Book Description

Uses an innovative approach toward integrating biophysical and socioeconomical components into environmentally sound, sustainable forest management practices in dryland regions. Covers technical considerations in dryland forestry, agroforestry systems, rehabilitation of saline regions, investment and employment opportunities, forestry extension programs and much more. ... Read more

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Relationship.
I have not read the book, but I am a relative of Peter Folliott and would love to be in contact with him. If possible, could he please contact me by email. Thankyou. ... Read more

Book Description

This book is the outcome of a three-year project coordinated by a group of Swedish researchers and with collaborating scholars from Africa and Asia. It provides a comparative study between Asian agricultural development during the Green Revolution in food production and the current problematic agricultural situation in sub-Saharan Africa. Case studies of eight African and eight Asian countries (focusing on the early part of the Green Revolution) were carried out. Based on these studies the book presents a causal and explanatory model of Asian green revolutions and discusses why it has occurred in Asia, but not in Africa. ... Read more

Book Description

This book contains up-to-date studies on the economics of sustainable energy in agriculture. The studies focus on energy efficiency improvement and the use of biomass. Specific attention is paid to the economic aspects of land use and the competition for land, both for food production and dedicated energy crops. The book will be of special interest to economists, agronomists, energy experts, and politicians that deal with energy issues in agriculture, both in developing and industrialised countries.The book is relevant for those who are interested in the topic of global warming and carbon sequestration, and the transition towards carbon-free energy resources. ... Read more

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Unknown treasures
A collection of case studies from field research, this book is an excellent illustration of sustainable small-scale agriculture throughout Africa. It also establishes a methodology for reporting farmer and community initiatives to a wider international audience. Agriculture has been around in Africa for a very long time. Early domestication of such staples as wheat and barley took place in Africa, coffee originated there and many food crops and plants still maintain their highest levels of biodiversity anywhere. Above all else then, FARMER INNOVATION is a testimony to creativity, originality and resilience of small-scale men and women farmers in different parts of Africa. As the editors state, what they found and are reporting on represents 'just the tip of the iceberg'; even then they identified over 1,000 innovators during the two-year study.

Reij and Waters-Bayer have gathered evidence of farmer innovation from more than a dozen countries in East, West and Southern Africa. Their research was a collaborative effort with two major, Dutch-funded, regional development programs. The individual field reports followed a clear set of selection criteria and reporting standards. The editors provided the framework, introduction and conclusion and invited a number of research and extension teams, mainly African, to present the individual case studies. The result is the portrayal of 'best farming practices' introduced and/or refined by African men and women farmers, which have proven successful against environmental and economic adversity.

The book is grouped by themes and relevant case studies from each region are summarized. For example, we find a report on how farmers "increase and diversify plant biomass" through the development of planting pits in Burkina Faso, or the use of such pits for improved maize production in southern Tanzania. "Farmer-to-farmer communication" among communities in Tigray (Ethiopia) facilitates the spreading of effective land management techniques, proving that building partnerships and sharing knowledge is an important practical trait of farmer innovators. Farmer Innovators do not work in isolation and their ideas and experiments can have a major impact on the neighbouring community and beyond. It will be important to study lessons from these experiences to influence policy and political and economic leaders: small-scale farmers have an important role to play if agriculture in Africa is to be successful and sustainable. In their concluding chapter, the editors also raise questions regarding the prevailing north-south technology transfer that has been the mainstay of African agricultural development intervention.

FARMER INNOVATION, although not a difficult read, is more designed for the research, extension and agriculture/development community than for the general audience. In order to demonstrate the consistency of their methodology, the editors allow for a certain amount of repetitive description of the consultation and investigation processes involved. The case studies themselves should motivate the reader to persevere. Anybody interested in agriculture and farming systems and techniques will find ample and interesting information in this collection. ... Read more

Book Description

This much-needed book provides a critical synthesis of the complex social, economic, and conservation issues involved in forest management, placing them in an ordered framework that will facilitate decision making. ... Read more

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Not quite sure what I expected
Something to tell me exactly what to do with my Tennessee woods, I guess. And no British book is going to do that.

Last year a British on-line acquaintance told me that those tales of the early settlers in Tennessee being able to drive their ox-carts through the forest without getting stuck in the trees meant that the Indians were grooming the forest, had put a lot of thought and energy into making sure that the forest could sustain them. I wasn't sure what he meant. This book tells me. How he rotates his crops--cut some of the willow for artist's charcoal, a couple of years later, for rustic furniture, then let it come back from the stumps. In the meantime, blackberries can grow and fruit in the clearing, and a fairly rare bird just loves to nest there. The birds can move on to the next patch of cut back to the stumps by the time the blackberries are in too much shade and the willow is about ready to be cut a little bit for artist's charcoal.

So I'm now busily wondering how I apply this to my woods. ... Read more

Book Description

* Highly illustrated guide, written in plain language* Emphasizes appropriate, low-input technology* Gives examples of both problems and solutions in the village context "Controlling Crop Pests and Diseases" covers pest and disease damage, causative agents, and methods of combatting them. As well as manual and cultural techniques, it describes the knapsack sprayer and its maintenance, showing that expensive chemicals are not necessary – the secrets of cheaply-available or improvised ingredients are revealed. The book also covers protection against larger animals and wind, using hedges and ditches.The examples are illustrated stories presented as strip cartoons for extension staff or teachers to show and hand out to farmers and students. Those who already use storytelling and drama in their work will know their value in extension; others for whom this method is new will find it fresh, stimulating and productive. ... Read more

Book Description

The world's montane forests are vitally important for conservation and water catchment.Because logging regimes have significant impacts on biodiversity as well as water quality and water quantity, the management of these forests has often been a major source of conflict amongst rural communities, government agencies, and conservationists.Although much information on ecologically sustainable managment practices is now available, further organizational change and policy tranformation is needed to see a transition to sustainable practices inplemented on the ground.

Towards Forest Sustainability contains practical essays by some of the world's leading forests ecologists and managers from the United States, Canada, Finland, Sweden, Australia, and New Zealand.The authors describe the changes that have taken place in forest management- highlighting what worked, what didn't, and the lessons that have been learned.

This unique collection of essays documents the drivers of the change in the logging industry and the resulting outcomes, both the good and the bad.The book provides real-world insights from an international perspective into government policy, industrial concerns, and conservation and biodiversity issues. ... Read more

Book Description

Sustainable forest practices have become a pivotal issue within the forest products industry for a variety of reasons ranging from a broad sense of environmental awareness and responsibility to a more self-interested concern for maintaining the economic productivity of forests. Whether the forest products industry widely adopts sustainable practices, however, depends on their long-term economic viability. The development of broad demand and markets for sustainably produced wood products will be a key component of that economic viability.

The efforts of retailers J Sainsbury plc (JS) in the United Kingdom and The Home Depot (HD) in the United States to stock their shelves with products drawn from well-managed forests place them at the forefront of this global issue. These large, respected retailers are uniquely positioned to merchandise sustainable forest products to the mass market and by so doing, lend credibility to these products and demonstrate the importance of the issue to the industry and the public. The buying power of these two companies is of such a magnitude that their purchasing practices can exert a strong influence on the forest products' industry worldwide.

The initial programs of these two retailers and that of the 1995-Plus Group, a group of major wood products buyers in the United Kingdom, indicate that retailers and large wood products buyers will be instrumental in cultivating consumer awareness of certified products, as well as pulling suppliers toward certification and sustainable forest practices. A comparison of the activities of the two companies, which operate in different competitive, cultural, and political environments, identifies a variety of salient issues that will influence whether or not their initial efforts to market certified products are successful. The ability of these retailers to obtain and merchandise sustainable forest products is a barometer for the future direction of sustainable forestry.

The material presented is drawn from a number of different sources and research methods. In-depth interviews with senior executives, wood products buyers, marketers, environmental managers, store managers, and retail employees from both companies were the primary sources of data. These interviews were balanced by discussions with the 1995-Plus Group, competing firms, and suppliers, visits to stores of both companies in different regions while posing as consumers, and supplemented with a review of published materials. ... Read more

Book Description

During the 4th International Consultation on Forest Genetics and Tree Building, held in 1998 in Beijing, China, leading scientists were invited to review past achievements, to redefine the role of forest genetics and breeding in contemporary forestry, and to set priorities for future research and development. On the basis of the invited presentations, the volume summarizes the state of knowledge in various fields, such as the impact of forest management and of changing environmental conditions on genetic resources, and the value of genetic markers as indicators for adaptational potential, as well as the tasks of conservation.Detailed reports from the different continents provide a comprehensive diagnosis of the global situation of forest genetics and tree breeding research. The book offers not only an overview of contemporary trends and expected future developments, but also identifies current main problems in funding and cooperation. It may prove therefore useful not only for scientists, university lecturers and advanced students in the field of forestry, ecology and conservation biology, but also for decision makers and managers in companies and conservation organizations. ... Read more

Book Description

Advances in Agronomy continues to be recognized as a leading reference and a first-rate source of the latest research in agronomy. Major reviews deal with the current topics of interest to agronomists, as well as crop and soil scientists. As always, the subjects covered are varied and exemplary of the myriad subject matter dealt with by this long-running serial. Editor Donald Sparks, former president of the Soil Science Society of America and current president of the International Union of Soil Science, is the S. Hallock du Pont Chair of Plant and Soil Sciences at The University of Delaware.

Volume 83 contains five excellent reviews that discuss topics critical to agricultural and environmental sustainability.

* Maintains the highest impact factor among serial publications in Agriculture
* Presents timely reviews on important agronomy issues
* Enjoys a long-standing reputation for excellence in the field ... Read more

Book Description

From recycled products to organic food, the movement to be "environmentally friendly" is now expanding into the forestry field. Recognizing this impact, Home Depot has committed to giving preference to selling "certified wood," proven to come from forests that meet certain biological and social sustainablility standards. Retailers and vendors can offer certified wood through the international Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and FSC accredited organizations like SmartWood, recently featured in People magazine. ... Read more

Book Description

So Shall You Reap is a broad-gauged exploration of the intersections of farming and history. Beginning with the prehistorical era, Otto and Dorothy Solbrig describe the evolution of farming. When and how did people learn to irrigate, to fertilize, to rotate their crops - and why.

Along with its fundamental importance to history, farming has radically altered the physical world. Natural landscapes have been completely transformed to provide room for growth on a large scale of a few species of plants and even fewer species of domesticated animals. Agriculture has altered the earth's biosphere and changed its geosphere: The soil has been modified, forests have been felled, swamps have been drained, rivers have been dammed and diverted.

So Shall You Reap presents a fresh and informed perspective on how farming and the crops we grow have changed us and our environment. By understanding the nature of the origins and evolution of agriculture, we will be better prepared to anticipate what the future may hold in store, and what must be done to increase food production while minimizing environmental problems. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

It's an excellent approach to the subject
The authors use an unusual path to approach the domestication of plants and animals. Mankind is the main actor in this historical play. ... Read more

Book Description

This background paper explores the roles of national, regional, and international institutions and the private sector in developing and implementing technologies to sustain tropical forests. It is part of the Office of Technology Assessment’s forthcoming report Technologies To Sustain Tropical Forest Resources. A concurrent background paper, Reforestation of Degraded Lands, focuses on the actual reforestation technologies available. These analyses were requested by the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and supported by the House Subcommittee on Insular Affairs of the Committee on Interior and Insular Affairs, and the Senate Subcommittee on Environmental Pollution of the Committee on Environment and Public Works.

This paper: 1) explains how U.S. and international institutions affect the development and implementation of technologies to sustain tropical forest resources; 2) reviews the capabilities of a range of selected U.S. institutions, developed and developing world institutions, funding foundations, and private sector organizations; and 3) discusses the constraints and opportunities faced by these institutions. This is not an exhaustive study; rather it reports on a broad sampling of important institutions and highlights the most troubling constraints and most promising opportunities. ... Read more

Book Description

During its 200-year history the concept of sustainable forest ecosystem management has been the object of scientific and political discussion, with varying degrees of intensity -- promoted with vehement fervour during periods of social or economic crisis, and less intensely during periods of stability. This volume, which forms part of the book series Managing Forest Ecosystems, presents state-of-the-art contributions presented by 9 leading authors from North America, Europe, Australia, and Southern Africa. If technical knowledge is a constraint to the implementation of sustainable management, this book contains a wealth of information which may be useful to students and practitioners alike. The specific target readership includes company management, the legal and policy environment, and forestry administrators. This book's unique feature is its holistic approach which includes ecological, socio-political, and timber supply issues. ... Read more

Book Description

Unline many other countries, where advanced study of farm management is undertaken in preparation for a career off-farm, either in downstream agribusiness or research, many students in New Zealand undertake advanced study in farm management to prepare them for the challenging task of managing a modern farm business. This textbook reflects this difference and is aimed at senior students of farm management who intent to become farm owners or managers or to join the profession that services the vibrant farming sector.This book applies general management principles and practices to the business of farming in New Zealand. The emphasis is on low cost, degregulated farming systems that are geographically distant from their market. The book focuses on the skills, knowledge, business structures and practices that farmers need to be successful in a deregulated economy. ... Read more