published Online:
- August 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780262122993
- eISBN:
- 9780262278751
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262122993.003.0009
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
This chapter discusses the importance of civic agriculture for agriculture-of-the-middle producers. Civic agriculture is the amalgamation of food production in the community and local agriculture. ...
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This chapter discusses the importance of civic agriculture for agriculture-of-the-middle producers. Civic agriculture is the amalgamation of food production in the community and local agriculture. Its importance of civic agriculture for the economic, social, and cultural growth of communities is discussed, and a comparison between civic agriculture and conventional agriculture, with an emphasis on the ill effects of industrial agriculture, is presented. The chapter discusses the problem-solving feature of civic agriculture, which differentiates it from the industrial agriculture model in terms of the farming and food production approach. It explores the commonality between sustainable, civic, and agriculture-of-the-middle producers, while highlighting the differences between sustainable agriculture and industrial agriculture.Less
This chapter discusses the importance of civic agriculture for agriculture-of-the-middle producers. Civic agriculture is the amalgamation of food production in the community and local agriculture. Its importance of civic agriculture for the economic, social, and cultural growth of communities is discussed, and a comparison between civic agriculture and conventional agriculture, with an emphasis on the ill effects of industrial agriculture, is presented. The chapter discusses the problem-solving feature of civic agriculture, which differentiates it from the industrial agriculture model in terms of the farming and food production approach. It explores the commonality between sustainable, civic, and agriculture-of-the-middle producers, while highlighting the differences between sustainable agriculture and industrial agriculture.
Brian K. Obach
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- September 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780262029094
- eISBN:
- 9780262328302
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262029094.001.0001
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Environmental Studies
Organic Struggle analyzes the evolution of the sustainable agriculture movement in the United States and evaluates its achievements and shortcomings. It traces the development of organic farming from ...
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Organic Struggle analyzes the evolution of the sustainable agriculture movement in the United States and evaluates its achievements and shortcomings. It traces the development of organic farming from its roots in the 1940s through its embrace by the 1960s counterculture to its mainstream acceptance and development into a multi-billion dollar industry. The book examines ideological and strategic divisions among those within the movement who wanted to rapidly expand the organic market and who welcomed the involvement of conventional agribusiness versus those who favored a more traditional conception of organic, focusing on the small farm ideal and locally oriented markets. The movement’s changing relationship with governmental institutions fundamentally altered the trajectory of the organic sector. The creation of the government-run National Organic Program yielded dramatic growth in organic sales, but fostered debates among organic proponents regarding the environmental and health benefits and the social justice implications of the changing structure of the organic industry. This gave rise to a fracturing of the sustainable agriculture movement with some focusing on local farming systems, some seeking to develop new labels and certification schemes, and others remaining committed to improving the National Organic Program. Yet ultimately, it is the market-based reform strategy used by virtually all sustainable agriculture advocates that limits the scope of the changes the movement can achieve. Greater state-oriented political engagement is necessary to further advance this important cause.Less
Organic Struggle analyzes the evolution of the sustainable agriculture movement in the United States and evaluates its achievements and shortcomings. It traces the development of organic farming from its roots in the 1940s through its embrace by the 1960s counterculture to its mainstream acceptance and development into a multi-billion dollar industry. The book examines ideological and strategic divisions among those within the movement who wanted to rapidly expand the organic market and who welcomed the involvement of conventional agribusiness versus those who favored a more traditional conception of organic, focusing on the small farm ideal and locally oriented markets. The movement’s changing relationship with governmental institutions fundamentally altered the trajectory of the organic sector. The creation of the government-run National Organic Program yielded dramatic growth in organic sales, but fostered debates among organic proponents regarding the environmental and health benefits and the social justice implications of the changing structure of the organic industry. This gave rise to a fracturing of the sustainable agriculture movement with some focusing on local farming systems, some seeking to develop new labels and certification schemes, and others remaining committed to improving the National Organic Program. Yet ultimately, it is the market-based reform strategy used by virtually all sustainable agriculture advocates that limits the scope of the changes the movement can achieve. Greater state-oriented political engagement is necessary to further advance this important cause.
Alison Hope Alkon and Julie Guthman
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780520292130
- eISBN:
- 9780520965652
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520292130.003.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Economic Sociology
This chapter argues that food activists need to look beyond the politics of their plates to engage with broader questions of racial and economic inequalities, strategy and political transformation. ...
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This chapter argues that food activists need to look beyond the politics of their plates to engage with broader questions of racial and economic inequalities, strategy and political transformation. It grounds the examples that follow in two ongoing scholarly debates. The first regards the role of inequalities, particularly of race and class, in shaping past and present industrial and alternative food systems. The second looks to strategies and tactics. While some have argued that the provision of relatively apolitical alternatives to industrial food systems lays the groundwork for transformative change, the editors of this volume urge activists to follow those profiled in this book towards more cooperative, oppositional and collective strategic choices. The introduction ends with an overview of the chapters to come.Less
This chapter argues that food activists need to look beyond the politics of their plates to engage with broader questions of racial and economic inequalities, strategy and political transformation. It grounds the examples that follow in two ongoing scholarly debates. The first regards the role of inequalities, particularly of race and class, in shaping past and present industrial and alternative food systems. The second looks to strategies and tactics. While some have argued that the provision of relatively apolitical alternatives to industrial food systems lays the groundwork for transformative change, the editors of this volume urge activists to follow those profiled in this book towards more cooperative, oppositional and collective strategic choices. The introduction ends with an overview of the chapters to come.
Kshama Harpankar
- Published in print:
- 2020
- Published Online:
- August 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780190949501
- eISBN:
- 9780197528907
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190949501.003.0018
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Theory
Sustainable development goal 2 aims to “end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.” SDG2 is one of the most challenging goals to achieve, as it ...
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Sustainable development goal 2 aims to “end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.” SDG2 is one of the most challenging goals to achieve, as it needs to be achieved within the constraints of the multiple demands agriculture faces. The goal of this chapter is to discuss the roles that science, technology, and innovation (STI) can play in optimal nitrogen management as a way to meet sustainable development goal 2. Optimal nitrogen management will enhance food security by improving yields, and it will promote sustainable agriculture by limiting environmental externalities associated with nitrogen. Specifically, this chapter aims to address the following two questions: 1) How can new technologies help boost agricultural productivity while also reducing nitrogen pollution? And, 2) What policy and institutional changes will be needed to encourage innovation and diffusion of these technologies in developing countries? The authors present STI possibilities for improved nitrogen management in the following categories: new types of nitrogen fertilizers, integrated soil and fertility management technologies, precision agriculture technologies, technologies aiding biological nitrogen fixation, and biotechnology solutions. The chapter ends with a discussion of institutional and policy changes needed for widespread adoption of the technology options among resource-poor smallholder farmers.Less
Sustainable development goal 2 aims to “end hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture.” SDG2 is one of the most challenging goals to achieve, as it needs to be achieved within the constraints of the multiple demands agriculture faces. The goal of this chapter is to discuss the roles that science, technology, and innovation (STI) can play in optimal nitrogen management as a way to meet sustainable development goal 2. Optimal nitrogen management will enhance food security by improving yields, and it will promote sustainable agriculture by limiting environmental externalities associated with nitrogen. Specifically, this chapter aims to address the following two questions: 1) How can new technologies help boost agricultural productivity while also reducing nitrogen pollution? And, 2) What policy and institutional changes will be needed to encourage innovation and diffusion of these technologies in developing countries? The authors present STI possibilities for improved nitrogen management in the following categories: new types of nitrogen fertilizers, integrated soil and fertility management technologies, precision agriculture technologies, technologies aiding biological nitrogen fixation, and biotechnology solutions. The chapter ends with a discussion of institutional and policy changes needed for widespread adoption of the technology options among resource-poor smallholder farmers.
Brian K. Obach
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- September 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780262029094
- eISBN:
- 9780262328302
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262029094.003.0004
- Subject:
- Environmental Science, Environmental Studies
Leading up to the passage of the OFPA, the organic movement grew into a coalition of several interests and organizations, including organic farmer associations, consumer groups, environmentalists and ...
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Leading up to the passage of the OFPA, the organic movement grew into a coalition of several interests and organizations, including organic farmer associations, consumer groups, environmentalists and others. Some minor fissures emerged given the different interests of these groups, but a significant division would develop concerning movement strategy. “Spreaders” is the term used to refer to those who prioritize the rapid expansion of the organic sector. They see a role for big agribusiness firms and are willing to make compromises for the sake of expanding the market. In contrast “tillers” favor maintaining rigorous standards and limiting the organic field to small independent farmers serving local markets. Despite the tensions that were beginning to arise within the organic coalition, a draft organic rule proposed by the USDA in 1997 that violated many traditional organic principles unified the movement in opposition and brought unprecedented mobilization. The USDA backed down and a revised rule acceptable to the organic community officially took effect in 2002. But the stage was set for more internal divisions and an eventual splintering of the organic movement.Less
Leading up to the passage of the OFPA, the organic movement grew into a coalition of several interests and organizations, including organic farmer associations, consumer groups, environmentalists and others. Some minor fissures emerged given the different interests of these groups, but a significant division would develop concerning movement strategy. “Spreaders” is the term used to refer to those who prioritize the rapid expansion of the organic sector. They see a role for big agribusiness firms and are willing to make compromises for the sake of expanding the market. In contrast “tillers” favor maintaining rigorous standards and limiting the organic field to small independent farmers serving local markets. Despite the tensions that were beginning to arise within the organic coalition, a draft organic rule proposed by the USDA in 1997 that violated many traditional organic principles unified the movement in opposition and brought unprecedented mobilization. The USDA backed down and a revised rule acceptable to the organic community officially took effect in 2002. But the stage was set for more internal divisions and an eventual splintering of the organic movement.
Cynthia Robin
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780813039831
- eISBN:
- 9780813043753
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813039831.003.0016
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
This chapter provides a summary of and conclusion to the book and the archaeology work at Chan. The 2000-year history of the Maya farming community of Chan is instructive of the intellectual breadth ...
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This chapter provides a summary of and conclusion to the book and the archaeology work at Chan. The 2000-year history of the Maya farming community of Chan is instructive of the intellectual breadth and innovative nature of life in a farming community. Chan's residents innovated sustainable agriculture and forest management strategies that were among the environmentally effective strategies that enabled the establishment of a long-lived community. Avoidance of extremes of wealth and power, more equitable distribution of goods, consistency in health, and development of a communal focus in ritual and politics are some of the socially effective strategies established by residents.Less
This chapter provides a summary of and conclusion to the book and the archaeology work at Chan. The 2000-year history of the Maya farming community of Chan is instructive of the intellectual breadth and innovative nature of life in a farming community. Chan's residents innovated sustainable agriculture and forest management strategies that were among the environmentally effective strategies that enabled the establishment of a long-lived community. Avoidance of extremes of wealth and power, more equitable distribution of goods, consistency in health, and development of a communal focus in ritual and politics are some of the socially effective strategies established by residents.
Gene Logsdon
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813124438
- eISBN:
- 9780813134734
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813124438.003.0017
- Subject:
- History, Cultural History
This chapter discusses the efforts of Ben Stinner and Bob Bargar to find a way to get the message of sustainable agriculture out to the public and to farmers being overwhelmed by high chemical, fuel, ...
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This chapter discusses the efforts of Ben Stinner and Bob Bargar to find a way to get the message of sustainable agriculture out to the public and to farmers being overwhelmed by high chemical, fuel, and machinery costs. Barger's idea came from the question of whether or not they could harness the activities in the arts in local communities to tell the story. During the course of their planning, they hit upon the idea of using photochoreography, which had previously been used by James Westwater. This process combines multiscreen slideshows with orchestral performances of classical music that fit the subject of the images. This sparked a trend of using classical music to underline the artistry latent in farming, and it highlights the influence of farming on more recognized kinds of classical music.Less
This chapter discusses the efforts of Ben Stinner and Bob Bargar to find a way to get the message of sustainable agriculture out to the public and to farmers being overwhelmed by high chemical, fuel, and machinery costs. Barger's idea came from the question of whether or not they could harness the activities in the arts in local communities to tell the story. During the course of their planning, they hit upon the idea of using photochoreography, which had previously been used by James Westwater. This process combines multiscreen slideshows with orchestral performances of classical music that fit the subject of the images. This sparked a trend of using classical music to underline the artistry latent in farming, and it highlights the influence of farming on more recognized kinds of classical music.
Anthony S. R. Juo and Kathrin Franzluebbers
- Published in print:
- 2003
- Published Online:
- November 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780195115987
- eISBN:
- 9780197561157
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780195115987.003.0018
- Subject:
- Earth Sciences and Geography, Soil Science
Sustainable agriculture can be defined in many different ways. In industrial nations, sustainable agriculture means improving energy use efficiency, ...
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Sustainable agriculture can be defined in many different ways. In industrial nations, sustainable agriculture means improving energy use efficiency, reducing environmental pollution, and increasing and sustaining profitability. For millions of small-holder farmers throughout the tropics, sustainable agriculture means providing basic food needs for the farming family, improving the farmer’s ability to replenish soil nutrients and control soil degradation, and optimizing crop yield per unit area of land. Soil utilization for agricultural production in the tropics during the past two centuries, to a large extent, has been influenced by the technological and economic changes in temperate regions. Research and development for agriculture during the colonial era were mainly focused on the needs of industrial nations, while the production of food crops for the indigenous inhabitants was largely left in the hands of the traditional slash-and-burn cultivators. Large and small cash crop plantations were developed on fertile, high-base-status allophanic and oxidic soils for coffee, cocoa, banana, and sugarcane production throughout the humid and subhumid tropics. Cotton was cultivated on smectitic soils and high-base-status kaolinitic soils in the subhumid and semiarid regions of Africa for the textile industries in temperate regions. In tropical America, cattle ranching, a production system introduced by European immigrants, still occupies most of the fertile flat land today, while food grains are usually cultivated on less fertile land or in shallow soils on steep slopes. In tropical Africa and Latin America, a wide range of food crops, such as maize and beans, potato, cowpea, sorghum, millet, cassava, and yam are mostly produced under the traditional slash-and-burn system of cultivation on less fertile kaolinitic soils. In tropical Asia, the indigenous intensive rice-based agriculture on wet smectitic soil has been practiced over many centuries and has been able to meet the basic food needs for the increasing population in the region. Generally, upland food crop production in the tropics has not kept pace with human population growth in the tropics during the past century. It was not until the 1950s and 1960s, following the independence of many nations in tropical Asia and Africa, that more attention was given to the research and development of food crop production.
Less
Sustainable agriculture can be defined in many different ways. In industrial nations, sustainable agriculture means improving energy use efficiency, reducing environmental pollution, and increasing and sustaining profitability. For millions of small-holder farmers throughout the tropics, sustainable agriculture means providing basic food needs for the farming family, improving the farmer’s ability to replenish soil nutrients and control soil degradation, and optimizing crop yield per unit area of land. Soil utilization for agricultural production in the tropics during the past two centuries, to a large extent, has been influenced by the technological and economic changes in temperate regions. Research and development for agriculture during the colonial era were mainly focused on the needs of industrial nations, while the production of food crops for the indigenous inhabitants was largely left in the hands of the traditional slash-and-burn cultivators. Large and small cash crop plantations were developed on fertile, high-base-status allophanic and oxidic soils for coffee, cocoa, banana, and sugarcane production throughout the humid and subhumid tropics. Cotton was cultivated on smectitic soils and high-base-status kaolinitic soils in the subhumid and semiarid regions of Africa for the textile industries in temperate regions. In tropical America, cattle ranching, a production system introduced by European immigrants, still occupies most of the fertile flat land today, while food grains are usually cultivated on less fertile land or in shallow soils on steep slopes. In tropical Africa and Latin America, a wide range of food crops, such as maize and beans, potato, cowpea, sorghum, millet, cassava, and yam are mostly produced under the traditional slash-and-burn system of cultivation on less fertile kaolinitic soils. In tropical Asia, the indigenous intensive rice-based agriculture on wet smectitic soil has been practiced over many centuries and has been able to meet the basic food needs for the increasing population in the region. Generally, upland food crop production in the tropics has not kept pace with human population growth in the tropics during the past century. It was not until the 1950s and 1960s, following the independence of many nations in tropical Asia and Africa, that more attention was given to the research and development of food crop production.
Cynthia Robin (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780813039831
- eISBN:
- 9780813043753
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813039831.001.0001
- Subject:
- Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology
This book examines the 2000-year history (ca. 800 B.C. - A.D. 1200) of the ancient Maya farming community of Chan in Belize. The farming community of Chan flourished for two millennia while the ...
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This book examines the 2000-year history (ca. 800 B.C. - A.D. 1200) of the ancient Maya farming community of Chan in Belize. The farming community of Chan flourished for two millennia while the fortunes of nearby Maya civic centers waxed and waned. Given that 2000 years is a long time, this book examines what Chan's residents did to facilitate the longevity of their community. The contributors to this volume develop three themes, which relate to the socially and environmentally sustainable practices of Chan's farmers. First, sustainable agriculture maintained the surrounding forest, allowing the community to thrive for two millennia. Second, there was more equitable distribution of wealth items at Chan than at nearby larger Maya civic centers. Third, the group-focused political strategies employed by local leaders at Chan differed from the highly hierarchical strategies of the Classic Maya kings in their large cities. Additionally, the contributors trace the origins of elite Maya state religion to the complex religious belief systems that developed at Chan and other small farming communities like it. This book is the first academic publication to address a decade of research into the archaeology of a Maya farming community by an international, multidisciplinary research team.Less
This book examines the 2000-year history (ca. 800 B.C. - A.D. 1200) of the ancient Maya farming community of Chan in Belize. The farming community of Chan flourished for two millennia while the fortunes of nearby Maya civic centers waxed and waned. Given that 2000 years is a long time, this book examines what Chan's residents did to facilitate the longevity of their community. The contributors to this volume develop three themes, which relate to the socially and environmentally sustainable practices of Chan's farmers. First, sustainable agriculture maintained the surrounding forest, allowing the community to thrive for two millennia. Second, there was more equitable distribution of wealth items at Chan than at nearby larger Maya civic centers. Third, the group-focused political strategies employed by local leaders at Chan differed from the highly hierarchical strategies of the Classic Maya kings in their large cities. Additionally, the contributors trace the origins of elite Maya state religion to the complex religious belief systems that developed at Chan and other small farming communities like it. This book is the first academic publication to address a decade of research into the archaeology of a Maya farming community by an international, multidisciplinary research team.
Alison Alkon and Julie Guthman (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- January 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780520292130
- eISBN:
- 9780520965652
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of California Press
- DOI:
- 10.1525/california/9780520292130.001.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Economic Sociology
New and exciting forms of food activism are emerging as supporters of sustainable agriculture increasingly recognize the need for a broader, more strategic and more politicized food politics that ...
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New and exciting forms of food activism are emerging as supporters of sustainable agriculture increasingly recognize the need for a broader, more strategic and more politicized food politics that engages with questions of social, racial and economic justice. This book highlights examples of campaigns to restrict industrial agriculture’s use of pesticides and other harmful technologies, struggles to improve the pay and conditions of workers throughout the food system and alternative projects that seek to de-emphasize notions of individualism and private ownership. Grounded in over a decade of scholarly critique of food activism, this volume seeks to answer the question of “what next,” inspiring scholars, students and activists toward collective, cooperative and oppositional struggles for change.Less
New and exciting forms of food activism are emerging as supporters of sustainable agriculture increasingly recognize the need for a broader, more strategic and more politicized food politics that engages with questions of social, racial and economic justice. This book highlights examples of campaigns to restrict industrial agriculture’s use of pesticides and other harmful technologies, struggles to improve the pay and conditions of workers throughout the food system and alternative projects that seek to de-emphasize notions of individualism and private ownership. Grounded in over a decade of scholarly critique of food activism, this volume seeks to answer the question of “what next,” inspiring scholars, students and activists toward collective, cooperative and oppositional struggles for change.
Jill Lindsey Harrison
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- August 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780262015981
- eISBN:
- 9780262298766
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- The MIT Press
- DOI:
- 10.7551/mitpress/9780262015981.001.0001
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
The widespread, but virtually invisible, problem of pesticide drift—the airborne movement of agricultural pesticides into residential areas—has fueled grassroots activism from Maine to Hawaii. This ...
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The widespread, but virtually invisible, problem of pesticide drift—the airborne movement of agricultural pesticides into residential areas—has fueled grassroots activism from Maine to Hawaii. This book examines political conflicts over pesticide drift in the state of California, using them to illuminate the broader problem of environmental justice and its potential solutions. The fact that pesticide pollution and illnesses associated with it disproportionately affect the poor and the powerless raises questions about environmental justice (and political injustice). Despite California’s impressive record of environmental protection, massive pesticide regulatory apparatus, and booming organic farming industry, pesticide-related accidents and illnesses continue unabated. To unpack this conundrum, the author examines the concept of justice that increasingly shapes environmental politics, and finds that California’s agricultural industry, regulators, and pesticide drift activists hold different, and conflicting, notions of what justice is all about. She examines the ways industry, regulatory agencies, and different kinds of activists address pesticide drift, connecting their efforts to a communitarian and libertarian concept of justice. The approach taken by pesticide drift activists, the author finds, not only reviews theories of justice undergirding mainstream sustainable-agriculture activism, but also offers an entirely new notion of what justice means. The book argues that to solve seemingly intractable environmental problems such as pesticide drift, we need a different kind of environmental justice. The author proposes a precautionary principle as a framework for effectively and justly addressing environmental inequities in the everyday work of environmental regulatory institutions.Less
The widespread, but virtually invisible, problem of pesticide drift—the airborne movement of agricultural pesticides into residential areas—has fueled grassroots activism from Maine to Hawaii. This book examines political conflicts over pesticide drift in the state of California, using them to illuminate the broader problem of environmental justice and its potential solutions. The fact that pesticide pollution and illnesses associated with it disproportionately affect the poor and the powerless raises questions about environmental justice (and political injustice). Despite California’s impressive record of environmental protection, massive pesticide regulatory apparatus, and booming organic farming industry, pesticide-related accidents and illnesses continue unabated. To unpack this conundrum, the author examines the concept of justice that increasingly shapes environmental politics, and finds that California’s agricultural industry, regulators, and pesticide drift activists hold different, and conflicting, notions of what justice is all about. She examines the ways industry, regulatory agencies, and different kinds of activists address pesticide drift, connecting their efforts to a communitarian and libertarian concept of justice. The approach taken by pesticide drift activists, the author finds, not only reviews theories of justice undergirding mainstream sustainable-agriculture activism, but also offers an entirely new notion of what justice means. The book argues that to solve seemingly intractable environmental problems such as pesticide drift, we need a different kind of environmental justice. The author proposes a precautionary principle as a framework for effectively and justly addressing environmental inequities in the everyday work of environmental regulatory institutions.
Kathleen L. Shea
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- June 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780199341047
- eISBN:
- 9780199374724
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199341047.003.0009
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter focuses on the importance of encouraging college students to include environmental stewardship as part of their vocation. It points out that the protection of nature is a universal ...
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This chapter focuses on the importance of encouraging college students to include environmental stewardship as part of their vocation. It points out that the protection of nature is a universal value, important to cultures and religions worldwide. Understanding and preserving our cultural and personal relationships with nature leads to happier, healthier, and more fulfilling lives. Students learn to better understand the natural world and feel a sense of responsibility to use nature wisely through outdoor fieldwork and service opportunities. Institutional support enables students to practice environmental stewardship at many levels, from natural habitat restoration to sustainable agriculture, energy conservation, and green building design. Through courses on and off-campus, as well as research and internship opportunities, students gain knowledge and practice in sustainable living. Incorporating good ecological citizenship into daily life at college makes it likely that environmental stewardship will become part of our student’s vocations in the future.Less
This chapter focuses on the importance of encouraging college students to include environmental stewardship as part of their vocation. It points out that the protection of nature is a universal value, important to cultures and religions worldwide. Understanding and preserving our cultural and personal relationships with nature leads to happier, healthier, and more fulfilling lives. Students learn to better understand the natural world and feel a sense of responsibility to use nature wisely through outdoor fieldwork and service opportunities. Institutional support enables students to practice environmental stewardship at many levels, from natural habitat restoration to sustainable agriculture, energy conservation, and green building design. Through courses on and off-campus, as well as research and internship opportunities, students gain knowledge and practice in sustainable living. Incorporating good ecological citizenship into daily life at college makes it likely that environmental stewardship will become part of our student’s vocations in the future.
Wolfram Schlenker (ed.)
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- May 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780226619804
- eISBN:
- 9780226619941
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226619941.001.0001
- Subject:
- Economics and Finance, Development, Growth, and Environmental
Agriculture historically employed a large share of the overall population. For example, even in 1800, more than half the population in most European countries was working in agriculture. With the ...
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Agriculture historically employed a large share of the overall population. For example, even in 1800, more than half the population in most European countries was working in agriculture. With the start of the industrial revolution and the accompanying mechanization, labor shifted out of agriculture. Still, throughout the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, increases in agricultural production were mainly driven by an increase in the growing area, whereas yields (output per area) were rather constant. This changed abruptly in the middle of the 20th century: yields have been increasing at a steady pace ever since. At the same time, inflation-adjusted agricultural commodity prices have been trending downward as increases in supply outpaced increases in demand. Food is an essential good, and while its price is currently low due to its abundance, it is responsible for a large consumer surplus given the highly inelastic demand. Understanding what factors contribute to the upward trend in yields is hence of first order importance for food security and human welfare. This book contains eight chapters that were presented at a NBER conference in May 2017. They examine in further detail what contributes to the remarkably steady increase in yields around the globe and assess whether this can continue into the future and whether it will impose significant environmental externalities. The book offers new innovative analyses using the methodological innovations as well as recently available micro-level data sets.Less
Agriculture historically employed a large share of the overall population. For example, even in 1800, more than half the population in most European countries was working in agriculture. With the start of the industrial revolution and the accompanying mechanization, labor shifted out of agriculture. Still, throughout the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, increases in agricultural production were mainly driven by an increase in the growing area, whereas yields (output per area) were rather constant. This changed abruptly in the middle of the 20th century: yields have been increasing at a steady pace ever since. At the same time, inflation-adjusted agricultural commodity prices have been trending downward as increases in supply outpaced increases in demand. Food is an essential good, and while its price is currently low due to its abundance, it is responsible for a large consumer surplus given the highly inelastic demand. Understanding what factors contribute to the upward trend in yields is hence of first order importance for food security and human welfare. This book contains eight chapters that were presented at a NBER conference in May 2017. They examine in further detail what contributes to the remarkably steady increase in yields around the globe and assess whether this can continue into the future and whether it will impose significant environmental externalities. The book offers new innovative analyses using the methodological innovations as well as recently available micro-level data sets.
Calestous Juma
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- August 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780190237233
- eISBN:
- 9780190237264
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190237233.003.0004
- Subject:
- Political Science, Political Economy, International Relations and Politics
The use of emerging technology and indigenous knowledge to promote sustainable agriculture will require adjustments in existing institutions. New approaches will need to be adopted to promote close ...
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The use of emerging technology and indigenous knowledge to promote sustainable agriculture will require adjustments in existing institutions. New approaches will need to be adopted to promote close interactions between government, business, farmers, academia, and civil society. The aim of this chapter is to identify novel agricultural innovation systems of relevance to Africa. It will examine the connections between agricultural innovation and wider economic policies. Agriculture is inherently a place-based activity, and thus the chapter will outline strategies that reflect local needs and characteristics. Positioning sustainable agriculture as a knowledge-intensive sector will require fundamental reforms in existing learning institutions, especially universities and research institutes. University-industry linkages and agricultural clusters are especially important. Specifically, key functions such as research, teaching, extension, and commercialization need to be much more closely integrated.Less
The use of emerging technology and indigenous knowledge to promote sustainable agriculture will require adjustments in existing institutions. New approaches will need to be adopted to promote close interactions between government, business, farmers, academia, and civil society. The aim of this chapter is to identify novel agricultural innovation systems of relevance to Africa. It will examine the connections between agricultural innovation and wider economic policies. Agriculture is inherently a place-based activity, and thus the chapter will outline strategies that reflect local needs and characteristics. Positioning sustainable agriculture as a knowledge-intensive sector will require fundamental reforms in existing learning institutions, especially universities and research institutes. University-industry linkages and agricultural clusters are especially important. Specifically, key functions such as research, teaching, extension, and commercialization need to be much more closely integrated.
A. Whitney Sanford
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- September 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780813168630
- eISBN:
- 9780813168951
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Kentucky
- DOI:
- 10.5810/kentucky/9780813168630.003.0009
- Subject:
- Political Science, Environmental Politics
This chapter explores how intentional communities strive for interdependence or regional self-sufficiency in areas such as transportation, building, and food. These communities link themselves to ...
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This chapter explores how intentional communities strive for interdependence or regional self-sufficiency in areas such as transportation, building, and food. These communities link themselves to individuals and communities in broader networks of interdependence, sharing goods, information, and expertise. They run demonstrations and workshops—open source education—to pass on skills that contribute towards self-sufficiency and negotiate legal obstacles such as building codes. These communities experiment in areas including: natural building, sustainable agriculture, alternate currencies and time banks, and alternate energy such as bio-fuel. Communities that identify as feminist still must address tensions that arise when women enter male-dominated areas such as building.Less
This chapter explores how intentional communities strive for interdependence or regional self-sufficiency in areas such as transportation, building, and food. These communities link themselves to individuals and communities in broader networks of interdependence, sharing goods, information, and expertise. They run demonstrations and workshops—open source education—to pass on skills that contribute towards self-sufficiency and negotiate legal obstacles such as building codes. These communities experiment in areas including: natural building, sustainable agriculture, alternate currencies and time banks, and alternate energy such as bio-fuel. Communities that identify as feminist still must address tensions that arise when women enter male-dominated areas such as building.