This new edition builds on the explosion of research on sustainable agriculture since the late 1980s. By separating myth from reality, Miguel Altieri extracts the key principles of sustainable agriculture and expounds on management systems that ?really work.? Providing case studies of sustainable rural development in developing countries, he goes b

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 new edition builds on the explosion of research on sustainable agriculture since the late 1980s. By separating myth from reality, Miguel Altieri extracts the key principles of sustainable agriculture and expounds on management systems that "really work." Providing case studies of sustainable rural development in developing countries, he goes beyond a mere description of practices to include data that reveal the socioeconomic and environmental impacts of alternative projects.Each chapter of "Agroecology" has been enriched and updated with the latest research results from around the world. New emphasis has been placed on such issues as the ecological economics of agriculture, policy changes needed for promoting sustainable agriculture, rural development in the Third World, the role of biodiversity in agriculture, and new research methodologies.

Contemporary agriculture is often criticized for its industrial scale, adverse effects on nutrition, rural employment and the environment, and its disconnectedness from nature and culture. Yet there are many examples of traditional smaller scale systems that have survived the test of time and provide more sustainable solutions while still maintaining food security in an era of climate change. This book provides a unique compilation of this forgotten agricultural heritage and is based on objective scientific evaluation and evidence of the value of these systems for present and future generations. The authors refer to many of these systems as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) and show how they are related to the concepts of heritage and the World Heritage Convention. They demonstrate how GIAHS based on family farms, traditional indigenous knowledge and agroecological principles can contribute to food and nutrition security and the maintenance of agro-biodiversity and environmental resilience, as well as sustain local cultures, economies and societies. Two substantial chapters are devoted to descriptions and assessments of some 50 examples of designated and potential GIAHS from around the world, including rice-fish culture in China, mountain terrace systems in Asia, coffee agroforestry in Latin America, irrigation systems and land and water management in Iran and India, pastoralism in East Africa, and the dehesa agrosilvopastoral system of Spain and Portugal. The book concludes by providing policy and technical solutions for sustainable agriculture and rural development through the enhancement of these systems.

This book describes crop protection strategies that rely on subsistence farmers' knowledge and participation, local resources, and alternative low-input methods as a sensitive approach to developing and implementing pest management schemes adjusted to farmers' needs and their conditions. .

This book provides up-to-date and comprehensive coverage of the research and application of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in tropical regions. The first section explores the agro-ecological framework that represents the foundations of IPM, in addition to emerging technologies in chemical and biological methods that are core to pest control in tropical crops. The second section follows a crop-based approach and provides details of current IPM applications in the main tropical food crops (such as cereals, legumes, root and tuber crops, sugarcane, vegetables, banana and plantain, citrus, oil palm, tea, cocoa and coffee) and also fibre crops (such as cotton) and tropical forests. Integrated Pest Management in Tropical Regions: * Explores the techniques aimed at controlling pests in agro-ecosystems sustainably while reducing secondary effects on the environment and on plant, animal and human health * Contextualizes IPM within our current knowledge of climate change and the global movement of organisms * Covers integrated strategies to contains pests in major tropical food crops, fibre crops and trees * Discusses options and challenges for pest control in tropical agriculture

Ecological engineering is the process of manipulating farm habitats for the purposes of maintaining or increasing food production, restoring wetlands and other ecosystems, and conserving resources such as water and fertile soil. This book focuses on the pest management aspect of ecological engineering: how to make farmland more attractive for beneficial insects and less favorable for pests. This book brings together contributors from around the world who are leaders in habitat manipulation for the purpose of agriculture.Chapters explore the frontiers of ecological engineering: the authors describe methods including molecular approaches, high-tech marking, and remote sensing. They also review the theoretical aspects of ecological engineering and discuss how ecological engineering may interact with genetic engineering.

Contemporary agriculture is often criticized for its industrial scale, adverse effects on nutrition, rural employment and the environment, and its disconnectedness from nature and culture. Yet there are many examples of traditional smaller scale systems that have survived the test of time and provide more sustainable solutions while still maintaining food security in an era of climate change. This book provides a unique compilation of this forgotten agricultural heritage and is based on objective scientific evaluation and evidence of the value of these systems for present and future generations. The authors refer to many of these systems as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS) and show how they are related to the concepts of heritage and the World Heritage Convention. They demonstrate how GIAHS based on family farms, traditional indigenous knowledge and agroecological principles can contribute to food and nutrition security and the maintenance of agro-biodiversity and environmental resilience, as well as sustain local cultures, economies and societies. Two substantial chapters are devoted to descriptions and assessments of some 50 examples of designated and potential GIAHS from around the world, including rice-fish culture in China, mountain terrace systems in Asia, coffee agroforestry in Latin America, irrigation systems and land and water management in Iran and India, pastoralism in East Africa, and the dehesa agrosilvopastoral system of Spain and Portugal. The book concludes by providing policy and technical solutions for sustainable agriculture and rural development through the enhancement of these systems.