Wandile Sihlobo and Johann Kirsten chose to write The Uncomfortable Truth about South Africa’s Agriculture in a candid, direct and unfiltered tone, not out of disregard, but with the hope of stirring South African agricultural stakeholders from inertia that may have taken hold over time.

One clear example of inertia is the endless policy discussions. When the government proposes policy positions – either good or bad – time is spent discussing these policies instead of anything substantive being done. The divisions amongst South African farmer organisations is the core issue behind the interminable conversations and this results in a ‘performance of productivity’ among participants in these meetings, creating an impression of progress simply because discussions are taking place.

While politicians and farmer representatives debate, farmers suffer, the unemployed languish, and small towns crumble. Poor roads and rising costs choke market access, while collapsing municipalities pile pressure on agribusinesses.

Things don’t have to be this way, and the South African agricultural sector still has great potential to grow, increase employment, and revitalise the rural economy. This book will empower the reader with a clearer understanding of the agricultural constraints and how to overcome them and mobilise the much-needed sectorial focus to implementation.

While the contents may be uncomfortable for some, this book is intended to ignite an urgent call for decisive policy and programme implementation and to demand stronger collaboration among social partners.

Do you love living in the city but dream about growing your own wholesome fruit and vegetables? South Africa’s organic gardening guru, Jane Griffiths, shows you just how easy it is to achieve a flourishing food garden, no matter how small your space.

Jane’s Delicious Urban Gardening is packed with inspirational ideas and practical information on all aspects of urban eco living.

In her trademark sensible and easy-to-follow style, Jane provides a wealth of tips and suggestions for:

• growing organic vegetables just about anywhere – from containers to edible walls, from raised beds to rooftops, from community gardens to neglected pavements
• planting and maintaining a space-efficient urban orchard
• converting an existing lawn or tennis court into an instant edible oasis
• keeping urban bees, hens and aquaponic tanks
• harvesting rainwater and recycling grey water
• introducing solar power into your home
• converting a chlorinated swimming pool into a wetland-filtered haven.

Illustrated with hundreds of beautiful colour photographs, Jane’s Delicious Urban Gardening is essential reading for anyone wanting to live a more sustainable, productive and healthy lifestyle in the city.

Fungal Cell Factories for Sustainable Nanomaterials Productions and Agricultural Applications explores the mycogenic synthesis of many metal nanoparticles, including processing processes, environmental protection, and future perspectives. Nanomaterials, including silver, gold, palladium, copper, zinc, selenium, titanium dioxide, metal sulphide, cellulose, have been formed by major fungal genes, such as mushrooms, Fusarium, Trichoderma, endophytic fungi, and yeast, in addition to lichens. Understanding the exact process involved in the synthesis of nanoparticles and the effects of various factors on the reduction of metal ions can help to improve low-cost strategies for the synthesis and extraction of nanoparticles. Other sections focus on a new framework for the production of nano-antimicrobial, the use of myconanoparticles against plant diseases, post-harvest antibiotics, mycotoxin control and plant pests in addition to certain animal pathogens. Myconanomaterials are well developed with great potential and promise for advanced diagnostics, biosensors, precision farming and targeted smart delivery systems.

Advances in Agronomy, Volume 165, the latest release in this leading reference on agronomy, contains a variety of updates and highlights new advances in the field. Each chapter is written by an international board of authors, with this release including chapters on Urban Anthropogenic Soils - A Review, Epichloe spp. And Serendipita indica Endophytic Fungi: Functions in Plant-Soil Relations, Heating Up a Cold Case: Applications of Analytical Pyrolysis GC/MS to Assess Molecular Biomarkers in Peat, The problem with "Apparent Electrical Conductivity" in Soil Electromagnetic Induction Studies, and more.

Advances in Agronomy, Volume 151, continues to be recognized as a leading reference and first-rate source for the latest research in agronomy. Each volume contains an eclectic group of reviews by leading scientists throughout the world. As always, the subjects covered are rich, varied, and exemplary of the abundant subject matter addressed by this long-running serial.

Advances in Agronomy continues to be recognized as a leading reference and first-rate source for the latest research in agronomy. Each volume contains an eclectic group of reviews by leading scientists throughout the world. As always, the subjects covered are rich, varied, and exemplary of the abundant subject matter addressed by this long-running serial.

Water Scarcity and Sustainable Agriculture in Semiarid Environment: Tools, Strategies and Challenges for Woody Crops explores the complex relationship between water scarcity and climate change, agricultural water-use efficiency, crop-water stress management and modeling water scarcity in woody crops. Understanding these cause- and effect relationships and identifying the most appropriate responses are critical for sustainable crop production. The book focuses on Mediterranean environments to explain how to determine the most appropriate strategy and implement an effective plan; however, core concepts are translational to other regions. Informative for those working in agricultural water management, irrigation and drainage, crop physiology and sustainable agriculture.

Sintering is the process of forming materials and components from a powder under the action of thermal energy. It is a key materials science subject: most ceramic materials and many specialist metal powder products for use in key industries such as electronics, automotive and aerospace are formed this way. Written by one of the leading experts in the field, this book offers an unrivalled introduction to sintering and sintering processes for students of materials science and engineering, and practicing engineers in industry.
The book is unique in providing a complete grounding in the principles of sintering and equal coverage of the three key sintering processes: densification, grain growth and microstructure. Students and professional engineers alike will be attracted by the emphasis on developing a detailed understanding of the theory and practical processes of sintering, the balanced coverage of ceramic and metal sintering, and the accompanying examination questions with selected solutions.
-Delivering unrivalled depth of coverage on the basis of sintering, science, including thermodynamics and polycrystalline microstructure.
-Unique in its balanced coverage of the three key sintering elements - densification, grain growth and microstructure.
-A key reference for students and engineers in materials science and engineering, accompanied by examination questions and selected solutions.

Aims and Scope Growing social and economic needs exert major pressures on landscapes, challenging preserved landscape values and the regional significance of places. As a result, the scope oflandscape management has broadened and diversifiedin response to international calls for greater landscape protection, and to existing and new challenges, such as thoserelating to climate change adaptation and ecosystem services. Within this context, landscape impact assessment and more in general landscape planning have been regarded as effective mechanisms for promoting and, at the same time, as the basis of sustainable landscape development. Set within the European context, thisbookaims to provide acontemporary review of landscape impact assessment theory and practice, looking at both the project and planning level. It coversthe overall process, content and scope of landscape impact assessment, including the main principles for good practice. Thisbook also provides guidance on a rangeof methods and techniques for different aspects of landscape impact assessment and public participation needs; and explains the advantages of close co-ordination between landscape impact assessment and landscape planning, especially in land use planning. Finally, a selection of case studies reviewing different aspects and practices of landscape impact assessment are reviewed. This book will be of interest to professionals involved in the day-to-day application of landscape impact assessment, as well as scholars and teachers working in the broad area of landscape planning andmanagement. The authors of thisbook have vast experiencein the research and practice of environmental assessment and landscape management.

Though there are more automobiles than harvesters on the roads these days, folks in "Wythe County," Virginia, keep their memories and traditions preserved in these conversations with the local twentieth-century farmers who spent their entire lives working this land. Visit with James Kegley, a fourth-generation farmer discussing his family's cattle and poultry drives to the train in Wytheville, and Agnes Eades as she shares stories about the night before butchering day for the hogs; join Fred Etter as he remembers the first tractor he ever saw and June Huffard as she talks about her dairy farm. Picture the days when starting the plow meant cracking the whip and "Wythe County" was the 'Cabbage Capital of the World.'

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Young Forever, uncover the powerful web of corporate interests that are hijacking our food, our health—and our future.

This is not a diet book. It’s an indictment. Food Fix Uncensored is the fully revised and expanded edition of Dr. Mark Hyman’s bestselling 2020 wake-up call, now more revealing than ever. In a world where food is engineered more for profit than nourishment, every bite you take matters—not just for your health, but for the future of our planet. Dr. Hyman invites you to question:

• What if the chronic diseases we accept as normal… aren’t?
• What if our broken food system was designed to protect power and profits rather the health of the public?
• What if the solution to our biggest health crises isn’t more medicine—but better food?

The shocking stats you read about Americans' declining health are not the result of personal failures. They’re policy failures by design – the result of a system rigged by Big Food, Big Ag, and Big Pharma to keep you sick and addicted. Food Fix Uncensored rips the veil off the multibillion-dollar machine hijacking our bodies, our brains, and our children’s futures, and hands you the tools to take it all back.

Balancing cutting-edge nutritional science with unflinching journalistic investigation, Food Fix Uncensored doesn’t just ask you to eat differently. It dares you to see differently. After reading this, you’ll never look at your food the same way again.

Nearly three decades after the dawn of democracy, South Africa has remained a country of ‘two agricultures’. On the one hand we have a subsistence, primarily non-commercial, black farming segment. On the other hand, however, we have a predominantly commercial and white farming sector that is well-resourced and has access to domestic and international trade networks.

These disparities can be traced back to South Africa’s painful history where, for decades, black farmers were on the margins of government support and also experienced land dispossession and livestock plunder.

A Country of Two Agricultures focuses less on history and more on the present and the future, explaining why these disparities have persisted in the democratic era, and what it will take to overcome them. It aims to contribute to a better understanding of the variety of agricultural forces, taking into account both questions of domestic political economy and external factors, as well as to bring to light new risks and opportunities.

Wandile Sihlobo offers insights into the role of agriculture in the South African economy from an agricultural economy perspective, and provides political economy insights that are rooted in the experiences of farming communities on the ground and right through the value chain.

Beyond insights on the realities this book offers the government, the private sector, and anyone interested in the betterment of the South African economy, tools to grapple with this duality, and proposes a framework for bolstering the black farming segment for growth and competitiveness – and ultimately food security.