This book, which is the first to be published in the emerging field of farm-level microsimulation, highlights the different methodological components of microsimulation modelling: hypothetical, static, dynamic, behavioural, spatial and macro-micro. The author applies various microsimulation-based methodological tools to farms in a consistent manner and, supported by a set of Stata codes, undertakes analysis of a wide range of farming systems from OECD countries. To these case studies, O'Donoghue incorporates farming policies such as CAP income support payments, agri-environmental schemes, forestry planting incentives and biomass incentives - in doing so, he illuminates the merits of microsimulation in this environment.

This book offers a thorough review of the scientific research that links the consumption of grapes to better health. The book starts with a basic review of grape biology, including the key families of phytochemicals found in grapes, and where they are found. An overview of the rationale for and subsequent creation of a standardized grape powder for use in basic and clinical research provides insight and understanding regarding its widespread use in grape-specific research today. The remaining chapters each thoroughly examine a key area of health, demonstrating a significant scope of impact on well-being. The book examines the role of grapes in supporting heart health under multiple angles: general cardiovascular effects, as well as specific effects directly linked to atherosclerosis and hypertension. Other emerging and important areas of health are examined, ranging from grapes and cancer, where grape consumption has been shown to protect healthy colon tissue; grapes and inflammation, where grapes have been shown to block inflammatory activity in immune cells of fat tissue; to brain health, where a grape-enriched diet has been shown to protect against neuronal damage due to loss of oxygen in the brain, as well as against oxidative stress-related anxiety and resulting memory loss; to grapes and eye health where grape consumption has been shown to protect the retina from damage.

This collection presents more of Albrecht's brilliant, classic essays that provide essential insights into the health of our soil. Albrecht was one of the first to see the danger in relying on agri-chemicals instead of soil fertility for healthy crops. In this carefully organized collection of writings, Albrecht explains the workings of the soil-crop system and substantiates his theory that depleted crops, weeds, and poor animal health stem directly from the lack of major elements and trace minerals in soil. As pressure builds on contemporary agriculture to become simultaneously more robust and sustainable, Albrecht's findings - now more than ever - provide crucial information necessary for realizing agriculture that is socially viable and ecologically responsible.

Guy Robinson and Doris Carson have assembled a wonderfully comprehensive and timely book that both reveals and joins together the many and varied elements of diverse contemporary agriculture and food production systems. The book stands as a valuable scan of the diverse forces and processes of change in agriculture and also makes visible, through its various and well-chosen case analyses, the abiding and sometimes colliding roles of structure , agency, power and place in shaping farm and food futures.' - John Smithers, University of Guelph, Canada'An excellent, timely and innovative contribution to the wide-ranging debates on the globalisation of agriculture. The book brings together a wide array of authors who approach agricultural globalisation issues from various angles spanning both the social and natural sciences, including key contributions on agriculture/environment issues, food security challenges, policy regimes, transnational corporations, and challenges of an increasingly globalised agriculture.' - Geoff A. Wilson, Plymouth University, UK Agriculture is becoming increasingly influenced by globalisation. The result is a more interconnected world where new forms of trade and cultural exchange can thrive on an international level. This novel Handbook provides insights to the ways in which globalization is affecting the whole agri-food system, from farms to the consumer. The expert contributors cover themes including the physical basis of agriculture, the influence of trade policies, the nature of globalised agriculture, and resistance to globalisation in the form of attempts to foster sustainability and multifunctional agricultural systems. They present a state-of-the-art summary of current debates and provide a starting point for subsequent research into solutions aimed at addressing food insecurity, global hunger and uneven development. Drawing upon studies from around the world, the Handbook will appeal to a broad and varied readership, across academics, students, and policy-makers interested in economics, trade, geography, sociology and political science. Contributors: K. Anderson, D.K. Bardsley, P. Basu, A. Blay-Palmer, S. Bringezu, L. Bryant, D. Burch, D.A. Carson, A. Dorward, J. Entwistle, S.J. Fielke, D. Fuchs, T. Gomiero, W. Grant, P. Hoppe, B. Ilbery, A. Kalfagianni, J. Klepek, I. Knezevic, G. Lawrence, T. Li, Y. Liu, H. Long, D. Maye, J. Morrison, S. Nicholson, M. O'Brien, A. Omer, C.R. Parfitt, K.E. Rickson, R.E. Rickson, D.F. Robinson, G.M. Robinson, N. Russell, B.A. Scholten, H. Schutz, S.R. Sippel, R. Taylor, B. Winders

A major source of land use policy controversy in the United States and worldwide, for at least a decade, wetlands are the subject of a rapidly growing literature across many disciplines. This bibliography brings together the salient works on the economic and related restoration and delineation aspects of wetland resources. Covering recent literature, it includes 80 entries on methodological aspects of wetland economics and 195 entries on empirical issues, 74 entries on wetland restoration/creation economics, and 111 entries on delineation/definition issues.

Each of the four major sections begins with a short overview of the literature, followed by an annotated bibliography. Most of the literature covered pertains to the United States and Canada, but relevant international works are included. Although most of the literature was published from 1989 to 1993, some earlier works are identified, and some early 1994 publications are included as well.

This book serves as a foundational reference of U.S. land settlement and early agricultural policy, a comprehensive journey through the evolution of 20th century agricultural policy, and a detailed guide to the key agricultural policy issues of the early 21st century. This book integrates the legal, economic and political concepts and ideas that guided U.S. agricultural policy from colonial settlement to the 21st century, and it applies those concepts to the policy issues agriculture will face over the next generation. The book is organized into three sections. Section one introduces the main themes of the book, explores the pre-Columbian period and early European settlement, and traces the first 150 years of U.S. agricultural policy starting with the post revolution period and ending with the "golden age" of agriculture in the early 20th century. Section two outlines that grand bargain of the 1930s that initiated the modern era of government intervention into agricultural markets and traces this policy evolution to the early days of the 21st century. The third section provides an in-depth examination of six policy issues that dominate current policy discussions and will impact policy decisions for the next generation: trade, environment/conservation, commodity checkoff programs, crop insurance, biofuels, and domestic nutrition programs.

This volume is a collection of twelve selected empirical studies on the economics of agriculture and natural resources. Twenty-two authors have contributed their research to this volume. Papers of this volume are grouped into three main domains covering: Agricultural Resilience and Sustainability; Agricultural Producers and Consumers; and Energy Use in Agriculture. Organized in an analytical framework and offering comprehensive empirical data, this book focuses on agricultural sustainability and resilience, environmental efficiency, agricultural extension, foreign trade, energy use, and agricultural growth aspects of the Iranian agriculture sector. They demonstrate technical and methodological tools used for the analysis and explain their application in the agricultural sector of Iran. This book will be a valuable read for those managing agricultural enterprises, policy makers, and researchers of agricultural producers and consumers.

This comprehensive reference delivers key information on all aspects of sunflower. With over 20 chapters, this book provides an extensive review of the latest developments in sunflower genetics, breeding, processing, quality, and utilization; including food, energy and industrial bioproduct applications. World-renowned experts in this field review U.S. and international practices, production, and processing aspects of sunflower.

This three-book set is devoted to the prominent bays of the Western North America. The first volume describes San Francisco Bay - a shallow estuary surrounded by a large population center. The forces that built it began with plate tectonics and involved the collision of the Pacific and North American plates and the subduction of the Juan de Fuka plate. Gold mining during the California gold rush sent masses of slit into the Bay. The second volume is devoted to San Diego Bay, which is also a shallow estuary surrounded by a large human population center that influenced the Bay. The third volume describes Puget Sound - a different sort of bay - a complex fjord-estuary system, but also surrounded by several large population centers. The watershed is enormous, covering nearly 43,000 square kilometers with thousands of rivers and streams. Geological forces, volcanos, Ice Ages, and changes in sea levels make the Sound a biologically dynamic and fascinating environment, as well as a productive ecosystem. Key Features Summarizes a complex geological, geographical, and ecological history Reviews how the San Diego Bay has changed and will likely change in the future Examines the different roles of various drivers of Bay ecosystem function Includes the role of humans-both first people and modern populations-on the Bay Explores San Diego Bay as an example of general bay ecological and environmental issues

This book is the first volume in a collection of contributions arising from a multidisciplinary project developed in the field of agri-food value chain analysis. The respective papers combine a range of disciplines to analyse major agri-food challenges in Europe and South America, offering readers a practical understanding of how risk and uncertainties can be managed by means of validated data and results from agri-food systems analysis. Experts from agronomy, information communication and technology, operations and supply chain management share their findings and propose novel approaches. Given its scope, the book will be of interest to a broad readership who want to learn about current agri-food challenges and requirements, and to professionals whose work involves real-life industry requirements, food and/or farming.

This six volume book set examines a range of topics and applications related to biotechnology. Volumes include fermentation and algal biotechnologies; agricultural biotechnology; medical biotechnology, biopharmaceutics; biosafety, bioethics, biotechnology policy; microbiomes; bioenergy and environmental biotechnology for sustainable development. The topics address significant aspects of the dairy and fermented foods; crop genetics, breeding and genomics; microalgae and novel products; molecular diagnostics and DNA forensics; biosafety, bioethics and legal issues in biotechnology; biotechnology policy advocacy, enlightenment and engagement with stakeholders; medical and pharmaceutical biotechnology; omics and bioinformatics; waste recycling, biofuels and environmental remediation; animal genetics, breeding and genomics; genetic resources conservation and utilization; medicinal and underutilized plants; medical insect biotechnology, genomics and molecular genetics of pests; microbiomes and microbial biotechnology; biotechnology education and curriculum development; and water and waste water research. Volumes include: I: Fermentation and Algal Biotechnologies for the Food, Beverage and other Bioproduct Industries II: Agricultural Biotechnology, Biodiversity and Bio-resources Conservation and Utilization III: Medical Biotechnology, Biopharmaceutics, Forensic Science and Bioinformatics IV: Biosafety and Bioethics in Biotechnology: Policy, Advocacy, and Capacity Building V: Microbiomes and Emerging Applications VI: Bioenergy and Environmental Biotechnology for Sustainable Development The book is a timely knowledge product that documents key issues on advances in biotechnology for use by a variety of readers including postgraduate students, professionals in the field, policy makers, science advocacy groups.

The book focuses on food security highlighting the role of indigenous knowledge and scientific research in addressing the plight of poor small-scale agricultural producers. Rapidly growing global population and global policies and management governing sustainability, hunger, food security and poverty alleviation are discussed. Additionally, impacts of probable climate change, research on land productivity and performance of dependable food crops i.e. cassava and pearl millet are discussed. Analyzed in great detail are roles of small stock, urban/peri-urban agriculture and advantages of climate-smart agriculture and participatory research in enhancing food security of the small-scale agricultural producers in Southern Africa.

This book examines the public stockholding policies of selected developing countries from the perspective of WTO rules and assesses whether the provisions of the Agreement on Agriculture (AoA) could hamper these countries' efforts to address the challenges of food security. Further, it highlights the need to amend the provisions of the AoA to make WTO rules just and fair for the millions of people suffering from hunger and malnutrition in developing countries. This book highlights that 12 countries namely China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Jordan, Kenya, Morocco, Pakistan, Tunisia, Turkey, Zambia and Zimbabwe are facing or will face problems in implementing the food security policies due to the provisions under AoA. These provisions need to be amended for permitting developing countries to address hunger and undernourishment. Progress in WTO negotiations on public stockholding for food security purposes are also discussed and analysed. The findings of this study greatly benefit trade negotiators, policymakers, civil society, farmers groups, researchers, students and academics interested in issues related to the WTO, agriculture and food security.

Divided into three parts - "Rationale and Extent of Agricultural Diversification," "Nature and Problems of Agricultural Diversification" and "Food and Livelihood Security through Agricultural Diversification," this edited book examines various aspects of agricultural diversification in Eastern India.

In recent years, Indian agriculture has been diversifying from cereals to high-value crops and livestock products in accordance with the changing consumption patterns. As such, it faces the challenges of a new economic regime, besides the usual problems of rising population, unemployment and poverty, declining investments in the agriculture sector and degradation of natural resources. These issues are discussed in the book in light of the significant transformation in the economic structure of the Indian economy from agriculture to non-agriculture (industry and services) and changing cropping pattern from cereals to non-cereals, in accordance with the changing consumption pattern. The book would be of interest to teachers, researchers, policymakers, students and general readers having an interest in agricultural development in India.

This dictionary profiles 103 private US organizations involved with the nation's agricultural policy process. . . . It contains an introductory essay chronicling the growth, aims, and objectives of agricultureal groups, foolowed by the organization profiles in alphabetical order, an appendix of related groups not mentioned in the text, and an index of corporate and personal names. . . . U.S. Agricultural Groups also includes concise descriptions of each group's origins, organizational structure, funding, policy concerns, and electoral activity. Libraries seeking detailed descriptions of the major organizations in this area will benefit from this title.

"Choice"

This reference source is ideal for anyone interested in the role of agricultural interests in American national politics. The book provides detailed profiles of more than 100 private organizations that are most likely to gain the greatest attention from those who observe, study, and participate in agricultural policy making. A range of organizations is covered, including mass membership organizations, trade associations, cooperatives, unions, public interest groups, think tanks, and policy research organizations, all of which are involved in some manner in the agricultural policy process. Preceding the profiles is an essay on both interests and policy, written by the editors of the volume. U.S. Agricultural Groups is intended to acquaint readers with the nature and activities of the organized interests in the agricultural policy arena, both historically and in the contemporary context.

Entries in the volume are prepared from a common format. The first part of each entry is a summary statement concerning the type and purpose of the organization, who is represented, and where the membership is concentrated. Next, information is provided concerning when and under what circumstances the organization came into being, the historically important issues of its concern, and a general discussion of the historical development of the organization. Information concerning the governing structure of the organization, the basis of memberships, funding sources, and memberships benefits is also provided. This volume will be make a valuable addition to any public or university library.

Picked warm from a tree, a California apricot opens into halves as easily as if it came with a dotted line down its center. The seed infuses the core with a hint of almond; the fruit carries the scent of citrus and jasmine; and it tastes, some say, like manna from heaven. In these pages, Robin Chapman recalls the season when the Santa Clara Valley was the largest apricot producer in the world and recounts the stories of Silicon Valley's now lost orchards. From the Spaniards in the eighteenth century who first planted apricots in the Mission Santa Clara gardens to the post-World War II families who built their homes among subdivided orchards, relive the long summer days ripe with bumper crops of this much-anticipated delicacy.

Most studies of doing business at the "bottom of the economic pyramid" focus on viewing the poor as consumers, as micro-entrepreneurs, or as potential employees of local companies. Almost no analysis focuses on the poor as primary producers of agricultural commodities a striking omission given that primary producers are by far the largest segment of the working-age population in developing economies. Making Markets More Inclusive bridges the management literature with original research on agricultural value chains in developing and emerging economies. This exciting work is the first to delve into the skills, capabilities, strategies and approaches needed for inclusive value chain development. McKague shows how NGOs and companies can connect poor producers in developing economies with the right markets to better create social and economic impact. He also analyzes one of the leading agricultural value chain initiatives in the world, which is being replicated by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in several different value chains in Malawi, Tanzania, Ghana, India, and Mali. Want more? Check out these compelling videos, which provide a glimpse into the stories and examples used throughout the book. Video Trailer for Making Markets More Inclusive. Farmer Training. Kallani Rani increased the productivity of her cows, become a cattle feed seller in her village (Chapter 6), and opened a fresh milk canteen in her local market (Chapter 7). She now trains other women farmers and works to improve opportunities for women in her community (Chapter 5). Animal Health Care Services. Asma Husna trained to be an animal health worker with CARE to provide important animal health services and education to local farmers on a fee-for-service basis (Chapter 6). Cattle Feed Shops. Fulera Akter started a business as a cattle feed seller after demand for nutritional animal feed grew due to farmers' improved knowledge of nutrition (Chapter 6). Savings Groups. Coauthor Muhammad Siddiquee, the Coordinator of Agriculture and Value Chain Programs at CARE Bangladesh, discusses the value of farmer savings groups (Chapter 6). Milk Collection. Sarothi Rani became a milk collector to earn an improved income for her family and provide an important service to other dairy farmers in her community (Chapter 7). Digital Fat Testing. Introducing digital fat testing machines into the dairy value chain helped reward farmers for making investments in producing higher quality milk, as well as ensuring transparent and timely payments (Chapter 7). Microfranchising. Supporting agricultural input shop owners with training, relationships to suppliers, common branding, and standardized customer services improves the productivity of smallholder farmers and the profitability of shops (Chapter 12). Bangladesh Dairy Value Chain Learning. Reflections from some of the 40 CARE staff from 17 countries who came to Bangladesh to learn from the experience of the dairy value chain project (Chapter 15).

With the exception of Haiti, the sensationalized issues of hunger reported in certain parts of the developing world are largely unknown in the Caribbean. Despite this, there are growing concerns about the state of food security in the region, as declining domestic production and increased dependence on imported food create vulnerability. This study examines some of the contemporary issues impacting food production and food and nutrition security in the CARICOM region of the Caribbean. The authors focus on enhancing domestic food production as the most appropriate way to improve food security and discuss strategies for building capacity in local food production systems. The book is the product of over ten years of research by the authors. It will be of interest to scholars and students of Caribbean geography, cultural geography, food and agricultural geography, and food security.

This book is based on the assumption that "organic has lost its way". Paradoxically, it comes at a time when we witness the continuing of growth in organic food production and markets around the world. Yet, the book claims that organic has lost sight of its first or fundamental philosophical principles and ontological assumptions. The collection offers empirically grounded discussions that address the principles and fundamental assumptions of organic farming and marketing practices. The book draws attention to the core principles of organic and offers different clearly articulated and well-defined conceptual frameworks that offer new insights into organic practices. Divided into five parts, the book presents new perspectives on enduring issues, examines standards and certification, gives insights into much-discussed and additional market and consumer issues, and reviews the interplay of organic and conventional farming. The book concludes with a framework for rethinking ethics in the organic movement and reflections on the positioning of organic ethics.

The book combines food security and agricultural competitiveness issues and treat them together. It starts with definitions and evolution of both concepts, followed by reviews on global and regional food security challenges. The book identifies global agricultural trade and competitiveness patterns and uses it as a basis for analysing global food security. Further, the book also identifies countries/regions/products groups and develops a typology of agricultural competitiveness, giving policy lessons and recommendations on how to increase national/regional/global agricultural competitiveness to achieve sustainable food security goals. The motivation behind writing such a book are numerous. First, as researchers interested in both food security and agricultural competitiveness issues, we have always found a gap in the scientific literature in treating the two notions together. Second, as lecturers of various agricultural policy and food security related courses, we have many times been faced with questions related to the competitive positions of different countries and the factors lying behind these positions. Third, as economic advisors, we have been faced with the need to provide clear policy recommendations and lessons on how increase competitiveness and associated food security many times. Such a need is mainly coming from developing country policy and decision makers.We think the book is unique in many ways. First, it provides a consistent analysis of global agricultural trade patterns over 25 years. Second, it analyzes and synthetizes the definitions, concepts and measurement methods of competitiveness, covering a major gap in the current literature. Third, it establishes a link between the analysis of global agricultural competitiveness and food security, which is also an understudied area. Finally, the book provides policy lessons to increase a country's agricultural competitiveness and food security by identifying its determinants.

The global food crises of 2008 and 2010 and the increased price volatility revolve around biofuels policies and their interaction with each other, farm policies and between countries. While a certain degree of research has been conducted on biofuel efficacy and logistics, there is currently no book on the market devoted to the economics of biofuel policies. The Economics of Biofuel Policies focuses on the role of biofuel policies in creating turmoil in the world grains and oilseed markets since 2006. This new volume is the first to put together theory and empirical evidence of how biofuel policies created a link between crop (food grains and oilseeds) and biofuel (ethanol and biodiesel) prices. This combined with biofuel policies role in affecting the link between biofuels and energy (gasoline, diesel and crude oil) prices will form the basis to show how alternative US, EU, and Brazilian biofuel policies have immense impacts on the level and volatility of food grain and oilseed prices.