Available:*
Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... | 30000010293801 | S441 T58 2010 | Open Access Book | Book | Searching... |
On Order
Summary
Summary
In the last 20 years, there has been a remarkable emergence of innovations and technological advances that are generating promising changes and opportunities for sustainable agriculture, yet at the same time the agricultural sector worldwide faces numerous daunting challenges. Not only is the agricultural sector expected to produce adequate food, fiber, and feed, and contribute to biofuels to meet the needs of a rising global population, it is expected to do so under increasingly scarce natural resources and climate change. Growing awareness of the unintended impacts associated with some agricultural production practices has led to heightened societal expectations for improved environmental, community, labor, and animal welfare standards in agriculture.
Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century assesses the scientific evidence for the strengths and weaknesses of different production, marketing, and policy approaches for improving and reducing the costs and unintended consequences of agricultural production. It discusses the principles underlying farming systems and practices that could improve the sustainability. It also explores how those lessons learned could be applied to agriculture in different regional and international settings, with an emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa. By focusing on a systems approach to improving the sustainability of U.S. agriculture, this book can have a profound impact on the development and implementation of sustainable farming systems. Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century serves as a valuable resource for policy makers, farmers, experts in food production and agribusiness, and federal regulatory agencies.
Reviews 1
Choice Review
This volume is a follow-up to the National Research Council's Alternative Agriculture (CH, Apr'90, 27-4501). It opens by defining sustainable agriculture and discussing the need for both incremental and profound changes in US agriculture. An overview of US agriculture follows, as it relates to the often conflicting goals of production, environment, economics, and society. The work provides examples of farming systems that move agriculture along the sustainability trajectory, and illustrates the drivers and constraints that affect adoption of such practices. Many of the original farms used as case studies in the earlier volume are revisited, and a number of new case studies are introduced. The book is well written, balanced, and informative, and provides a timely overview of agriculture in the US today. Though the case studies are in many ways the most unique and interesting aspect of this volume, they are unfortunately not as detailed as those presented in the original. For further in-depth literature reviews on specific topics in sustainable agriculture, see Sustainable Agriculture (CH, Jul'10, 47-6243), edited by E. Lichtfouse et al. Toward Sustainable Agricultural Systems in the 21st Century is also available free online . Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students, researchers/faculty, policy makers, professionals, and general readers. J. R. Reeve Utah State University
