Milestones of organic and sustainable agriculture


Book Description

What can you expect to find in this book? The author describes his personal memories of organic and sustainable agriculture in Germany and many other countries on all continents. In doing so, he reports in narrative style on a large number of his own projects from the long period from the 1970s to the present day and derives considerations from them as to which of these experiences could be incorporated into future farm practice, but also into political decisions. Readers dealing with similar issues will receive a wealth of ideas for their own projects. These impulses initially arose from his own practical experience with successful large-scale farming in bird and water protection areas. Significant areas of the farm could later be transferred to a national park; not for rehabilitation, but because of the existing rich biodiversity and the good quality of soil, water and landscape. The author's agroecological consultancy successfully carried out several hundred consultancy projects for companies, authorities and governments. He has also been active in many countries on all continents as head of an internationally active certification body. All of this makes the book exciting, instructive and easy to read.




The World of Organic Agriculture


Book Description

The new edition of this annual publication (previously published solely by IFOAM and FiBL) documents recent developments in global organic agriculture. It includes contributions from representatives of the organic sector from throughout the world and provides comprehensive organic farming statistics that cover surface area under organic management, numbers of farms and specific information about commodities and land use in organic systems. The book also contains information on the global market of the burgeoning organic sector, the latest developments in organic certification, standards and regulations, and insights into current status and emerging trends for organic agriculture by continent from the worlds foremost experts. For this edition, all statistical data and regional review chapters have been thoroughly updated. Completely new chapters on organic agriculture in the Pacific, on the International Task Force on Harmonization and Equivalence in Organic Agriculture and on organic aquaculture have been added. Published with IFOAM and FiBL




Agriculture, Environment and Sustainable Development


Book Description

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.




Conservation Agriculture and Climate Change


Book Description

Conventional tillage and burning crop residues has degraded the soil resource base and intensified soil degradation with concomitant decrease in crop production capacity. The emerging issue of global warming coupled with greenhouse gases emissions has further aggravated the scenario. Conservation agriculture helps in reducing many negative effects of conventional agriculture such as soil erosion, soil organic matter decline, water loss, soil physical degradation, and fuel use. Conservation Agriculture helps improve biodiversity in the natural and agro-ecosystems. Complemented by other good agricultural practices including the use of quality seeds, integrated pest, nutrient and water management, Conservation Agriculture provides a base for sustainable intensification of the agricultural production system. Moreover, the yield levels in Conservation Agriculture systems are higher than traditional intensive tillage systems with substantially less production costs. This book provides comprehensive understanding of the subject with topics related to climate change mitigation strategies, approaches and impact of conservation agriculture on natural resource management. Print and electronic editions not for sale in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bhutan)







Sustainable Agriculture


Book Description

The book promotes the study and application of the agro-ecology for developing alternatives to the complex problems of resource depletion, environmental degradation, a narrowing of the agrobiodiversity, consolidation, and industrialization of the food system, climate change, and the loss of farmland. This book covers food systems approaches, and seek experiences in an ecofriendly that are on-farm, participatory, change-oriented, and backed by broad-based methodologies for sustainability analysis and evaluation. The objectives of this book are: (1) to understand the role sustainable agricultural productivity, and its importance to the sustainable soil management, (2) to restore the soil health to transforming agriculture for sustainability, and (3) to understand the matching of management rules in the climatic perspective.




Organic Farming for Sustainable Agriculture


Book Description

Focusing on organic farming, this book presents peer-reviewed contributions from leading international academics and researchers in the field of organic agriculture, plant ecosystems, sustainable horticulture and related areas of biodiversity science. It includes case studies and reviews on organic agriculture, horticulture and pest management, use of microorganisms, composting, crop rotation, organic milk and meat production, as well as ecological issues. This unique book addresses a wide array of topics from all continents, making it a valuable reference resource for students, researchers and agriculturists who are concerned with biodiversity, agroecology and sustainable development of agricultural resources.




Organic Farming


Book Description

This book discusses organic farming with regards to the origins and principles, policies and markets, organizations and institutions, and future concepts.




The Role of Ecosystem Services in Sustainable Food Systems


Book Description

The Role of Ecosystem Services in Sustainable Food Systems reveals, in simple terms, the operational definition, concepts and applications of ecosystem services with a focus on sustainable food systems. The book presents case studies on both geographical and production system-wide considerations. Initial chapters discuss concepts, methodologies and the tools needed to understand ecosystem services in the broader food system. Middle and later chapters present different perspectives from case studies of ecosystem services derived from some of the key sustainable food production systems used by farmers, along with discussions on the challenges of deriving full benefits and how they can be overcome. Researchers, students, scientists, development practitioners and policymakers will welcome this reference as they continue their work related to sustainable food systems. - Introduces the concept of ecosystem services in simple terms for a wide readership - Provides an explanation of sustainable food systems - Contains the tools to identify and quantify ecosystem services in sustainable food systems - Identifies ecosystem services in specific systems utilized for sustainable food systems - Categorizes the challenges of deriving maximum benefits of ecosystem services




The Triazine Herbicides


Book Description

Over the past 50 years, triazines have made a great impact on agriculture and world hunger by assisting in the development of new farming methods, providing greater farming and land use capabilities, and increasing crop yields. Triazines are registered in over 80 countries and save billions of dollars a year. The Triazine Herbicides is the one book that presents a comprehensive view of the total science and agriculture of these chemicals. With emphasis on how the chemicals are studied and developed, reviewed, and used at the agricultural level this book provides valuable insight into the benefits of triazine herbicides for sustainable agriculture. - Presents previously unpublished information on the discovery, development and marketing of herbicides - Includes a vital section on the origin, use, economics and fate of triazine herbicides - Covers benefits of triazines in corn and sorghum, sugarcane, citrus, fruit and nut crops - Establishes best management practice and environmental benefits of use in conservation tillage