The author offers an overview of pollen biology and biotechnology for students and researchers in areas such as reproductive biology, biotechnology, aeropalynology, plant breeding, horticulture, and forestry. Citing more than 1,500 references to pollen research, the text covers topics including advances in understanding pollen tube growth, the use of pollen for gene transfer, and advantages and disadvantages of various pollination systems for production of species limits.

Addressing the topic of hunger and food security in Western Africa, the contributing authors to this volume are anthropologists who seek to understand the sociocultural factors involved in the environmental and economic aspects of food production. With an emphasis on technology and the changing patterns of resource use, case studies from regions of Mauritania, Senegal and Sierra Leone reveal how local farmers are responding to change and to the problems of food security. The book also offers a comparative approach to discussions of diverse agricultural systems, both within and across cultural areas, to present wide-ranging implications for planning and policy.

Biomass currently accounts for about 15 per cent of the global primary energy consumption and is particularly important as an energy resource in developing countries. It will undoubtedly play an increasing role in the world's energy consumption. Which crops make up this large percentage of our energy resources? Where do they grow and what can be done to boost the levels of production? What impact does their cultivation have on the environment and development? The book starts with aspects of biomass accumulation, harvesting, transportation and storage, as well as conversion technologies for biofuels. This is followed by a look at the environmental impact and economic and social dimensions, including prospects for renewable energy. The book then goes on to cover all the main potential energy crops. For each main species it gives a brief description, outlines the ecological requirements, methods of propagation, crop management, rotation and production, harvesting, handling and storage, processing and utilization, then finishes with selected references. All those whose work involves biomass production, whether as agriculturalist, student, farmer, producer, planner or policy maker will find this book an invaluable reference work.

The enclosure of common land into smaller privately owned units of land by parliamentary intervention transformed the traditional open-field system of farming which gave even the poorest a share in the common land. Despite its long-term benefits, its methods and immediate consequences were controversial, dispossessing the rural poor from their land. This text analyzes the extent and impact of parliamentary enclosure regionally, examining the processes by which land was reorganized, cultivation extended into former waste lands and old practices transformed. It stresses the degree of local variation and the mixture of motives and effects which make the subject complex. The book also weighs up the evidence for the effect of enclosure on the poor, looking afresh at old conclusions and providing new insights.

The revised edition of this text includes substantial new material on hunger in the aftermath of the Cold War; global food productioin versus population growth; changing demographics and falling birth rates around the world; the shifting focus of foreign assistance in the new world order; structural adjustment and other budget-slashing policies; trade liberalization and free trade agreements; famine and humanitarian interventions; and the thrid worldization of developed nations.

The strength of Professor Varisco's work lies in his combination of ethnographic fieldwork among highland Yemeni farmers with an extensive study of medieval Arabic manuscripts on folk astronomy and agriculture. The opening articles discuss the astronomical concept of the 'lunar stations' in pre-Islamic Arabia and as developed in Arab astronomy and almanac lore; subsequent ones expand on the significance of this for an agricultural society, and examine a unique corpus of Yemeni agricultural almanacs, dating from the Rasulid period (13th-15th centuries) to the present. A further theme is that of traditional Yemeni agriculture, with studies on irrigation practices, plough cultivation, sorghum production, and indigenous plant protection methods, as well as the use of star calendars for seasonal markers.

Much has happened since agricultural economists and rural sociologists met at the University of Chicago in 1946 to discuss family farming. The problems and issues related to the structure of agriculture have been intensified by current economic considerations, which promote the growth of larger-scale commercial farming operations and edge out many smaller farms owned, operated, and worked by families. In this book, contributors from eleven nations in Europe and North America provide a comparison of farm structure under different economic and political systems, including Poland as an example of a non-market economy. In addition to providing information on how local, state, and international policies have affected the agricultural enterprise, they look at the role of farmers' organizations in policy formulation and take note of changes in farm patterns and policies that have had an impact on farm production, off-farm work, and the welfare of farm families and rural communities.

European agricultural policy is too often a tangled web of technicalities wrapped in incomprehensible jargon. Yet it deals with the most basic human requirement - food. This work attempts to explain the complexities of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the 1994 General Agreement of Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the changes that are being forced on agricultural policy in Europe by environmental legislation, biotechnology and political change. Reforms of the CAP were agreed in 1992. Explaining the reform programme in detail, the book goes on to question the effectiveness of the reform and suggests that they will do nothing to diminish the costliness of the CAP or prevent European farm production overstepping the limits imposed by the 1994 GATT agreement. Referring to a wide geographical range of European case material, the author challenges the common assumption that in a world apparently short of food it makes sense to expand high-cost European farm production. It is clear that continued over-production will inevitably lead to new political conflicts with America and other major agricultural exporting nations.

European agricultural policy is too often a tangled web of technicalities wrapped in incomprehensible jargon. Yet it deals with the most basic human requirement - food. This work attempts to explain the complexities of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), the 1994 General Agreement of Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the changes that are being forced on agricultural policy in Europe by environmental legislation, biotechnology and political change. Reforms of the CAP were agreed in 1992. Explaining the reform programme in detail, the book goes on to question the effectiveness of the reform and suggests that they will do nothing to diminish the costliness of the CAP or prevent European farm production overstepping the limits imposed by the 1994 GATT agreement. Referring to a wide geographical range of European case material, the author challenges the common assumption that in a world apparently short of food it makes sense to expand high-cost European farm production. It is clear that continued over-production will inevitably lead to new political conflicts with America and other major agricultural exporting nations.

The Origins of Agriculture in Europe takes a look at current ideas in the light of a considerable mass of literature and archaeological evidence; examining the transition to agriculture through the comparison of social and economic developments across Europe.
In this volume, I.J.Thorpe manages to evaluate various alternative explanations in detailed examples, whilst also succeeding in addressing the broader theoretical questions which form the nucleus of contemporary debates. This clearly written and accessible text is an extremely valuable resource for students of European prehistory.

Based on new research results and practical findings, this revised edition text re-emphasizes the importance of agroecology as the discipline that provides the basic ecological principles for how to study, design and manage agroecosystems that are both productive and natural resource conserving, and are also culturally-sensitive, socially-just and economically viable. Agroecology goes beyond a one-dimensional view of agroecosystems - to embrace an understanding of ecological and social levels of coevolution, structure and function. However, ecological health is not the only goal of agroecology. In fact sustainability is not possible without preserving the cultural diversity that nurtures local agricultures. Stable production can only take place within the context of a social organization that protects the integrity of natural resources and nurtures the harmonious interaction of humans, the agroecosystem and the environment. The second edition incorporates new insights and concepts in the hope of helping guide agricultural students, researchers and practitioners to a deeper understanding of the ecology of agricultural systems that should open the doors to new managem

This groundbreaking book is the first to provide state-of-the-art information on the current changes and developments in European food and agricultural marketing. Food and Agribusiness Marketing in Europe contains broad and up-to-date coverage of agricultural and food marketing by experts in a variety of European countries including Germany, Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain, and Hungary. With chapters selected by the famous marketing specialist Matthew Meulenberg of The Netherlands, this enlightening book allows food and marketing professionals to gain new perspectives on the changing roles of food retailing and food industry in agricultural marketing and the structure of agriculture and food markets.This insightful book introduces readers to the common factors influencing European food marketing today including the stagnating volume of food demand, severe competition between suppliers of agricultural and food products, the overall shift in agricultural marketing towards more market-consumer orientation, and the resulting concern about product development, branding, and customer relationships. Major national differences in food and agricultural marketing in each country are also analyzed, in particular, the problems of implementing European Community legislation in the face of tremendous divergences among member countries in their needs, expectations, and priorities. Some of the other important topics covered in this in-depth book include: European food consumption and consumers food retailing in Europe the impact of the Common Agricultural policy and other government policies on agricultural marketing the conduct of agricultural marketing institutions and agribusinesses and their marketing performances agricultural and food marketing channels in European countries Food and Agribusiness Marketing in Europe is the first resource available that provides essential information on the tremendous changes in food and agricultural marketing in Europe. It is an invaluable reference on European marketing for students and teachers of agricultural marketing, European-oriented agribusiness managers, and internationally oriented agriculture policymakers who need to develop an understanding of food marketing developments in this area of the world.

Applying a feminist and environmentalist approach to her investigation of how the changing global economy affects rural women, Carolyn Sachs focuses on land ownership and use, cropping systems, and women's work with animals in highly industrialized as well as developing countries.Viewing rural women's daily lives in a variety of circumstances, Sachs analyzes the rich multiplicity of their experiences in terms of their gender, class, and race. Drawing on historical and contemporary research, rural women's writings, and in-depth interviews, she shows how environmental degradation results from economic and development practices that disadvantage rural women. In addition, she explores the strategies women use for resistance and survival in the face of these trends.Offering a range of examples from different countries, "Gendered Fields" will appeal to readers interested in commonalities and differences in women's knowledge of and interactions with the natural environment.

Agriculture was the central economic activity of ancient Greece. The authors of this thorough and lucid introduction describe and discuss the natural conditions, the techniques, the plants cultivated and the animals reared. They demonstrate how agriculture fitted into the society of gods and men in the Greek city-states.

Originally published in 1975 this book analyses the factors making for success and failure in agricultural development among black Zimbabweans during the 20th century. A detailed analysis is given of 2 tribal trust lands, including government policies and administrative control of these areas, voluntary and forced adjustment to land shortage and the economic resources and productivity of peasant cultivators. Settlements under individual land tenure are examined, as are government policies to these, the internal transofrmation of these communities and their economic resources and productivity. There is also a section on irrigation schemes and the reaction of people to irrigation farming. This is an indispensable book in understanding the present-day situation of agriculture in Zimbabwe.

A combination of academic research, action-research, programme-specific studies, consultancy reports amd more reflective policy discussions that have been carried out with local NGOs and with donor agencies. This book addresses fundamental processes of agrarian structural change and their gender implications; opportunities for wider participation by landless men and women in agricultural growth; the social implications of rural works and fish culture programmes; rural institutions and poverty alleviation; and broad institutional questions arising from interaction between the state, market and community (including NGOs) concerning good governance and the franchise state. to patterns of land use and shifting sets of opportunities for poor actors. It concludes by offering 11 working principles as a guide through the development maze of poverty alleviation in Bangladesh. The principles focus on the agenda of rights, governance, democracy, organizational culture, realistic expectations about NGO performance, and the portfolio character of people's lives.

This text is intended for plant physiologists, molecular biologists, biochemists, biotechnologists, geneticists, horticulturalists, agromnomists and botanists, and upper-level undergraduate and graduate students in these disciplines. It integrates advances in the diverse and rapidly-expanding field of seed science, from ecological and demographic aspects of seed production, dispersal and germination, to the molecular biology of seed development. The book offers a broad, multidisciplinary approach that covers both theoretical and applied knowledge.

Agriculture plays a pivotal role in the economy and development of Pakistan providing food to consumers, raw materials to industries, and a market for industrial goods. Unfortunately, agricultural production is stagnant due to several barriers including a fixed cropping pattern, reliance on a few major crops, a narrow genetic pool, poor seed quality, and a changing climate. In addition, the high cost of production, weak phytosanitary compliance mechanisms, and a lack of cold chain facilities makes Pakistan agriculturally uncompetitive in export markets. Despite all these issues, agriculture is the primary industry in Pakistan and small farmers continue to dominate the business. Small farmers grow crops for subsistence under a fixed cropping pattern and a holistic approach is required to develop agriculture to improve the livelihoods of the rural populace. This book presents an exhaustive look at agriculture in Pakistan. Chapters provide critical analyses of present trends, inadequacies in agriculture, strategic planning, improvement programs and policies while keeping in view the natural resources, plant- and animal-related agricultural production technologies, input supplies, population planning, migration and poverty, and balanced policies on finance, credit, marketing, and trade.

This presents 20 specially commissioned case studies of farmer participatory approaches to agricultural innovation initiated by NGOs in Africa. Beginning with a broad review of institutional activity at the grassroots, the authors set the case material within the context of NGO relations with the State and their contribution to democratisation and the consolidation of rural civil society. Specific questions are raised: how good/bad are NGOs at promoting technological innovation and addressing constraints to change in present agriculture?; how effective are NGOs at strengthening grassroots organizations? and how do/will donor pressures influence NGOs and their links to the State? This title is part of a series on "Non-Governmental Organizations" co-ordinated by the Overseas Development Institute. To complete this comprehensive review and critique there are two other regional case study volumes on "Asia" and "Latin America" and an overview volume, "Reluctant Partners?".

This presents 20 specially-commissioned case studies of farmer participatory approaches to agricultural innovation initiated by NGOs in Latin America. Beginning with a broad review of institutional activity at the grassroots, the authors set the case material within the context of NGO relations with the state and their contribution to democratization and the consolidation of rural civil society. Specific questions are raised: how good/bad are NGOs at promoting technological innovation and addressing constraints to change in present agriculture?; how effective are NGOs at strengthening grassroots organizations? and how do/will donor pressures influence NGOs and their links to the state? This title is part of a series on "Non-Governmental Organizations" co-ordinated by the Overseas Development Institute. To complete this comprehensive review and critique there are two other regional case study volumes on "Asia" and "Africa" and an overview volume, "Reluctant Partners?". Anthony Bebbington and Graham Thiele have published numerous journal articles between them.

This presents 20 specially commissioned case studies of farmer participatory approaches to agricultural innovation initiated by NGOs in Africa. Beginning with a broad review of institutional activity at the grassroots, the authors set the case material within the context of NGO relations with the State and their contribution to democratisation and the consolidation of rural civil society. Specific questions are raised: how good/bad are NGOs at promoting technological innovation and addressing constraints to change in present agriculture?; how effective are NGOs at strengthening grassroots organizations? and how do/will donor pressures influence NGOs and their links to the State? This title is part of a series on "Non-Governmental Organizations" co-ordinated by the Overseas Development Institute. To complete this comprehensive review and critique there are two other regional case study volumes on "Asia" and "Latin America" and an overview volume, "Reluctant Partners?".

Historical Geography of Crop Plants is devoted to a variety of staple and food crops, as well as fodder, fiber, timber, rubber, and other crops. The origins and histories of many of these crops have been clarified only recently by new research. The book has been arranged alphabetically by family and higher taxa for easy reference. Within families, species and cultivars are listed chronologically and geographically. The taxonomy and geography of probable wild progenitors have been outlined, and archeological evidence (when available) and historical evidence on region and domestication are traced. The subsequent evolution and spread of many domesticated species are examined, and the reasons behind the diversity in crop histories are explored. Historical Geography of Crop Plants will be a useful reference for botanists, economic botanists, ethnobiologists, agronomists, geographers, and others interested in the subject.

Presents twenty specially commissioned case studies of farmer participatory approaches to agricultural innovation initiated by NGOs in Asia with case material set within the context of NGOs' relations with the state.

The state subsidies which have supported agriculture in developed market economies are being questioned. Food surpluses and the damaging effects of modern farming techniques on the environment are regularly reported in the press and media. The Geography of Agriculture in Developed Market Economies describes and explains how these and other problems being encountered in modern agriculture have developed and also how the problems vary in intensity between different farming regions.

Agriculture was the main source of living in Ancient Greece and this book provides a broad introduction to ancient Greek agriculture. The initial focus is firmly on the art of agriculture proper - the tools and the techniques, the plants cultivated and the animals reared - thereafter the book examines the position of agriculture in the society of gods and men in the Greek city-states. In the epilogue it is stated that Greek agriculture in the period of the city-states was rather primitive and the authors question the view which maintains that agriciulture was the main source not only of living but also of wealth in Ancient Greece. The book's arguments are strengthened by its close adherence to contemporary Greek sources, literary as well as archaeological, avoiding the use of later as well as of Roman material.