- provides a detailed and comprehensive introduction to the concepts and methods of the sociology of farming - presents a comprehensive conceptual framework and the associated methods for research to provide a solid set of tools for unraveling the complexities of farming and rural life - contains a wide array of case studies from places as distant as Brazil, Peru, China, the Netherlands, Italy and Guinea Bissau to help readers grasp the commonalities that underlie strongly diversified and divided rural worlds - lists over two hundred and thirty basic concepts, and includes method boxes that discuss the main methods of the sociology of farming - essential reading for students and scholars of food and agriculture, agrarian studies, rural development, food and farming systems, peasant studies and environmental sociology

For the millions who remain curious about the world around them, but gained little from science at school, this book offers a way forward. Based on live discussions with adults from all walks of life, each chapter begins with an everyday experience, like swallowing a pill or watching a bee on a flower. The main scientific ideas underlying each topic are then explored, so that understanding of a set of fundamental concepts builds up gradually throughout the book. In contrast to more traditional approaches to science learning, topics range freely across the subject areas. The story of Covid, for example includes aspects of biology, chemistry, mathematics and social behaviour. Plain English is used throughout and mathematical expressions are avoided. Key points are illustrated with clear diagrams and photographs. By drawing on questions and perspectives of ordinary people, the book offers an introduction to basic ideas in science as a whole, rather than any one particular subject. For the adult wishing to make good a gap in their understanding it provides a starting point for entering the rich world of popular science.

Biocontrol Systems and Plant Physiology in Modern Agriculture: Processes, Strategies, Innovations focuses on new production alternatives that do not include pesticides, herbicides, and chemicals for primary food production and instead rely on biologically controlled systems of production. The book also relates a number of advances and innovations in the use of agricultural technologies that employ the study of the physiology of plants to know their resistance to different environments in modern agriculture. The book presents research offering viable alternatives for the control of pests for safe food production that are environmentally friendly and that facilitate the reduction of production costs and improve the quality and yield of produce. The volume addresses innovative biocontrol systems to reduce or eliminate the use of agrochemicals by controlling plant diseases by minimizing environmental damage through the use of antagonistic organisms. It also presents new strategies of cultivation that maximize production by optimizing light, temperature, humidity, nutrients and humidity in a controlled environment. The diverse topics in the volume include botanical compounds as adjuvants as an alternative to reduce the pesticide use, on-site production of bio-control agents, plant factory systems that offer controlled safe environments for plant cultivation, promising bio-nematicides for sustainable agriculture, wastewater reclamation for agricultural purposes, the recovery of phytochemicals from plants, using LED lights on plants and microgreens production, and much more. Covering the new trends in biological control, plant factories, and plant metabolism for application in modern agriculture, this volume provides important research and knowledge that facilitates environmentally friendly plant systems, advances the reduction of production costs, and improves the quality and yield of produce.

Liberalization, Privatization and Globalization policy was advocated in India in 1991 under the supervision of P.V. Narasimha Rao, the then Prime Minister of India. As a consequence, the tea plantation industry was largely affected. It has confronted difficult competition because of the simplification of tariff barriers and the removal of the quantity restrictions on imports. The result of these on the share of export of Indian tea has declined, the price has plunged, and the profitability has reduced. To remain competitive in the market, tea-producing companies have been forced to reduce the various costs, especially labour costs. Due to this, tea companies are not in a position to fulfil their responsibilities such as health, safety, welfare, and working conditions to the workers. Besides, improper recruitment of labour, lack of proper training facilities, and even irregularities in payment of wages have been increased significantly. As a result, 1.2 million workers in the tea industry to sustain themselves and their families have been adversely affected. This leads to labour unrest and the industry has become vulnerable. The final impact of all these issues spreads to the quality of tea and profitability of the industry in India. This book examines the existing human resource management practices in the Indian tea industry. It adopts a simplified yet comprehensive approach to showcase workforce management in the tea industry. This book will be of value to postgraduate students, researchers, HR professionals, and policymakers in the fields of human resource management, business history, and industrial relations.

In 1971, Bruce Neuburger--young, out of work, and radicalized by the 60s counterculture in Berkeley--took a job as a farmworker on a whim. He could have hardly anticipated that he would spend the next decade laboring up and down the agricultural valleys of California, alongside the anonymous and largely immigrant workforce that feeds the nation. This account of his journey begins at a remarkable moment, after the birth of the United Farm Workers union and the ensuing uptick in worker militancy. As a participant in organizing efforts, strikes, and boycotts, Neuburger saw first-hand the struggles of farmworkers for better wages and working conditions, and the lengths the growers would go to suppress worker unity. Part memoir, part informed commentary on farm labor, the U.S. labor movement, and the political economy of agriculture, Lettuce Wars is a lively account written from the perspective of the fields. Neuburger portrays the people he encountered--immigrant workers, fellow radicals, company bosses, cops and goons--vividly and indelibly, lending a human aspect to the conflict between capital and labor as it played out in the fields of California.

- the first collection to reflect and compile the currently dispersed histories, concepts and practices involved in the increasingly popular field of urban food governance - contains chapters written by emerging and established scholars, as well as practitioners, the handbook provides a global, diverse and state of the art, examination the role of cities in delivering sustainability and food security outcomes - provides theoretical and practical tools to understand and transform urban food governance to enact more sustainable and just futures - will be essential reading for students, scholars, practitioners and policymakers interested in food governance, urban studies and sustainable development more broadly

examines policy responses to food waste and loss draws on in-depth case studies and action research provides a detailed evaluation of food loss and waste policies will be of great interest to students and scholars working on food waste, food policy, sustainable food systems, agricultural production and supply chains and public policy, as well as policymakers involved with developing and implementing programmes and policies to regulate and reduce food waste and loss

Covers the various pharmacological and therapeutic aspects of bioactive compounds. Analyses their methods of extraction, their phytochemistry, their pharmacological and biological activities, their medicinal properties, and their applications for disease management and prevention.

Covers important supramolecules. Contains compilation of the different threads of supramolecular chemistry. Covers important supramolecules. Covers important environmental and biological applications. Covers important techniques at relevant places.

The extreme microbiomes are those microorganisms thriving under extreme conditions where no other living being will have any chance to survive. The extreme habitats are those presenting high temperatures (thermophiles), low temperature (psychrophiles), hypersaline environments (halophiles), low and high pH (Acidophiles/alkaliphiles), high pressure (Piezophiles) are distributed worldwide. The extreme habitats have proved to offer a unique reservoir of genetic diversity and biological source of extremophiles. The extremophilic microbial diversity and their biotechnological potential use in agricultural and industrial applications will be a milestone for future needs. Extremophiles and their cell components, therefore, are expected to play an important role in the chemical, food, pharmaceutical, paper and textile industries as well as environmental biotechnology.

Covers computational approaches as applied to problems in the air and water pollution domain Delivers generic methods of modeling with spatio-temporal analyses using soft computation and programming paradigms Includes theoretical aspects of environmental processes with their complexity and programmable mathematical approaches Adopts a realistic approach involving formulas, algorithms and techniques to establish mathematical models/computations Provides a pathway for real-time implementation of complex modeling problems formulations including case studies

This book examines the current situation, levels of adoption, management practices, and the future outlook of conservation agriculture in India, and also in other tropical and subtropical regions of the world. While conservation agriculture is proposed as an important means to combat climate change, improve crop productivity and food affordability, and to protect the environment, the adoption of conservation agriculture in India, and south-east Asia more broadly, has been slow. This volume reflects on the current status of conservation agriculture in India, asking why adoption has been slow and putting forward strategies to improve its uptake. The chapters cover the various aspects of crop management such as soil, water, nutrients, weeds, crop residues, machinery, and energy, in a range of environments, including irrigated and rainfed regions. The impact of climate change and the economic considerations behind the adoption of conservation agriculture are also discussed. The volume concludes by discussing the future outlook for conservation agriculture in India, in particular drawing out parallels with other tropical and subtropical regions of the world. This book will be of great interest to students and scholars of conservation agriculture, sustainable agriculture, crop and soil management, and environmental and natural resource management.

Provides a comprehensive environmental assessment of advanced nanocatalyst for biodiesel production in world's energy demand supply. Discusses the green platform based nanocatalyst like metal oxides/sulphides, 2D-dimensional layered material synthesis and their relevance for biodiesel production. Presents pathway for a cheaper, cleaner and environmentally friendly processing techniques for biodiesel production

Wine is one of the oldest forms of alcoholic beverages known to man. Estimates date its origins back to 6000 B.C. Ever since, it has occupied a significant role in our lives, be it for consumption, social virtues, therapeutic value, its flavoring in foods, etc. A study of wine production and the technology of winemaking is thus imperative. The preparation of wine involves steps from harvesting the grapes, fermenting the must, maturing the wine, stabilizing it finally, to getting the bottled wine to consumers. The variety of cultivars, methods of production, and style of wine, along with presentation and consumption pattern add to the complexity of winemaking. In the past couple of decades, there have been major technological advances in wine production in the areas of cultivation of grapes, biochemistry and methods of production of different types of wines, usage of analytical techniques has enabled us to produce higher quality wine. The technological inputs of a table wine, dessert wine or sparkling wine, are different and has significance to the consumer. The role played by the killer yeast, recombinant DNA technology, application of enzyme technology and new analytical methods of wine evaluation, all call for a comprehensive review of the advances made. This comprehensive volume provides a holistic view of the basics and applied aspects of wine production and technology. The book comprises production steps, dotted with the latest trends or the innovations in the fields. It draws upon the expertise of leading researchers in the wine making worldwide.

This book is dedicated to the Silver Bream, a fish too long neglected by anglers, wildlife enthusiasts and science. In fact, this is the first book ever devoted to this freshwater fish. Scientist, author and broadcaster Dr Mark Everard introduces the biology of the silver bream, angling for this fish, and its diverse social quirks and values.

This book explores the impact of artistic experiments in inspiring people to turn away from current food consumerism and take an active role in preserving, sustaining, and protecting the environment. As artists are expanding their practice into social justice and community concerns, erasing traditional forms of expression and integrating others, the culture around food and its production has been added to a new vocabulary of experiential art. The authors measure the impact of such experiments on local food consumption and production, focusing on education and youth, both in the surrounding community and culture at large. They suggest how these projects can be up-scaled to further encourage sustainable solutions for our environment and communities. The book explores the reflections and motivations of case study practitioners in urban and rural areas and, through interviews, engages with artists who are pioneering a new trend to create hubs of activity away from traditional art spaces in cities to follow a non-hierarchal practice that is de-centralized and communally based. This book will be of great interest to academic readers concerned with issues related to environmental aesthetics, eco-design, eco-criticism, culture, heritage, memory, and identity, and those interested in the current debates on the place of aesthetics and culture in sustainability.

In the coming decades the world will need to more than double its food and feed production, almost all of the increase being needed in developing countries. This has socioeconomic and biophysical implications. Traditional component and commodity research addresses overly narrow issues at too small a scale. Rural development needs an eco-regional approach that integrates biophysical and socioeconomic work on cropping systems, livestock, the environment, and natural resources. This book contains the papers, response papers and discussion report of a five-day seminar on eco-regional approaches. It assesses the state of the art of systems approaches applied to eco-regional problems, presenting and discussing a number of case studies. Future research needs are discussed, as well as ways to improve collaboration between research institutes. The seminar on which the book is based was organised on behalf of the Directorate General for International Cooperation of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the Research Institute for Agrobiology and Soil Fertility (AB-DLO), the Wageningen Agricultural University (WAU), and the International Potato Centre (CIP). It was held at the International Service for National Agricultural Research (ISNAR), and was attended by participants from all CGIAR centres, among others.

The book provides valuable information on wild plants and their ethnopharmacological properties, discussion on ethnobotany, phytotherapy, diversity, chemical and pharmacological properties including antifungal, anti-inflammatory and antiprotozal properties. The chapters include a wide range of case studies, giving updated evidence on importance of wild plant resources from different countries including Nepal, India, Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Colombia, Egypt, Peru, etc. In addition, some specific species are used to explain their potential properties. Discussing traditional usage and pharmacological properties of wild plants, this book is entirely different from other related publications and useful for the researchers working in the areas of conservation biology, botany, ethnobiology, ethnopharmacology, policy making, etc.

This 4-volume set focuses on the use of microbial bioremediation and phytoremediation to clean up pollutants in soil, such as pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons, metals, and chlorinated solvents, which reduce the soil's fertility and renders it unfit for plant growth. Volume 1: Fundamental Aspects and Contaminated Sites begins with an overview of phytoremediation and the role of environmental factors. It goes on to introduce soil assessment techniques and offers methods of remediation designed to combat soil and agricultural degradation. It discusses soils contaminated by heavy metals; microbial and phytoremediation-based removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from coal, crude oil, and gasoline; microbial bioremediation and amelioration of pesticide-contaminated soils; phytoremediation techniques for biomedical waste contaminated sites; as well as biomediation processes for human waste sites. Biopesticides are also explained as an alternative to conventional pesticides. Other volumes in the 4-volume set: * Volume 2: Microbial Approaches and Recent Trends * Volume 3: Inventive Techniques, Research Methods, and Case Studies * Volume 4: Degradation of Pesticides and Polychlorinated Biphenyls Together, these four volumes provide in-depth coverage of the mechanisms, advantages, and disadvantages of the bioremediation and phytoremediation technologies for safe and sustainable soil management.

This unique book covers the molecular aspects of plant stress and the various industrial applications. Chapters cover many important topics in the biology of plant stress, including morphological and physiological changes of plants due to accumulation of pollutants; the types of stress for enhanced biofuel production from plant biomass; plant adaptation due to different types of environmental stresses; potential applications of microRNAs to improve abiotic stress tolerance in plants; plant resistance to viruses and the molecular aspects; photosynthesis under stress conditions; plant responses to weeds, pests, pathogens, and agrichemical stress conditions; and plant responses under the stress of drought. Key features: * Describes the different types of plant stress * Details the current and possible applications of plant stress biology * Presents several case studies that include applications of plant stress * Explores plant stress biology for applications in biofuel science Plant Stress Biology: Progress and Prospects of Genetic Engineering will be useful for researchers in diverse fields as well as for plant biologists, environmental biologists, faculty, and students. The book will also be helpful for further advancement of research in the area of plant stress biology.

This book takes a unique interdisciplinary look at the latest developments, advances, and trends in the interrelated areas of sustainable engineering, energy, and the environment, focusing on environmental engineering for renewable and green energy. It looks at new research and studies on a variety of topics in green nanotechnology, green processing and solar energy, sustainable energy policies, biofuels, fuel cells, and much more. The first section of Sustainable Engineering, Energy, and the Environment: Challenges and Opportunities looks at myriad issues in sustainable energy, such as sustainable urbanism through space planning and residential building design, a method to convert vibrations from mechanical work into power, energy grid maintenance, mathematical modeling and time analysis of various mechanical activities, and more. Topics on sustainable energy include voltage systems for stand-alone nanogrids, new sources for biodiesel production, solar energy conversion, protection equipment for windmill towers, etc. The section on sustainable environment explores issues such as industrial water recycling, regeneration of spent-activated carbon in pharmaceutical production, smell mitigation and recovery of fuel from waste, the water footprint of agriculture, etc. Key features Presents advances and developments in the areas of engineering, energy, and environment under sustainable development Examines potential issues of understanding of green buildings and their energy efficiency Presents case studies on sustainable urbanization Presents novel clean technology applications for attaining environmental sustainability Assesses green auditing and natural capital accounting Describes relevant experimental techniques This book features important contributions from scientists, academicians, and professionals on the latest developments and advances in the interrelated fields of sustainable engineering, energy, and environment.

Covers key areas of heterojunction nanomaterials for easy understanding of students, researchers, and academicians to promote the research in this field Systematically summarizes synthetic strategies, physicochemical properties, photocatalytic mechanisms, and applications of heterojunction materials through high-quality illustrations and schematic diagrams and references accompanying each chapter Emphasizes the ongoing challenges and potential directions for future development of heterojunction photocatalysts

Features: Brings together a multidimensional group of international scholars exploring the ethical dimensions of climate change and ecosystem. New strategies have pointed in this book for the better sustainable development. Design to cater a good overview of major challenges facing policy makers, researchers and ultimately humankind in dealing with climate change. This book summarizes the diverse features of vulnerability, adaptation, and amelioration of climate change in respect to plants, crops, soil, and microbes for the sustainability of the agricultural sector and, ultimately, food security for the future. Provide a state-of-the-art description of the physiological, biochemical, and molecular status of the understanding of abiotic stress in plants.

Provides a comprehensive overview of community forestry, including case studies from across all continents Covers future challenges, major impediments and suggested solutions Addresses key environmental issues, such as climate change and conservation

This book is dedicated to the spiky little freshwater ruffian known better as the ruffe, pope, 'tommy ruffe' and other local names. A fascinating little fish, the ruffe is long overdue a book all of its own. Much loved by many anglers, ruffe can also be problematic when introduced beyond their native range. Scientist, author and broadcaster Dr Mark Everard details fascinating aspects of the biology, angling and wider contributions to society of the ruffe.