Exploring plant genetic resources is crucial in a time when food security has been a critical topic worldwide due to crop shortages and the impact of climate change. This new book, Plant Genetic Resources for the 21st Century: The OMICS Era, presents the practical advancements in genomics, epigenetics, metabolomics, and phenomics from the point of view of researchers and scientists working in the field of genebanks, genetics resources, and germplasm for enabling plant breeding and adaptation to a changing climate. The book highlights the importance of genebanks as centers of innovation for crop and forage improvement and discusses database solutions for genebanks and germplasm collections. The book first looks at plant genetic resources and their values and goes on to investigate several genomic technologies for plant improvement, conservation, and better adaptation to changing climates. Major crops such as wheat and barley are discussed with genomic approaches for diversity and resilience to drought and other adverse conditions. Other omics techniques discussed include phenomics for the improvement of crop adaptation, metabolomics research for germplasm improvement and adaptation, and more. This volume will be valuable for researchers who are presently working in or with genebanks and genetic resources, primarily for trait or allele discovery and germplasm improvement. Most chapters in the book can also be used as teaching material at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

- spans the last fifty years of fisheries policy in Europe - the parting contribution and career spanning reflection from one of Europe’s most renowned social scientists working in this field - explains why the bold but deeply flawed Common Fisheries Policy persistently failed to deliver its basic goal of sustainable fisheries - a final section on Brexit focuses on the implications for the fisheries sector and the fateful final negotiations with the EU over the fisheries question - essential reading for students, scholars, professionals and policymakers working on fisheries, marine governance, natural resource management, environmental policy and the European Project

This book explores food provisioning in Colombia by examining the role and impact of the agrarian negotiations which took place in the aftermath of the 2013-2014 national strikes. Most of the research in the field of agrarian studies in Colombia has focused on inequalities in land distribution, the impacts of violent conflict, and most recently, the first phase of the peace agreement implementation. This book links and complements these literatures by critically engaging with an original framework that uncovers the conflicts and politics of food provisioning: who produces what and where, and with what socio-economic effects. This analytical lens is used to explain the re-emergence of national agrarian movements, their contestation of the dominant development narratives and their engagement in discussions about food sovereignty with the state. The analysis incorporates a wide range of voices from high-level government representatives and leaders from national agrarian movements. Their narratives of food provisioning and the broader role of the food industry are reviewed and the key findings show an underlying conflict within food provisioning based on the struggle of marginalised smallholders to develop alternative agri-food systems that can be included in the local and domestic food markets in the context of a state dominated by an export and import approach. Overall, the book argues that the battle ground of agrarian conflicts has moved to the fi eld of food provisioning and using this approach has the potential to reframe the debate about the future of food and agriculture in Colombia and beyond. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of food and agriculture, rural development, peasant studies, and Latin American Studies.

Economics of Aquaculture presents basic economic theory in a concise and logical format which is easily adaptable to practical application. Examples of economic solutions to common problems help you understand the need for economic application to aquaculture and the success that may come with sound economic planning and management. It also provides coverage of virtually all basic principles of microeconomics, farm management finance, and marketing applicable to the aquacultural industry. You will "walk" through the intricate maze of decisions which are necessary for success in the business environment.The regular and on-going business of aquacultural production and marketing is addressed as a continuous problem set for the student or producer. Business decisions are shown to be logical extensions of those in production and vice versa. A successful producer must be a successful business person if production is to remain an option. Thus, the real and logical need for economics in production is carefully presented.Additionally, producers and students alike will find that application of careful economic planning results in long-term viability for individual producers as well as community projects, cooperatives, or even governmental projects. Special sections in the book illustrate the savings or costs of right and wrong decisions as well as those related to short versus longer term planning and investment. Other topics covered in this book include: role of aquaculture in economic development fish demand and supply farm management and operation time value of money in the short- and long-term capital budgeting market structure and price theory government in aquacultureAlong with students, other readers will find the business help they need in Economics of Aquaculture. Professional aquaculturalists will find the topics of basic production economics, marketing, and cost analysis particularly relevant and governmental administrators will find the presentation of basic principles, time value of money, capital budgeting, and the role of government in aquaculture a valuable resource for years to come.

When it first appeared in 1965, The Conditions of Agricultural Growth heralded a breakthrough in the theory of agricultural development. Whereas 'development' had previously been seen as the transformation of traditional communities by the introduction (or imposition) of new technologies, Ester Boserup argued that changes and improvements occur from within agricultural communities, and that improvements are governed not only by outside interference, but by those communities themselves. Using extensive analyses of the costs and productivity of the main systems of traditional agriculture, Ester Boserup concludes that technical, economic and social changes are unlikely to take place unless the community concerned is exposed to the pressure of population growth. In sharp contrast to widely accepted ideas, she shows how population growth may be the main stimulus to agrarian change. In developing this theme, the author identifies successive stages of agriculture, characterized by differences in techniques of cultivation and in social structure and show how they can be explained by differences in population density. This book is of relevance not only to economists, but also to historians interested in the way present changes in agrarian communities parallel those of the past.

The agricultural and rural crisis besetting Africa is the result of both policy failures and inadequacies and the product of structural rigidities inhibiting access to and control of vital resources. The challenge of leadership in the agricultural sector is how to design and implement policies which would help induce growth and development in this sector. It is against this background that the Africa Leadership Forum convened in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria in July of 1989 to explore a broad range of parameters to be addressed in the formulation of successful policies. This volume is derived from papers submitted and presentations made. The book provides the main conclusions and recommendations which emanated from the conference. They highlight a series of actions which must be taken in such areas as women in agriculture, small-scale farmers, agribusiness, subsidies, human capital, and linkages between international and national research anbd energy. Other topics include - Africa's security situation; social and economic factors, ecology, and social engineering; dietary patterns in Africa; pest management; agricultural practice; and international organizations. It is aimed at economists, anthropologists, ecologists, agriculturalists, social and political scientists, and all those interested or involved in agricultural production in Africa and other underdeveloped countries.

This is an invaluable piece of work that, to my knowledge, is not replicated anywhere, even in piecemeal fashion. It should be read by everyone having a stake in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations. It fills an historical vacuum in US-EU agricultural trade relationships that has existed for decades. This book provides the context of the past half century, and it will be invaluable for another half century.' - Clayton Yeutter, Former US Trade Representative, Former US Secretary of Agriculture and Senior Advisor at Hogan Lovells, US Tim Josling and Stefan Tangermann's Transatlantic Food and Agricultural Trade Policy traces the past fifty years of transatlantic trade relations in the area of food and agricultural policy, from early skirmishes over farm policies to on-going conflicts over biotech foods and hormone use in animal rearing. The authors take an analytical approach to the causes of transatlantic conflict and the extent to which these trade tensions in agricultural markets have reflected wide differences in policy approaches and levels of support. They explore the role played by international rules, in the GATT, and subsequently the WTO, in disciplining farm price support policies to allow for more open markets. The book also points to possible ways to end five decades of transatlantic trade tensions in the area of food and farm products. Scholars, practitioners and policymakers will find this timely book an invaluable and comprehensive guide to the causes of, and solutions to, the persistent EU-US trade conflicts in agricultural and food policy.

explores how the innovative approach of commons-based organic apple breeding can contribute to sustainability in agricultural and food systems more widely. advances the innovative solution of commons-based apple breeding as a model for developing resilience in fruit breeding and cultivation will be of great interest for students and scholars from the fields of sustainable food systems, sustainable agriculture, crop science, resource management and in particular those that seek inspiration for innovative approaches rooted in sustainability research, social-ecological resilience, and the commons.

Originally published in 1975 and in a second edition in 1980, Plant Geography was the first text in biogeography that provided an adequate treatment of modern plant population theory. It is an introduction to the subject for students of both geography and biology. The author develops a series of plant geographic concepts that are based primarily in plant population biology, treating in turn processes that operate at the level of the individual plant and the plant population; interactions between plant populations; environmental conditions and plant dissemination in shaping plant species’ distributions, and the geography of vegetation. Emphasis throughout is placed upon the dynamic nature of the earth’s plant cover, and the interplay between contemporary conditions and historical events in shaping plant distributions and evolution.

Social, economic, political, business, and cultural environmental factors affect the international marketing operation and performance of international firms. This highly insightful volume focuses on four of the most significant forces with which companies must deal on an international level--macro international marketing issues, sociopolitical international marketing issues, international marketing strategies, and special international marketing topics. Within this framework, experts examine the impact of two major environmental factors, namely the social and political conditions, on international companies to adopt corresponding marketing techniques and practices in different international markets. They also explore how specific details of a country, such as income level, cultural attributes, consumer characteristics, laws, and politics, influence the market potential of international firms and thus the scale of the company operations. Indispensable reading for scholars, economists, and business people who are interested in marketing on a global scale.

Thoroughly revised and updated, the third edition of The Sociology of Food and Agriculture provides a cutting-edge, comprehensive introduction to the study of food and society. The book begins by examining the food economy, with chapters focusing on foodscapes, the financialization of food, and a new chapter dedicated to food and nutrition (in)security. In Part II, the book addresses community and culture. While some books only look at the interrelationships between food and culture, this section problematizes the food system from the standpoint of marginalized bodies. It contains chapters focusing on agricultural and food labor and the peasantries, topics which are often overlooked, and gender, ethnicity, and poverty. Part III examines food and the environment, with chapters addressing important topics such as agro-ecosystems, food justice, sustainable food, and agriculture and food sovereignty. The final part focuses on food futures and includes a brand-new chapter on sustainable diets and ethical consumption. The book concludes by showcasing how we can rethink food production and consumption in a way that can help heal social, political, and cultural divisions. All chapters draw on international case studies and include learning objectives, suggested discussion questions, and recommendations for further reading to aid student learning. The Sociology of Food and Agriculture is perfect for students of food studies, including food justice, food and nutrition security, sustainable diets, food sovereignty, environmental sociology, agriculture, and cultural studies.

European agriculture is on the brink of a financial and ecological crisis. The European Community, individual governments, and the industry itself have precipitated this crisis. Controversy follows controversy -- in the areas of pollution, use of chemicals, land degradation, and overproduction. "The Diversion of Land" assesses the conservation challenge at the end of a long period of agricultural expansion. The book draws on the experience of continental Europe and North America to contextualize a case study analysis of the U.K. Incorporating new research and a new methodology for the targeting of land diversion, the emphasis throughout is on the agricultural adjustment process. This process, the authors argue, must be informed not only by an ecological awareness, but also by the anticipation of economic and social change.

During recent decades, tremendous progress and innovations have been made in rice science with the goal of increasing production to meet the world's growing demands. This new volume provides a concise overview of rice, covering the background and importance of rice; origin, evolution, and domestication of rice; and the world rice production. It goes on to provide new and important recent research advances on many different aspects of rice science and production. The authors look at advances in rice ideotypes, abiotic stress management techniques, biotic stress affecting crop productivity, new methods and technology for cultivation, and new methods and techniques in rice grain quality analysis and processing. It also describes new rice varieties, new hybrid rice technology, and new breeding methods for rice.

Forensic Forestry: A Guidebook for Foresters on the Witness Stand is a one-of-a-kind, hands-on resource for those forestry and land use professionals called upon to work on legal cases and testify in court. Land use and forestry issues in the United States, in particular-and likewise around the world-have become increasingly contentious, scrutinized, and debated. There is little to suggest that conflicts over forestlands will cease in the near future, in fact, quite the opposite. There are already a number of informative books available on land use and forestry, and related issues under the broader heading of environmental science. As such, while this book will not go into these concepts in detail, if someone is already an expert in land use and forestry, this book will tell them the ins and outs of the legal system and how they can best serve to make a case, using evidence, in a court of law. Coverage addresses the necessary background, and legwork involved, in providing technical expertise for such cases to be adjudicated. Since professionals' expertise is often focused on ecological issues, chapters look at the economic factors and how money, policy, and corporate interests come into play-the crux of where the professional forester's ability to present evidence and expertise becomes critical. The author provides an overall understanding of the courts, and the legal process. Coverage includes recommendations to professionals working on cases-and in the courtroom-in how to present evidence and testify in cases over land use and forestland rights, forestry management and safety, criminal and civil cases in liability in forest fires-among myriad others. Key Features: A book by a professional for professionals in the field of forestry and those called to testify in cases of forest and wildfires, eminent domain, land disputes, tort, and liability cases Written in easy-to-read, non-technical jargon to provide tools to best serve as an expert witness and consultant to support attorneys in civil and criminal cases Details unique, real-world cases study examples, detailing how they were adjudicated based on evidence and testimony provided Presents a legal background into the court system, courtroom procedure, the types of legal cases as they relate to forensic forestry As such, Forensic Forestry is a welcome addition to those professionals called upon to consult on, and testify in, such cases including land use professionals, foresters and forestry managers, ecologists, environmentalists, environmental policy advocates, and those in related fields.

With the world's largest population and second largest economy, China plays an important role in global food production and consumption. This book by a distinguished group of authors presents an updated analysis of food consumption in China. The material covered is informative and comprehensive. All food-related traders, researchers and analysts would benefit from reading this book.' - Yanrui Wu, The University of Western AustraliaRecent decades have seen China's domestic consumption in sectors such as food, housing, health care, education and travel greatly increase. This important book assesses China's current food consumption trends and the outlook for its future needs of such a crucial commodity. Key features of the book include: - A systematic examination of the key elements shaping food consumption, with particular attention to factors peculiar to China; - An evaluation of changes in food consumption between rural and urban residents, the rich and poor, and consumers of different regions and identification of the key drivers behind such changes; - A comprehensive coverage of all major food items including foodgrains, meats and other animal products, fruits and vegetables, alcoholic drinks, and aquacultural products; and - A projection for China s food import needs by 2020. This book will be of great relevance to anyone who is interested in the dynamics of Chinese food consumption, such as commodity traders, leaders of agri-food industries, food trade officials, and food market researchers. It will also prove a valuable reference for undergraduate and postgraduate students majoring in food marketing and trade, general food and agricultural economics and scholars studying food consumption issues. Contents: Preface 1. Introduction 2. Past Studies on China's Food Consumption 3. Recent Trends in China s Food Consumption 4. Food Consumption Dynamics: Key Drivers and Future Trends 5. Outlook for China s Food Consumption and Import Needs 6. Further Discussion 7. Conclusions and Implications References Appendixes Appendix A. Food Balance Sheets Appendix B. Income Elasticity Estimates Appendix C. Projections on China s Food Production and Consumption by 2022 Appendix D. Sown Area, Yield, Crop Output and Output of Animal Products Index

A shocking and unputdownable expose of the United States meat industry, the devastating failures of the country's food system, and the growing disappointment of alternative meat producers claiming to revolutionize the future of food. Perfect for fans of Kochland, The Meat Racket, and The Secret Life of Groceries. Well before COVID-19 swept across the United States and the chairman of Tyson Foods infamously declared that the food supply chain was dangerously vulnerable, America's meat industry was reaching a breaking point. Years of consolidation, price-fixing, and power grabs by elite industry insiders have harmed consumers and caused environmental destruction. Americans have no idea where their meat comes from. And while that's hurting us, it's also making others rich. Now, financial journalist Chloe Sorvino presents an expansive view of the meat industry and its future as its fundamental weaknesses are laid bare for all to see. With unprecedented access and in-depth research, Raw Deal investigates corporate greed, how climate change will upend our food production, and the limitations of local movements challenging the status quo. A journalistic tour de force that dives deep into one of America's biggest and most vital industries, Raw Deal is a crucial and groundbreaking read that is sure to be a modern investigative journalism classic.

Plant-based medicines and aromatics are increasingly in demand throughout the health sector globally, which involves their use not only for the treatment of diseases, but also as potential therapeutics standards for maintaining good health. Unlike modern medicine, herbal medicines derived from plants have several major advantages, including general absence of serious adverse side effects, long-lasting curative impact, and overall cost-effectiveness. Medicinal plants have become threatened due to their minuscule population size, narrow distribution area, habitat specificity, and destructive way of harvesting, only a few studies have been undertaken on their conservation, ecology and pharmacognosy.

- Provides a comprehensive introduction to the emerging interdisciplinary field of marine studies - Provides a unique social science and humanities approach to key marine challenges, including climate change, pollution and aquaculture - Includes examples of professional or academic areas of specialization within Marine Studies such as social and environmental justice, governance, traditional ecological knowledge and management, community development, conservation, and the blue economy - provide the first cohesive resource on Marine Studies to educate students, train interdisciplinary marine leaders, and build capacity for a new generation of marine-focused professionals

This book explores themes in the rhetoric of vegetarian discourse. A vegan practice may help mitigate crises such as climate change, global health challenges, and sharpening socioeconomic disparities, by ensuring both fairness in the treatment of animals and food justice for marginalized populations. How the message is spread is crucial for these aims. Vegan practices thus uncover tensions between individual dietary choices and social justice activism, between ego and eco, between human and animal, between capitalism and environmentalism, and within the larger universe of theoretical and practical ethics. The chapters apply rhetorical methodologies to understand vegan/vegetarian discourse, emphasizing, for example, vegan/vegetarian rhetoric through the lens of polyphony, the role of intersectional rhetoric in becoming vegan, as well as ecofeminist, semiotic, and discourse theory approaches to veganism. The book aims to show that a rhetorical understanding of vegetarian and vegan discourse is crucial for the goals of movements promoting veganism. The book is intended for a wide interdisciplinary audience of scholars, researchers, and individuals interested in veganism, food and media studies, rhetorical studies, human-animal studies, cultural studies and related disciplines. It urges readers to examine vegan discourses seriously, not just as a matter of personal choice or taste but as one vital for intersectional justice and our planetary survival.

This book examines the theme of human-animal interactions contextualized against the idea of the Anthropocene. Focused on China and its immediate Asian borderlands, this interdisciplinary collection provides a powerful and insightful analysis of the ecological challenges that mankind's traditional activities have created. Through in-depth case studies, each focusing on a particular human-animal dynamic, the book contextualises and advances the understanding of existing environmental and ecological problems faced by local communities in Asia. In particular, the book hopes to transcend the duality of the nature versus culture debate by locating animal-ecological problems in the behavior of human institutions, beliefs and practices, which are often affected by prevailing cultural proclivities, political ideologies, economic interests and scientific agendas. Through interrogation of theoretical concepts of Anthropocene and human-animal binary, the volume highlights the controversial debates that follows their usage as well as their empirical utility understanding human-animal interactions historically, thereby engaging a broader interdisciplinary conversation is increasingly links these two fields together. Providing a platform for discussion and dialogue for a wide audience, this book will appeal to students and scholars of environmental history and politics, anthropology, political science and policy studies, China studies and Asian studies more generally.

The polyphyletic Protozoa have explored the possibility of performing almost all metazoan functions with a few subcellular organelles. Their unicellularity and structural simplicity have (i) limited diversity to 32,950 species, (ii) restricted spatial distribution to aquatic habitats (94%, against 15% in Metazoa), (iii) demonstrated the ubiquitous dominance of clonality, (iv) reduced sexualization in 50% species, (v) facilitated the use of vegetative gametes in 40% species and (vi) secondary loss of sex in 10% species. With the fastest multiplication rates, i.e. once every 6-60 hours, they occur in high densities of 105-106 cell/ml. Their diverse and complicated life cycles are described in 30 types. Being risky, the cycle involves two hosts in < 2,000 parasitic species and injective transmission mode by sanguivorous insects and ticks in < 300 species. Their radial symmetry has accelerated diversity more than in radially symmetric less speciose Porifera (8,553 species), Cnidaria (10,856) and Echinodermata (7,000). In them, diversity is decelerated in the following descending order: symmetry > clonality > hermaphroditism > motility. Motility ranges from 2-3 m for Rhizopoda to 400-2,000 m for Ciliophora. Not surprisingly, 6,800 species of arcellinids, filosians and formainifers are testated or shelled. Within 1,229 sessile species, the peritrichid and suctorian ciliates are better adapted to coloniality. Unlike those of many Metazoa, the protozoan cyst is a dynamic stage, in which clonal or sexual reproduction occurs. Over 81% protozoans encyst, as it ensures (i) 90% survival during unfavorable conditions (against 15 in 12% non-encysted protozoans), (ii) genome transfer through generations, (iii) dispersal into new habitats and (iv) transmission to new hosts. Their mean body size ranges from 2 m to 2 mm - a range over 1,000-times - only 8% aquatic metazoans cover a similar size range. In comparison to 77% macrophagy in Metazoa, only 46% protozoans are macrophagous predators. Within motile microphagy, protozoans filter 3-2 times smaller food particle at 50% cheaper clearance cost. This efficiency has expanded microphagy to 15% in protozoans, against 3% in Metazoa. Hence, their turnover rate in trophic dynamics is twice faster than that of metazoans. Foraminifers serve as ecological sensitive indicators in petroleum exploration and rise in sea level. For the first time, incidences of clonality and meiosis as well as symbiosis and parasitism have been shown to hint at the origin and evolution of different protozoan taxonomic groups during the geological past.

This new volume aims to be the single book that discusses in a comprehensive and elaborate way the photosynthetic and respiratory mechanisms in plants under hostile situations and the proper mitigating strategies to continue uninterrupted photosynthesis and respiration under such situations. Since photosynthesis and respiration are the two main physiological processes for sugar biosynthesis and mobilization for driving all other vital functions, this volume delivers a wealth of sound knowledge in the related disciplines for the scientists, researchers, and academicians. With chapters from renowned scientists, researchers, and global leaders in this field, this volume focuses on the effect of environmental stressors on photosynthetic pigments, photosystems, activities of photosynthetic enzymes and protein complexes, PSII photochemistry, carbon fixation pathways, photosynthetic efficiency, glycolytic and Krebs cycle pathways, and ATP production and electron transport chain of plants. The recovery of photosynthesis and respiration through application of phytohormones, signaling molecules, and other protective agents is also emphasized. Genetic engineering to enhance photosynthetic efficiency has also been highlighted. This valuable book, Photosynthesis and Respiratory Cycles during Environmental Stress Response in Plants, will not only enable us to understand the nature of extensive damages brought to the photosynthetic and respiratory processes but will also provide a blueprint for devising proper mitigation strategies to sustain these two vital processes under challenging environmental conditions.

This set of proceedings volumes provides a broad coverage of basic and applied research projects dealing with the application of engineering principles to both food production and processing. The set consists of the following four volumes: Land and water use, Agricultural buildings, Agricultural mechanisation and Power, processing and systems. Includes about 450 papers from over 50 countries worldwide, drawn from the Eleventh International Congress on Agricultural Engineering, Dublin, 4-8 September 1989.

Provides a contemporary view of the impact of climate change on cultivation of various fruit species. Offers modern approaches for mitigating the adverse impact of climate change on fruits cultivation. Describes case studies, empirical experiments and observations emphasizing the research progress of understanding and combating the impact of climate change on fruits production. Illustrates concepts with relevant figures and tabulated data.

Herbal drugs play a pivotal role in modern medicine and pharmaceutical care however only limited biotechnology application has been seen in medicinal plants. Revolutions in high-throughput approaches emphasize omics approaches, such as genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. A volume in the Exploring Medicinal Plants series, this book provides a comprehensive and in-depth analysis of breakthroughs in high-throughput approaches for the research of medicinal plants. Exploring the principles and applications of omics technologies, this book is essential for those working on or are involved in the modern research of medicinal and aromatic plants. There is also a strong focus on practical implications of these technologies through exploring the safety aspects and conservation strategies of various plants. From informative discussions on the latest research to a holistic evaluation of their potential applications, this book appeals to students, researchers and professionals working with medicinal and aromatic plants, as well as healthcare professionals interested in the area.