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Agriculture & Gardening: Agriculture

A research topic guide discussing aspects of agriculture and gardening.

Reference

Perspectives

Encyclopedia of Agriculture and Food Systems

This 3-volume reference work comprehensively covers the important areas of agriculture and food science, covering important methods, practices and ideas in this growing discipline

Agriculture, Human Security, and Global Peace

Covering more than the conventional food-only role of agriculture, the international contributors to Agriculture, Human Security, and Global Peace detail how the solution to agricultural problems can lead to the general socioeconomic and political development of impoverished countries. In the end, a stable agricultural policy raises the standards of health and hope for the population.

Challenges for African Agriculture

What is the future for Sub-Saharan African farms? What role can they play in the development of the subcontinent? These are crucial issues which require answers. The issue of feeding the planet has once again become crucial. The first challenge for these farms is consequently to produce more and better in order to feed Africa's growing population. They can achieve this by developing a huge natural potential, exploiting the margins made possible by agricultural progress and fighting to obtain secure agricultural prices.With an ever-increasing agricultural population, the second challenge is to promote the available human capital within the smallholding farms. This capital is currently wasted due to the lack of training opportunities, innovation and a favourable social, economic and regulatory situation. With the threat of a lack of employment, food-related problems, conflicts, exoduses and desertification, the third challenge is how to manage to make these efforts to develop and promote sustainable, both in the field and in the whole economy. This requires implementing coherent agricultural, social and environmental policies and integrated regional management.African farmers and the leaders of their organisations are key players in terms of meeting these three challenges and bringing about these essential changes on farms, in regions and in the way agricultural industries are managed. They carry a vision of the future of their farming and the rural world which is essential for orienting the transitions in Africa's rural economies.This collective work will have met its objective if it helps change the way we view the potential of Africa's smallholding farms and if all those needed to promote it are given incentives to make long-term commitments.

The Emergence of Agriculture

In this text, the archaeologist, Bruce Smith, explores the initial emergence and early expansion of agriculture and the transformations in human society that made it possible. He charts the course of the agricultural revolution as it occurred in the Middle East, Europe, China, Africa and the Americas, showing how basic archaeological methods and modern technologies, such as plant analysis, radiocarbon dating and DNA sampling are used to investigate this event. Although in the agricultural mind, the agricultural revolution is often seen as a one-step transition from hunter-gatherer societies to farming ones, Smith shows how truly varied were the patterns of animal and plant domestication in different parts of the world.

Warfare and Agriculture in Classical Greece

The ancient Greeks were for the most part a rural, not an urban, society. And for much of the Classical period, war was more common than peace. Almost all accounts of ancient history assume that farming and fighting were critical events in the lives of the citizenry. Yet never before have we had a comprehensive modern study of the relationship between agriculture and warfare in the Greek world. In this completely revised edition of Warfare and Agriculture in Classical Greece, Victor Davis Hanson provides a systematic review of Greek agriculture and warfare and describes the relationship between these two important aspects of life in ancient communities. With careful attention to agronomic as well as military details, this well-written, thoroughly researched study reveals the remarkable resilience of those farmland communities. In the past, scholars have assumed that the agricultural infrastructure of ancient society was often ruined by attack, as, for example, Athens was relegated to poverty in the aftermath of the Persian and later Peloponnesian invasions. Hanson's study shows, however, that in reality attacks on agriculture rarely resulted in famines or permanent agrarian depression. Trees and vines are hard to destroy, and grainfields are only briefly vulnerable to torching. In addition, ancient armies were rather inefficient systematic ravagers and instead used other tactics, such as occupying their enemies' farms to incite infantry battle. Warfare and Agriculture in Classical Greece suggests that for all ancient societies, rural depression and desolation came about from more subtle phenomena--taxes, changes in political and social structure, and new cultural values--rather than from destructive warfare.

Soil Biology and Agriculture in the Tropics

The relationships between soils, microbes and humans are of crucial relevance in the tropics, where plant stress and microbial activity are exacerbated. This volume of Soil Biology presents the living component of tropical soils, showing how it is shaped by environmental conditions and emphasizing its dramatic impact on human survival and well-being. Following an introduction to the specificities of tropical soils and of their microbial communities, the biological aspects of soil management are examined, dealing with land use change, conservation and slash-and-burn agriculture, the restoration of hot deserts, agroforestry and paddy rice cultivation. As they are of particular relevance for tropical agriculture, symbioses of plants and microbes are thoroughly covered, as are the biodegradation of pesticides and health risks associated with wastewater irrigation. Lastly, traditional soil knowledge is discussed as a key to our sustainable presence in this world.

The Plundering of Agriculture in Developing Countries

Many adults in developing countries suffer from chronic medical problems that seriously burden health services. Because adult illness can consume more than half of the developing world�s limited medical resources, a better understanding of adult health is urgently needed. This book documents the burden of adult ill-health in the developing world. The overall death rate for adults is analyzed, including such major causes of death as tuberculosis, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and injury. The study examines problems that lead to adult ill-health and suggests ways of deterring them. Also discussed are cost-effective preventive options and ways of reducing the severity of many diseases.

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