The family farm lies at the heart of our national identity, and yet its future is in peril. Rick Hammond grew up on a farm, and for forty years he has raised cattle and crops on his wife's fifth-generation homestead in Nebraska, in hopes of passing it on to their four children. But as the handoff nears, their family farm-and their entire way of life-are under siege on many fronts, from shifting trade policies, to encroaching pipelines, to climate change. Following the Hammonds from harvest to harvest, Ted Genoways explores the rapidly changing world of small, traditional farming operations. He creates a vivid, nuanced portrait of a radical new landscape and one family's fight to preserve their legacy and the life they love.

By 2050, the world's population is estimated to grow to 10 billion. To feed everyone, we will have to double our food production, to produce more food in the next 40 years than in the whole of the last 6,000. Changing the Food Game shows how our unsustainable food production system cannot support this growth. In this prescient book, Lucas Simons argues that the biggest challenge for our generation can only be solved by effective market transformation to achieve sustainable agriculture and food production. Lucas Simons explains clearly how we have created a production and trading system that is inherently unsustainable. But he also demonstrates that we have reason to be hopeful - from a sustainability race in the cocoa industry to examples of market transformation taking place in palm oil, timber, and sugarcane production. He also poses the question: where next? Provocative and eye-opening, Changing the Food Game uncovers the real story of how our food makes it on to our plates and presents a game-changing solution to revolutionize the industry.

You don’t have to be an animal rights activist to take an interest in how we treat other creatures. All of us, with few exceptions, use animals in some way: for food, research, recreation and companionship. In Britain we eat around a billion chickens every year, while 60% of all mammals on Earth, by biomass, are now livestock. In 2020, approximately 2.88 million scientific procedures involving living animals were carried out in Great Britain. Because all this happens in our name, as consumers and citizens we have a duty to understand, to care and to exert some influence over how animals are used. But because such use is ingrained in our daily lives and largely happens behind closed doors, we are barely aware of it. The animals deserve better. Understanding the inconsistencies in our attitudes, in the law and in what is deemed acceptable practice is an important first step. This timely and incisive book makes compelling reading for anyone who has an interest in animals, whether wild or domestic, free-living or captive, people intrigued about how their food is produced, and those keen to make informed and intelligent decisions.

How best to foster agricultural development in the Third World has long been a subject of debate and from a European perspective the persistent failure to design peasant-friendly technology is puzzling. From the late 19th century, for example, various western European countries also underwent 'green revolutions' in which systematic attempts were made to promote the adoption of technological innovation by peasant-farmers. This book focuses on the development of public-sector plant-breeding in Germany from the late nineteenth century through its fate under National Socialism. Harwood uses this historical case study in order to argue that peasant-friendly research has an important role to play in future Green Revolutions.

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a unique agricultural policy worldwide. For many years, its status as the only common European Community (EC) policy governed by EC institutions put it at the heart of European integration. Today the CAP is not the only common European Union (EU) policy. Even while it remains the sole instance of a regionally integrated agricultural policy, the CAP no longer embodies the same degree of cross-national harmonization of agricultural policy among EC/EU member states that it once did. The CAP has undergone policy reforms in the past two decades and these reforms have spawned a host of questions. What has caused the CAP to reform? How path-breaking are CAP reforms? Are they consistent with founding CAP goals or do they encompass new ideas about agriculture's place in the economy and society? And what are the consequences of agricultural policy reforms: for European farmers, consumers and taxpayers; for European 'public goods' such as environmental sustainability and preservation of rural communities and landscapes; and for third parties outside the EU, including the WTO? This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of European Integration.

Diese Kompaktausgabe der Enzyklopadie der Holzgewachse, des unangefochtenen Standardwerkes der Dendrologie, beschreibt die in Mitteleuropa heimischen Baumarten, einschlieA lich aller jemals gekA1/4rten Baume des Jahres. Nach dem aktuellsten Stand des Wissens werden rund fA1/4nfzig Arten aus vierundzwanzig Gattungen vorgestellt, darunter haufig vorkommende wie WeiA tanne oder Sommerlinde, aber auch heimische Exoten wie Schneebirne oder Zirbelkiefer. Zahlreiche Farbfotos und Schemazeichnungen veranschaulichen Wuchsform und morphologische Besonderheiten wie Rinde, Laub und FrA1/4chte. Wichtige Aspekte zu A-kologie, Klima, Standort, Waldbau und Nutzung durch den Menschen wurden in bewahrter Qualitat zusammengestellt und von ausgewiesenen Fachleuten redigiert. Ein einzigartiger A berblick A1/4ber die heimische Gehoelzflora, fA1/4r alle Baumkenner und solche, die es werden wollen.

A wave of innovation driven by the convergence of digital and molecular technologies is transforming food production and ways of eating in the US, Western Europe and Australasia. This book explores a range of contemporary agri-food issues, such as the digitalisation of farm production, aka Precision Agriculture, farmer independence, gene editing, alternative proteins and the rise of app-based home food deliveries. This is the first book to provide a systemic analysis of technological innovation and its socio-economic consequences in modern food systems, including the ‘hollowing out’ of rural communities and pronounced industrial concentration. The food system is under growing public pressure to respond to global climate change, but this book finds little evidence of transition to sustainable low-carbon trajectories.

The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a unique agricultural policy worldwide. For many years, its status as the only common European Community (EC) policy governed by EC institutions put it at the heart of European integration. Today the CAP is not the only common European Union (EU) policy. Even while it remains the sole instance of a regionally integrated agricultural policy, the CAP no longer embodies the same degree of cross-national harmonization of agricultural policy among EC/EU member states that it once did.

The CAP has undergone policy reforms in the past two decades and these reforms have spawned a host of questions. What has caused the CAP to reform? How path-breaking are CAP reforms? Are they consistent with founding CAP goals or do they encompass new ideas about agriculture's place in the economy and society? And what are the consequences of agricultural policy reforms: for European farmers, consumers and taxpayers; for European ?public goods? such as environmental sustainability and preservation of rural communities and landscapes; and for third parties outside the EU, including the WTO?

This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of European Integration.

Want to eat well, reduce food and packaging waste and save some money? Home Bird is here to help, going back to basics with seasonal, bold and wholesome recipes that are not only better for the environment but also your well-being and budget. Influenced by nostalgic meals and cooking for loved ones, Megan Davies has written this book for the eco-minded home cook. She includes invaluable tips on how to make ingredients stretch; from potato peel crisps to pickled cucumber and beetroot. Megan also features ways to turn leftovers into a new meal, such as a Roasted Fennel, Chive and Dill Pasta Bake or Frittata, both from a leftover Raw Fennel, Chive and Dill Salad. Recipes include multi-tasking brunch or late-night dishes such as Bircher Pancakes or Sweet Potato Baked Eggs. Suppers for Sharing that can be scaled up to feed a crowd or down for a more intimate occasion range from Roasted Squash with Almonds and Tarragon to the best Roast Chicken recipe with Pan Pastry Croutons (plus, of course, ways to use up any uneaten chicken!). From On the Side accompaniments and stunning Sweet Things such as Pot Luck Tarte Tatin this collection of delicious and ingenious recipes will have all the inspiration you need to run a more sustainable home kitchen, reduce your carbon footprint and make the sort of small changes at home that can make a big difference to our world.

Biology and Ecology of Fishes Immerse yourself in the world of fish ecology with the newest edition of this essential introduction The study of fish ecology has traditionally proceeded along two tracks: the first is more basic, concerned with the anatomy, physiology and theoretical ecology of fish, and the second is more practical, concerning itself with fish populations, management, and habitats. Many fish researchers have come to view this distinction as artificial, and to develop a new study of fish that combines both tracks in a single holistic approach. It has never been more critical for introductory textbooks to represent this combined study in order to prepare the next generation of fish biologists and fishery scientists. Biology and Ecology of Fishes meets this need with a textbook that incorporates both biology and population management. Beginning with a general introduction to aquatic life and ecosystems, this book covers anatomical, environmental, and ethological topics to give a thoroughly rounded view of its subject, promising to serve as the fundamental introduction to multidisciplinary fish studies. Readers of the third edition of Biology and Ecology of Fishes will also find: Detailed coverage of subjects including growth and bioenergetics, feeding and predation, mortality and recruitment and more Increased attention to stressors of fish populations and communities New and revised chapters that introduce quantitative methods and present emerging issues facing fish populations and communities Biology and Ecology of Fishes is a useful overview for advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying fish ecology or fishery biology, as well as a reference for researchers and professionals in fish ecology, fish population management, and related fields.

Perfect for readers of James Rebanks, Wendell Berry and Thomas Piketty, A Small Farm Future is a refreshingly new outlook on the way forward for society. A vital resource for activists, students, policy makers and anyone looking to enact change.  In a time of UNCERTAINTY, what would a truly RESILIENT SOCIETY look like? The recent pandemic has brought to light the fragility of a globalised food system. We have seen firsthand how important farmers are and how scary it can be when supply chains break down. This is precisely the type of crisis farmer and former social scientist Chris Smaje delves into in his ground-breaking debut A Small Farm Future.  Destined to become a modern classic, A Small Farm Future plants a flag at the intersection between economics, agriculture and society during a time of immense crisis. Smaje makes the case for organising human societies around small-scale, local and ecological farming in order to meet the environmental and political challenges of our times.

More than a textbookit's also a valuable reference book for researchers and crop science professionals! The Handbook of Statistics for Teaching and Research in Plant and Crop Science presents the fundamental concepts of important statistical methods and experimental designs to the students and researchers who need to apply them to their own specific problems. This comprehensive handbook takes what can be the difficult and confusing topics of statistics and experimental design and explains them in easily understandable terms, making them accessible to nearly every reader. More than a student textbook, it is an essential reference for researchers and professionals in a multitude of fields. Designed as a two-semester statistical textbook, the first section of the Handbook of Statistics for Teaching and Research in Plant and Crop Science focuses on statistical concepts, providing a foundation of useful knowledge on which you can base your own research. The second section concentrates on experimental designs in plant and crop sciences. The material is presented in a way that helps readers with a minimum of mathematical background to understand important theories and concepts. Derivations of formulas are avoided, and mathematical symbols are used only when essential. To illustrate the computational procedures, data is drawn from actual experiments. At the end of each chapter, examples and exercises are given to provide clear insight into real-life problems. A comprehensive appendix of clearly presented statistical tables is included. Part One of Handbook of Statistics for Teaching and Research in Plant and Crop Science focuses on statistical methods, principles, and procedures, exploring: methods of display of statistical information, such as tables, diagrams, graphs, etc. symbols and their use in denoting variables descriptions of types of statistical data methods of computation from raw and graphed data the importance of studying variables and dispersion in research the use of normal probability integral tables and their application to practical problems descriptions of different types of experiments, such as determinate and nondeterminate the significance of expected value in research special techniques in descriptive statistics explanations of population, sample, and statistical inference the significance of null hypothesis in research methods of correlation studies assumptions and principles in regression analysis Part Two concentrates on experimental design, principles and procedures, exploring: basic principles of experimental design the fundamental concepts of linear models and analysis of variance method and layout of Completely Randomized Design (CRD) the advantages and disadvantages of Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) methods and procedures for comparison of several treatment means the important features of Latin Square Design factorial experiments split plot design completely confounded design analysis of covariance the Chi Square Test of Significance the transformation of experimental data quality control and so much more! The Handbook of Statistics for Teaching and Research in Plant and Crop Science serves not only as a textbook for instructors and students in experimental design and statistics but also as a reference book on plant and crop sciences for professionals and researchers. The comprehensive text is also useful for professionals in other statistic-heavy fields.

First Published in 2005. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

A guide to the role microbes play in the enhanced production and productivity of agriculture to feed our growing population Phytomicrobiome Interactions and Sustainable Agriculture offers an essential guide to the importance of 'Phytomicrobiome' and explores its various components. The authors - noted experts on the topic - explore the key benefits of plant development such as nutrient availability, amelioration of stress and defense to plant disease. Throughout the book, the authors introduce and classify the corresponding Phytomicrobiome components and then present a detailed discussion related to its effect on plant development: controlling factors of this biome, its behaviour under the prevailing climate change condition and beneficial effects. The book covers the newly emerging technical concept of Phytomicrobiome engineering, which is an advanced concept to sustain agricultural productivity in recent climatic scenario. The text is filled with comprehensive, cutting edge data, making it possible to access this ever-growing wealth of information. This important book: Offers a one-stop resource on phytomicrobiome concepts Provides a better understanding of the topic and how it can be employed for understanding plant development Contains a guide to sustaining agriculture using phytomicrobiome engineering Presents information that can lead to enhanced production and productivity to feed our growing population Written for students, researchers and policy makers of plant biology, Phytomicrobiome Interactions and Sustainable Agriculture offers a clear understanding of the importance of microbes in overall plant growth and development.

A unique history of the ancient Near East that compellingly presents the life stories of kings, priestesses, merchants, bricklayers, and others In this sweeping history of the ancient Near East, Amanda Podany takes readers on a gripping journey from the creation of the world's first cities to the conquests of Alexander the Great. The book is built around the life stories of many ancient men and women, from kings, priestesses, and merchants to brickmakers, musicians, and weavers. Their habits of daily life, beliefs, triumphs, and crises, and the changes that people faced over time are explored through their own written words and the buildings, cities, and empires in which they lived. Rather than chronicling three thousand years of rulers and states, Weavers, Scribes, and Kings instead creates a tapestry of life stories through which readers will come to know specific individuals from many walks of life, and to understand their places within the broad history of events and institutions in the ancient Near East. These life stories are preserved on ancient clay tablets, which allow us to trace, for example, the career of a weaver as she advanced to become a supervisor of a workshop, listen to a king trying to persuade his generals to prepare for a siege, and feel the pain of a starving young couple and their four young children as they suffered through a time of famine. What might seem at first glance to be a remote and inaccessible ancient culture proves to be a comprehensible world, one that bequeathed to the modern world many of our institutions and beliefs, a truly fascinating place to visit.

When 170 000 black farmers occupied 4 000 white farms in Zimbabwe in 2000, it caused world-wide shockwaves. A decade later, Zimbabwe Takes Back Its Land finds that the new farmers are doing relatively well, improving their lives and becoming increasingly productive, especially since the US dollar became the local currency. While not minimising the depredations of the Mugabe government, and accepting that many of President Mugabe's supporters benefited from the ruler's largesse, the book counters the dominant media narratives of oppression and economic stagnation in Zimbabwe. The book is based on a detailed study of what is actually happening on the ground, drawing on the authors' own fieldwork and extensive other research. Hanlon, Manjengwa, and Smart show how, despite political violence and mind-boggling hyperinflation, "ordinary" Zimbabweans took charge of their destinies in creative and unacknowledged ways. This raises important questions for the upcoming elections, and also presents new issues for the international community, because United States and European Union sanctions are not just against a corrupt and dictatorial elite, but also against 170 000 ordinary farmers who now use more of the land than the white farmers they displaced and are already producing nearly as much as those white farmers. With stories and pictures, real farmers tell of their own experiences of setting up the farms and building up production. Fanuel Mutandiro tells how he built up his farm and the 70 trips to Mbare Market in Harare with a tractor and trailer full of tomatoes before he could afford a truck. Esther Makwara shows off her maize field with 8 tonnes per hectare - better than nearly all white farmers. And Mrs Chibanda shows off with pride her new tobacco barn where she cures the tobacco from her 1.5 hectare. But these stories are backed up by data - from the authors' own fieldwork and extensive other research.

Find up-to-date information on barley for malting, food, and animal feed This comprehensive book covers every aspect of barley from molecular biology to agronomy of yield and quality. In addition to the exposition of the basic concepts, Barley Science explains the latest developments in the field. In addition, this remarkable book presents ideas and techniques for bridging the gap between physiology and breeding. Beginning with the history of this ancient cultivated grain, Barley Science presents state-of-the-art information on genetics and breeding, physiology, and agronomy. One chapter explains the CERES computer simulation of barley growth, development, and yield. Every chapter includes a thorough literature review, and you will find many helpful tables and figures.Barley Science offers cutting-edge information on the latest developments in the field, including: wild barley as a source of genes for crop improvement genetics and breeding for specific attributes genetic engineering determining barley yield under stress new breeding strategies for disease resistance choosing genotype, sowing date, and plant density for malting barley enhancing pre-harvest sprouting resistance barley proteins and malting performance Written by the top experts in the field, Barley Science is an excellent update and broadening of the information found in previous barley books. Agronomists, breeders, geneticists, and physiologists--and their students--will turn again and again to this essential resource.

Find up-to-date information on barley for malting, food, and animal feed This comprehensive book covers every aspect of barley from molecular biology to agronomy of yield and quality. In addition to the exposition of the basic concepts, Barley Science explains the latest developments in the field. In addition, this remarkable book presents ideas and techniques for bridging the gap between physiology and breeding. Beginning with the history of this ancient cultivated grain, Barley Science presents state-of-the-art information on genetics and breeding, physiology, and agronomy. One chapter explains the CERES computer simulation of barley growth, development, and yield. Every chapter includes a thorough literature review, and you will find many helpful tables and figures.Barley Science offers cutting-edge information on the latest developments in the field, including: wild barley as a source of genes for crop improvement genetics and breeding for specific attributes genetic engineering determining barley yield under stress new breeding strategies for disease resistance choosing genotype, sowing date, and plant density for malting barley enhancing pre-harvest sprouting resistance barley proteins and malting performance Written by the top experts in the field, Barley Science is an excellent update and broadening of the information found in previous barley books. Agronomists, breeders, geneticists, and physiologists--and their students--will turn again and again to this essential resource.

Something is wrong with our agricultural and food systems. Despite great progress in increasing productivity in the last century, hundreds of millions of people remain hungry and malnourished. Can nothing be done or is it time for the expansion of another sort of agriculture, founded on more ecological principles, and in harmony with people, their societies and cultures?This book draws on many stories of successful transformation. A sustainable agriculture making the best of nature and people's knowledge and collective capacities has been showing increasingly good promise. Everyone is in favor of sustainability, yet few go seriously beyond the fine words. This book shows that there is no alternative to radical reform of national agricultural, rural and food policies, and institutions - the time has come for the next agricultural revolution.

Learn to integrate molecular genetic techniques with traditional plant breeding methods This comprehensive book provides the latest authoritative scientific information on improvement of both temperate and tropical crops. Crop Improvement: Challenges in the Twenty-First Century brings together expert plant breeders and geneticists to address issues related to crop adaptability and stability across environments for important food and fiber crops. It emphasizes the need to integrate molecular genetic techniques with traditional plant breeding methods to develop hardier, more productive crops. Crop Improvement includes the latest research on physiological and biochemical responses of plants to drought and heat stress, which should help breeders develop effective strategies for improving resistance to abiotic stresses. In addition, this helpful book elucidates the use of mixed models and best linear unbiased prediction. To make the book comprehensive, chapters discuss stability analysis in crop performance trials and genotype-by-environment interactions.Crop Improvement includes detailed information on breeding specific crops, including: rice tropical maize sorghum common bean sugar beet bananas and plantain cottonCrop Improvement offers both practical information and up-to-date research. It also suggests a vision of new directions and partnerships that are expected to evolve in this century. This book is an essential resource for practicing plant breeders and geneticists at universities, government agencies, and industry. It should also be of use to teachers and students engaged in crop breeding.

Discover environmentally safe ways to control weeds and pests!Until now farmers have had to choose between using expensive herbicides and fertilizers, which pollute the water table, or watching crop yields drop. All too often, crop yields dropped anyway, despite intensive farming. Allelopathy in Agroecosystems offers fresh hope. It provides an in-depth understanding of allelopathy-the mysterious, complex biochemical interactions among plants and microbes. This little-understood phenomenon plays a large role in agriculture, for good or ill. It can lead to changes in nutrient dynamics, vegetation structure, and species diversity. This comprehensive treatise is the first compendium devoted to explaining and exploring these chemical interactions in agricultural crop systems. Allelopathy in Agroecosystems explains how these interactions can make soil "sick," especially in intensively cropped areas. This leads to less growth and lower yield. On the other hand, it has great potential as an environmentally safe method of weed and pest management. The fascinating original research presented here will help you understand the complexities of this invisible yet potent force in agriculture.Allelopathy in Agroecosystems examines this interaction as it affects the most important concerns of farmers and agronomists, including: beneficial interactions between crops weed control using crop residues crop rotation natural herbicides genetic engineering soil rhizosphere bacteria improving pastures forest/crop interactions sustainable management of agroecosystems new directions for research International in scope, Allelopathy in Agroecosystems offers an abundance of scientific data on this revolutionary new concept. It offers incalculable potential for rescuing farmed-out land, increasing crop yields, and cutting back on expensive soil additives. Every agronomist, environmental scientist, policymaker, agricultural librarian, and advocate of sustainable farming needs this book.

From keeping chickens to raising vegetables, the allure of farm life is permeating popular culture. Noted artist and illustrator Julia Rothman has caught the bug, and from her Brooklyn studio she offers "Farm Anatomy," an enticing visual guide to the parts and pieces of rural living. Dissecting everything from tractors, pigs, and sheep to fences, hay bales, crop rotation patterns, and tools, Rothman paints a richly entertaining and informative picture of life in the country. Readers will discover fascinating facts on every page, from the shapes of squash varieties to the parts of a goat; from how a barn is built to what makes up a beehive. Every corner of the barnyard is uncovered, revealing its own distinctive vocabulary and creating a new appreciation for the complexity of living close to the land. Rothman provides an irresistibly browsable book that will appeal to people of all ages. The practical and the curious combine in instructions for everything from making cheese to spinning wool. "Farm Anatomy" makes a great gift for gardeners, locavores, country-living enthusiasts, design fans, and anyone who enjoys exploring new topics in a fun, visual format.