This book aims at providing students, experts and practitioners with a detailed overview of agricultural and food security issues in China, analyzed through the lenses of a multidisciplinary approach that enables to fully grasp the current socio-political challenges and lock-ins of agricultural transformation towards more sustainable practices. Confronted to a running decrease and degradation of its resources and rapidly evolving food habits, China became a net importer of food in 2004, and its agricultural balance has since become heavier every day. Beyond providing a comprehensive overview of these stakes, this book also presents consistent and original first hand research material, collected by the author during months of fieldwork in China, in the countryside and from various economic and political circles. Conclusions drawn from this often difficult to access) fieldwork shed light on the whole galaxy of public and private stakeholders taking part in agricultural modernization in China, on their interests and on the patterns of power that underlie the development and implementation of agricultural policies.

Bioethanol Production from Food Crops: Sustainable Sources, Interventions and Challenges comprehensively covers the global scenario of ethanol production from both food and non-food crops and other sources. The book guides readers through the balancing of the debate on food vs. fuel, giving important insights into resource management and the environmental and economic impact of this balance between demands. Sections cover Global Bioethanol from Food Crops and Forest Resource, Bioethanol from Bagasse and Lignocellulosic wastes, Bioethanol from algae, and Economics and Challenges, presenting a multidisciplinary approach to this complex topic. As biofuels continue to grow as a vital alternative energy source, it is imperative that the proper balance is reached between resource protection and human survival. This book provides important insights into achieving that balance.

Lentils: Potential Resources for Enhancing Genetic Gains describes the evolutionary aspects and agronomic potential of this important pulse with emphasis placed on wide hybridization, including molecular aspects and future breeding strategies. The existing variability among cultivated germplasm has been exploited to reach a desirable level of productivity. However, to attain further breakthroughs in increasing yield and improving stability in future cultivars, new sources of genes/alleles need to be identified and incorporated into cultivated varieties. This book provides specific use information, including wild lentil germplasm utilization, thus allowing for the selection of transgressive interspecific recombinants that can be adapted to specific environments.

Polyphenols in Plants: Isolation, Purification and Extract Preparation, 2nd edition, provides a detailed insight into polyphenols that occur naturally in plants and how they can be affected during growth and development, then effectively removed and optimized for various applications in food production. Historically, plants have been the major sources for drugs and health promotion. While there are a small number of nutrients contained, the growing focus is on the very diverse, complex ring structures: polyphenols that are not nutritious. In order to study or use them in patient treatment, the polyphenols need to be isolated, identified, and purified for application and study. This book brings together experts in the field who share their ongoing examination of isolation and purification of polyphenols as well as determination of their structures and composition. Polyphenols in Plants covers a range of new topics including polyphenols in vegetable waste and agricultural byproducts, extraction methods and characterization of polyphenols, and isolation techniques in the development of new compounds and their use in cancer therapy. This book will be useful to plant scientists and dietary supplement producers, as well as scientists in the food industry and alternative medicine who are interested in the specific health benefits of various dietary extracts and other polyphenol resources.

Millions of lives and business have either been lost or significantly impacted by COVID-19. Yet, many are warning that climate change will be much more devastating over the coming decades. Reality is starting to set in. We are not going to achieve our global mitigation targets; we probably won’t even come close. Individuals faced with this reality react differently, from willful ignorance to anxiety and depression, all normal reactions. If you believe in science and understand the likelihood of our failure to meet our targets, you need to accept and plan for an unknown, challenging future. We may be individually powerless to stop climate change, but we certainly can act in ways that will help us better face the consequences. This book provides a structured approach to plan and prepare today for a world rocked by a turbulent climate.

This book examines social processes that have contributed to growing pesticide use, with a particular focus on the role governments play in urban aerial pesticide spraying operations. Beyond being applied to sparsely populated farmland, pesticides have been increasingly used in densely populated urban environments, and when faced with invasive species, governments have resorted to large-scale aerial pesticide spraying operations in urban areas. This book focuses on New Zealand's 2002-2004 pesticide campaign to eradicate the Painted Apple Moth, which is the largest operation of its kind in world history, whether we consider its duration (29 months), its scope (at its peak the spraying zone was 10,632 hectares/26,272 acres), the number of sprayings that were administered (the pesticide was administered on 60 different days), or the number of people exposed to the spraying (190,000+). This book provides an in-depth understanding of the social processes that contributed to the incursion, why the government sought to eradicate the moth through aerial pesticide spraying, the ideological strategies they used to build and maintain public support, and why those strategies were effective. Urban Aerial Pesticide Spraying Campaigns will be of great interest to students and researchers of pesticides, environmental sociology, environmental history, environmental studies, political ecology, geography, medical sociology, and science and technology studies.

This book examines how safety failings during the use of any designed product or system-be it a car, a building, or a chemical plant-can be mitigated through effective understanding of the conditions and controls surrounding its use. Drawing on historical failures and their own real-world experience, Dr Andy Painting and David England explain how corporate culture, engineering safety, personnel selection, and proper safety auditing are key ingredients to maintaining safety in all aspects of an organization's operations. This effective strategy is also crucial to linking back to the design of future products in establishing where operational failures have been identified and can therefore be "designed out" in future iterations. The book challenges silo thinking among the various safety-related disciplines and shows how this can be counter-productive to effective safety management. Effectively Managing the Case for Safety draws on key features from engineering, design, and health and safety processes, which, when used cohesively, promote a better working environment for everyone and help to reduce wasted time, money, and effort for any organization. Safety is tracked from the initial design stage through any product's entire service life and includes evidence of how safety affects, and is affected by, all those who interact with a product, system, or project. Following their first book, An Effective Strategy for Safe Design in Engineering and Construction, which demonstrated how current construction regulations can be used as a framework to ensure that safety is embedded into the design of virtually any product from machinery to buildings, this follow up book defines what safe is, how it is initially derived, and how the operational safety of any product, during its in-use phase, can be managed and assessed. The result is not only to ensure compliance with relevant regulations but also to actively ensure the ongoing safety of all those who interact with a product or project.

delivers a realistic and feasible framework for creating resilient landscapes in an era of anthropogenic climate change. presents fifteen case studies of differing sociocultural, economic, and biophysical backgrounds that showcase opportunities and limitations for creating resilient landscapes throughout the world. provides that much-needed link between theory and practice to deliver forward-thinking, practical solutions. This book will be of great interest to students, researchers, practitioners and policymakers who are interested in the complex relationship between landscapes, climate change, biodiversity loss, and land-based conversion at local, national and global scales.

The origin of agroforestry practices-growing trees and shrubs with food and fruit crops and grasses is traditional and very old-but the science of agroforestry is new. Years of experience and experiments have shown that agroforestry as a land-use system is capable of yielding both food and wood and at the same time helps in conserving and rehabilitating the ecosystems. It has the capability to increase the overall productivity of land, maintain the nutrient balance in the soil, and above all, protect the nature. In the recent years, agroforestry has been recommended as a core subject in the curriculum of B. Sc. (Forestry) and B. Sc. (Agriculture) courses of agricultural universities. This book has been divided into ten chapters covering very comprehensive information on all aspects of agroforestry including history, concepts, systems classification, tree-crop interactions, planning and management, diagnosis and design, policy and projects, and propagation and management practices of multipurpose trees. This book is co-published with NIPA. Taylor and Francis does not sell or distribute its print and electronic editions in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

This volume of 30 chapters contributed by reputed authors covers: Diversification of livestock and crops. Integration of livestock systems with forestry and crop production. Drought and heat wave tolerant varieties. Strategies for reduction of Green House Gases emission from ruminants. Application of GIS and remote sensing technologies. Breeds with inherent genetic capabilities to adapt to climate change. This book also takes into account the climate change adaptation, mitigation practices, and policy frameworks for promotion of sustainable livestock and poultry production. This book is co-published with NIPA. Taylor and Francis does not sell or distribute its print and electronic editions in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

* Presents the first quantitative index to measure construction project management performance

The Design and Construction of Pitched Roofing is the definitive guide to obtaining successful results in pitched roofing construction. Written by a team of experts from the NFRC and the RTA, the representative groups in industry for roofing construction. This guide is fully in line with the latest best site practice, innovations and British and European Standards, to ensure readers are receiving the most up-to-date and accurate information available in the field. Based on actual teaching practice, the book is highly illustrated throughout to increase accessibility of the text for the reader in its exploration of the practical aspects of roofing. It also includes an extensive glossary of roofing terms for ease of reference. This first edition contains material detailing recent innovations in roofing, in the areas of roof components and envelope performance requirements. It brings together a comprehensive collection of the design, materials specification, and workmanship requirements to construct a successful pitched roof. Including: Up to date design, product and workmanship standards Current best site practice Advances in Health and Safety Current typical scope of works for a Roofing Contractor Broad knowledge of the overall building envelope performance. Specifically, the increasing insulation and air tightness requirements. Students following Diploma (Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced level) and apprenticeship routes, will find this book to be an invaluable reference source of information which will accompany them throughout their studies. Building professionals concerned with the design, detailing and specification of roofing will also find this book to be an essential reference.

This book examines different dimensions of farmer agitations in Punjab, India. It situates the 2020-2021 farmer resistance movement within the wider context of India's post-independent development trajectory and provides a thorough analysis of various aspects of the farmers' movement in India. The volume contextualizes Punjab's history of farmer resistance, organization and mobilization strategies, the globalization of the movement, ways of both sustaining the movement and building resilience. While providing a critical understanding of the three farm laws introduced in India in 2020, the book looks at how they may impact farm operations and livelihoods in the post-Green Revolution period and evaluates strategies of inclusive mobilization for gathering support and sustaining the movement both within India and abroad, with special focus on the role of the Sikh diaspora. Essays in this volume also discuss the participation of women in the struggle and how their experience has the potential to transform gender relations both at home and in the public sphere. Integrated, comprehensive and concisely written by well-known experts, this book will be of interest to those involved with Punjab's social, political and economic history, and students and researchers of food and agriculture in developing countries, peasant and social movements, Indian federalism and role of diasporas as non-state actors.

A UN report presented to the UN Human Rights Council in 2017 recognized that, "although pesticide use has been correlated with a rise in food production, it has had catastrophic impacts" on human health and the environment. The report acknowledged that "increased food production has not succeeded in eliminating hunger worldwide because of the many interacting factors involved. Reliance on hazardous pesticides is a short-term solution that undermines the rights to adequate food and health for present and future generations." It is hoped that the knowledge available in Synthetic Pesticide Use in Africa: Impact on People, Animals, and the Environment will both enlighten the reader to present serious concerns on the use of synthetic pesticides, and motivate society to make the changes necessary for the sustainable production of safe, nutritious, and affordable food for the anticipated 250 billion inhabitants of this Earth in 2050. Key Features: * Explains the relationship of synthetic pesticides to escalating noncommunicable human and animal diseases in Africa and developing countries. * Discusses the impact of the herbicide glyphosate on the health of humans, animals, and the environment. * Reviews the disease causing mode of action of glyphosate and other synthetic pesticides on nutrient density and human and animal bodies. * Warns of the special vulnerability of children to synthetic pesticide toxicity. * Recommends needed legal initiatives to use synthetic pesticides more judiciously. The book is divided into seven (7) sections: I. General Impact, explains the general impact of synthetic pesticides on the African people, their animals, and environment. II. Human Health, covers the impact of synthetic pesticides on the human body, while III, Children's Health, focuses on the special vulnerability of children to synthetic pesticides. IV. Animal Health describes the synthetic pesticide threats to animal production and sustainability. V. Environmental Health presents the threat of synthetic pesticides to soil microbiota and sustainable remediations. VI. Control Strategies discusses biologically-based alternatives to synthetic pesticides. Finally, VII. Reglatory Control presents some legal initiatives to combat the misuse of synthetic pesticides.

Transforming Climate Finance and Green Investment with Blockchains establishes and analyzes the connection between this revolutionary technology and global efforts to combat climate change. The benefits of blockchain come through various profound alterations, such as the adoption of smart contracts that are set to redefine governance and regulatory structures and transaction systems in coming decades. Each chapter contains a problem statement that describes the challenges blockchain technology can address. The book brings together original visions and insights from global members of the Blockchain Climate Institute, comprising thought leaders, financial professionals, international development practitioners, technology entrepreneurs, and more. This book will help readers understand blockchain technology and how it can facilitate the implementation of the Paris Agreement and accelerate the global transition to a green economy.

This collection features five peer-reviewed literature reviews on developing forestry products. The first chapter discusses trade-offs between timber products from plantation forests and the need to protect ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration. It reviews ways of innovating business practices, the use of solid wood, reconstituted products and woody biomass as products. The second chapter explores hardwood tree management within agroforestry systems for the production of veneer and high-quality sawlogs. It reviews how to optimise production in alley cropping, riparian buffers and silvopasture systems. The third chapter assesses the range of non-timber forest products from tropical forests. These include non-wood fiber resources, including bamboo, rattan and agricultural biomass. These can be used to replace traditional wood fibers in both building and non-structural applications. The fourth chapter focusses on new processes and applications of forestry products. It discusses cellulose pulp conversion into cellulosic nanomaterials, hydrolysis of hemicelluloses from wood to produce sugars for use in the food industry, as well as extraction of polyphenols from bark for nutraceuticals. The final chapter reviews alley cropping practices to produce overstory nut crops. It discusses genetic improvement of nut trees, orchard design and management as well as pest management in nut tree alley cropping.

In the past few decades, sustainability of natural resources and the social and environmental issues that surround them have become increasingly topical. This multidisciplinary book discusses the complex relationships between society, natural resources and the environment. Major resources including water, agriculture, energy, minerals and forests are considered, as well as different facets of the environment including climate, landforms and biodiversity. Each resource is discussed in the context of both environmental and socio-economic factors affecting their present and future distribution and demand. Presenting a balanced, comprehensive overview of the issues surrounding natural resources and sustainability, this accessible volume will be of interest to policy makers, resource managers, graduate students and researchers in the natural and social sciences.

Describes the contribution of Food industry sector in human health and nutrition Covers the eco-friendly approaches to reduce negative impacts of food processing on environment Discusses the use of advanced techniques such as nanotechnology, non-thermal techniques etc. to improve food processing

- Provides an up to date and comprehensive introduction to forest policy and governance in the US - Written in an accessible and engaging tone, with a strong emphasis on real-world case studies - Appropriate for undergraduate and postgraduate students on forestry, natural resources and environmental governance courses, as well as professionals working in the forestry industry

Linking traditional and local products to a specific area is increasingly felt as a necessity in a globalised market, and Geographical Indications (GIs) are emerging as a multifunctional tool capable of performing this and many other functions. This book analyses the evolving nature of EU sui generis GIs by focusing on their key element, the origin link, and concludes that the history of the product in the broad sense has become a major factor to prove the link between a good and a specific place. For the first time, this area of Intellectual Property Law is investigated from three different, although interrelated, perspectives: the history and comparative assessment of the systems of protection of Indications of Geographical Origin adopted in the European jurisdictions from the beginning of the 20th century; the empirical analysis of the trends emerging from the practice of EUGIs; and the policy debates surrounding them and their importance for the fulfilment of the general goals of the EU Common Agricultural Policy. The result is an innovative and rounded analysis of the very nature of the EU Law of GIs that, starting from its past, investigates the present and the likely future of this Intellectual Property Right. This book provides an interesting and innovative contribution to the field and will be of interest to GI scholars and Intellectual Property students, as well as anyone willing to gain a better understanding of this compelling area of law.

Written by leading global experts, including pioneers in the field, the four-volume set on Hyperspectral Remote Sensing of Vegetation, Second Edition, reviews existing state-of-the-art knowledge, highlights advances made in different areas, and provides guidance for the appropriate use of hyperspectral data in the study and management of agricultural crops and natural vegetation. Volume IV, Advanced Applications in Remote Sensing of Agricultural Crops and Natural Vegetation discusses the use of hyperspectral or imaging spectroscopy data in numerous specific and advanced applications, such as forest management, precision farming, managing invasive species, and local to global land cover change detection. It emphasizes the importance of hyperspectral remote sensing tools for studying vegetation processes and functions as well as the appropriate use of hyperspectral data for vegetation management practices. The concluding chapter provides readers with useful guidance on the highlights and essence of Volume IV through the editors' perspective. Key Features of Volume IV: Guides readers to harness the capabilities of the most recent advances in applying hyperspectral remote sensing technology to the study of terrestrial vegetation. Includes specific applications on agriculture, crop management practices, study of crop stress and diseases, crop characteristics based on inputs (e.g., nitrogen, irrigation), study of vegetation impacted by heavy metals, gross and net primary productivity studies, light use efficiency studies, crop water use and actual evapotranspiration studies, phenology monitoring, land use and land cover studies, global change studies, plant species detection, wetland and forest characterization and mapping, crop productivity and crop water productivity mapping, and modeling. Encompasses hyperspectral or imaging spectroscopy data in narrow wavebands used across visible, red-edge, near-infrared, far-infrared, shortwave infrared, and thermal portions of the spectrum. Explains the implementation of hyperspectral remote sensing data processing mechanisms in a standard, fast, and efficient manner for their applications. Discusses cloud computing to overcome hyperspectral remote sensing massive big data challenges. Provides hyperspectral analysis of rocky surfaces on the earth and other planetary systems.

Glycogen and Starch: So Similar, yet so Different. Both carbohydrates are central to the primary metabolism of a large part of the living kingdom. Generally, animals, fungi, and bacteria store glycogen, while plants largely rely on starch. This book provides a broad and current view on both glycogen and starch, in lower and higher organisms. Beside biochemistry, physiology and regulation of glycogen and starch metabolism, the reader can expect an insight into glycogen storage diseases, select methods and relevant techniques. While significant progress has been made in both fields, this volume emphasizes an opportunity of collaboration for researchers working on a major intersection of the living world.

The human use of nature is a polarizing topic in India and across the globe, often perceived as contradictory to traditional exclusionary conservation. However, India's natural landscapes serve as important sources of biological resources for many communities. This collection of case studies on sustainable use practices throughout India aims to identify the policies, management strategies, and knowledge contexts that contribute to resource use without damaging biological diversity. Through a diverse array of personal accounts, stories and photographs from the field, and ongoing research studies across biogeographic zones, readers will connect with academics, practitioners, managers, and policy analysts who challenge us to rethink the conservation paradigm. These chapters provide a reflection on the history of conservation and sustainable use in India and illuminate a path towards a local and global future in which biodiversity and human well-being go hand in hand. The wide variety of authors in this book reflects the broad audience this book will be of interest to, from students studying environmental conservation and sustainability to researchers, practitioners, and policymakers who work in the field and seek to learn about successful sustainable use systems and resulting lessons that have widespread application. This book will appeal to readers interested in the areas of environment sciences, biodiversity management, sustainable development, developmental studies, forestry, wildlife and protected area management, public policy, environmental policy, and governance.

This book is an attempt to comprehend and compile the history, present status, and future trends of the gender roles in agriculture. The book comprises of three divisions viz., Gender in agriculture development (Part I), Gender in allied sectors of agriculture (Part II) and Data, Tools and approaches in gender analysis (Part III), that explicates the prevalent gendered relegations. It provides insights on the gender dimensions in Indian agriculture, including initiatives, policy reforms and mends the literature gap in gender roles in the sector. The gender roles and impacts from different cultural and geographical horizons of agricultural and allied sectors in the emerging contexts of globalization, urbanization, climate change and the Covid19 pandemic are discussed in the book. It will be helpful to academics, researchers, students, and social workers who strive towards a gender-neutral world. This book is co-published with NIPA. Taylor and Francis does not sell or distribute its print and electronic editions in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Scentwork for Horses is the first practical guide on how to implement scentwork into the lives of domesticated horses, enhancing behaviour, welfare, and the human-animal bond. Scentwork is a new discipline in the field for horse and handler, and expert author Rachael Draaisma arms the reader with a palette of information to enable them to put this technique into action. As well as theoretical background information on the nose of the horse and biomechanics, Draaisma discusses how scentwork improves horses' learning abilities, development, socialisation, and their bond with the handler. Readers will learn how to have their horses explore their environment, participate in scentwork games and follow a footstep track to find a missing person or food bag. Easily accessible for anybody working with horses at any level, scentwork can be done in small areas as well as in larger spaces on various surfaces. Whether veterinarian, behaviourist, trainer, animal-assisted therapist, equine physiotherapist, osteopath, or interested horse owner, this book promises to bring both you and the horse enormous benefits, strengthening the human-animal bond. Rachael Draaisma has always lived with and had a passion for dogs and horses. In 2002, she decided to make it her profession. Achieving several diplomas, she started to work full time as a trainer and behavioural consultant, first with dogs, later with horses. Her best-selling book Language Signs and Calming Signals of Horses, published by CRC Press in 2017, has been translated into several languages. Another pillar of Draaisma's working life with horses revolves around equine mental stimulation and scentwork, and she has developed an extensive method to undertake scent tracking with horses, a new tool in enriching the human-equine relationship. Draaisma travels throughout Europe and the globe to provide workshops and lectures on calming signals of horses, equine mental stimulation, and scentwork. You can purchase scent bags to aid your scentwork practice at the author's personal website: www.scentworkforhorses.com or www.calmingsignalsofhorses.com