Grameen Bank/micro-credit Ideas


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Nordic Publications


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Soil and Water Quality


Book Description

How can the United States meet demands for agricultural production while solving the broader range of environmental problems attributed to farming practices? National policymakers who try to answer this question confront difficult trade-offs. This book offers four specific strategies that can serve as the basis for a national policy to protect soil and water quality while maintaining U.S. agricultural productivity and competitiveness. Timely and comprehensive, the volume has important implications for the Clean Air Act and the 1995 farm bill. Advocating a systems approach, the committee recommends specific farm practices and new approaches to prevention of soil degradation and water pollution for environmental agencies. The volume details methods of evaluating soil management systems and offers a wealth of information on improved management of nitrogen, phosphorus, manure, pesticides, sediments, salt, and trace elements. Landscape analysis of nonpoint source pollution is also detailed. Drawing together research findings, survey results, and case examples, the volume will be of interest to federal, state, and local policymakers; state and local environmental and agricultural officials and other environmental and agricultural specialists; scientists involved in soil and water issues; researchers; and agricultural producers.










Soil Erosion in Europe


Book Description

Provides a unique and comprehensive assessment of soil erosion throughout Europe, an important aspect to control and manage if landscapes are to be sustained for the future. Written in two parts, Soil Erosion in Europe primarily focuses on current issues, area specific soil erosion rates, on and off-site impacts, government responses, soil conservation measures, and soil erosion risk maps. The first part overviews the erosion processes and the problems encountered within each European country, whilst the second section takes a cross-cutting theme approach. Based on an EU-funded project that has been running for four years with erosion scientists from 19 countries Reviews contemporary erosion processes and rates on arable and rangeland in Europe Looks at current issues, such as socio-economic drivers, controlling factors specific to the country and changes in land use




Agricultural Waste


Book Description

This volume focuses on tackling the harmful impact of agricultural waste with the use of sustainable practices, bio-techniques, and new technologies that either make use of the waste as a raw material or convert the waste into a useful resource that can help achieve environmental sustainability. The agriculture sector is one of the major producers of waste around the world. These wastes are produced at various stages of the various processes in the agricultural industry. Agricultural practices such as mechanical tillage, mono-cropping, application of agro-chemicals, irrigation with waste and industrial waters affect soil health and productivity. The resulting agricultural wastes can have a deleterious impact on the different components of the environment, resulting in harmful problems that pose a huge risk to ecological stability. The book investigates the sources and impacts of agri-waste on the environment and goes on to offer effective techniques, processes, and sustainable practices that can be implemented for effective agricultural waste management. Chapters also discuss a selection of innovative engineering-based technologies. The volume includes discussions of many remediation techniques, such as the use of biofertilizers, biocontrol agents, vermicomposting, green chemistry, microbial interventions, and more. The book explores the various uses of agri-waste with special emphasis on their applications in the plant-soil system. This book is a valuable reference source for academicians, professionals, researchers, students, and policymakers who are interested in the innovative management of the agricultural waste.




Managing Soil Quality


Book Description

In-depth treatments of the soil quality concept, its history, and its applicability in research and in developed and developing societiesAll 18 chapters are written by well-established experts from Europe, North America and AustraliaSoil quality is a concept that allows soil functions to be related to specific purposes. Managing soil quality takes a management oriented approach by identifying key issues in soil quality and management options to enhance the sustainability of modern agriculture. Topics covered include major plant nutrients (N, P, K), soil acidity, soil organic matter, soil biodiversity, soil compaction, erosion, pesticides and urban waste.




Biodiversity, Biofuels, Agroforestry and Conservation Agriculture


Book Description

Sustainable agriculture is a rapidly growing field aiming at producing food and energy in a sustainable way for our children. This discipline addresses current issues such as climate change, increasing food and fuel prices, starvation, obesity, water pollution, soil erosion, fertility loss, pest control and biodiversity depletion. Novel solutions are proposed based on integrated knowledge from agronomy, soil science, molecular biology, chemistry, toxicology, ecology, economy, philosophy and social sciences. As actual society issues are now intertwined, sustainable agriculture will bring solutions to build a safer world. This book series analyzes current agricultural issues, and proposes alternative solutions, consequently helping all scientists, decision-makers, professors, farmers and politicians wishing to build safe agriculture, energy and food systems for future generations.