Product Description
This book presents a comprehensive and balanced overview of soil amendments and their effect on the environment. It encompasses both positive and negative aspects of chemical fertilizers that supply nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur, lime, micronutrients, and trace metals. Pros and cons are discussed with respect to the optimal and the most environmentally sound use of soil amendments, and guidance is provided on how to minimize the environmental effects of amendments. Natural fertilizers, including manure, sludge, fly ash, phosphogypsum, and byproduct gypsum are also discussed. Alternative agronomic practices and biotechnology that ameliorate or minimize potential adverse effects of fertilizer use are examined in detail.This authoritative and up-to-date treatise is multidisciplinary in nature and international in scope, a powerful reference tool for researchers, a thorough guide for practitioners and policy makers, and an excellent text book for academic courses. ... Read more

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This book attempts to undertake critical, social scientific scrutiny of contradictions between the evolving forms of agricultural production and ecosystem health within Ontario's southern agricultural watersheds in the light of prevailing environmental management systems and policies. It's purpose takes a critical look at the environmental and social implications of Ontario's increasingly intensive and industrialised agriculture. ... Read more

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Phosphorus and its effect on the environment have become hotly contested issues by watershed managers, farmers, lakeside property owners, regulatory agencies, and politicians. This 1121 page monograph is a thorough discussion by 78 experts on topics ranging from the properties and sources of phosphorus in agriculture to strategies for its management in the environment. Learn about phosphorus and sources for agriculture, production and characteristics,reactions and cycling in soils, plant nutrition and crop management, animal nutrition, and more.

Also available:

Reclamation of Drastically Disturbed Lands - ISBN 0891181466
Warm-Season (C4) Grasses - ISBN 0891181563
Agroecosystems Analysis - ISBN 0891181539

The American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America are prominent international scientific societies headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. The Societies specialize in peer-reviewed, high-quality science titles for a wide variety of audiences.
Some of the many areas we publish in include:

-Soils Methods and Management
-Crop Development and Improvement
-Agrosystem Management and the Global Food Crisis
-Environmental Conservation and Climatology ... Read more

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Bioenergy has been critical to humanity since the cave dwellers first used wood to cook their food and stay warm at night. Ancient forms of bioenergy - firewood and cow dung patties - remain primary fuel sources for rural and poor people. New sources of bioenergy including black liquor , biodiesel, cellulosic ethanol and many more, have great promise and generate great controversy.This book gives an overview of bioenergy developments and examines the main issues and possible socioeconomic implications of these developments and their potential impacts on land use and the environment, especially with respect to forests. The paper presents an introduction to bioenergy, provides a background and overview of solid biomass and liquid biofuels, and examines opportunities and challenges at the regional and country level. It also examines potential impacts for specific types of bioenergy.The book does not pretend to be definitive, especially with respect to the controversial interplay of subjects like the impact of bioenergy on food prices, but it does try to suggest the tradeoffs that need to be examined in considering bioenergy policies, and it has five main findings: Solid biomass will continue to provide a principal source of energy and should not be overlooked. There will be major land use implications resulting from bioenergy developments. It is critical to consider tradeoffs, including those related to poverty, equity and the environment, when considering bioenergy policies. There is considerable potential for greater use of forestry and timber waste as a bioenergy feedstock. The climate change impacts of bioenergy development are uncertain, and highly location and feedstock specific. ... Read more

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How will global warming affect developing countries, which rely heavily on agriculture as a source of economic growth? William Cline asserts that developing countries have more at risk than industrial countries as global warming worsens. Using general circulation and agricultural impact models, Cline boldly examines 2070-99 to forecast the effects of global warming and its economic impact. This detailed study:outlines existing studies on the agricultural impact of climate change; estimates projected changes in temperature, precipitation, and agricultural capacity; and concludes with policy recommendations. Cline finds that agricultural production in developing countries may fall between 10 and 25 percent, and if global warming progresses unabated, India s agricultural capacity could fall as much as 40 percent. Thus, policymakers should address this phenomenon now before the world s developing countries are adversely and irreversibly affected. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The human impact of global warming
Too often global warming is discussed in abstract terms.This book gets down to business.If the crop damage predicted here takes place, we are going to be talking about hundreds of millions of people dead.It's that basic.Be aware that most of the predictions here are on the optimistic side of estimates.Check this book out.You might also want to read Plan B 3.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization, Third Edition which discusses global warming and agriculture.I also have a Listmania list on agriculture.
... Read more

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Fatal Harvest takes an unprecedented look at our current ecologically destructive agricultural system and offers a compelling vision for an organic and environmentally safer way of producing the food we eat. It includes more than 250 profound and startling photographs and gathers together more than 40 essays by leading ecological thinkers including Wendell Berry, Wes Jackson, David Ehrenfeld, Helena Norberg-Hodge, Vandana Shiva, and Gary Nabhan. Its scope and photo-driven approach provide a unique and invaluable antidote to the efforts by agribusiness to obscure and disconnect us from the truth about industrialized foods.

The book's many photographs and essays offer graphic testimony to the tragic consequences of how our food is produced. Readers will come to see that industrial food production is indeed a "fatal harvest" - fatal to consumers, as pesticide residues and new disease vectors such as E. coli and "mad cow disease" find their way into our food supply; fatal to our landscapes, as chemical runoff from factory farms poison our rivers and groundwater; fatal to genetic diversity, as farmers rely increasingly on high-yield monocultures and genetically engineered crops; and fatal to our farm communities, which are wiped out by huge corporate farms.

As it exposes the ecological and social impacts of industrial agriculture's fatal harvest, the book also details a new ecological and humane vision for agriculture. It shows how millions of people are engaged in the new politics of food as they work to develop a better alternative to the current chemically fed and biotechnology-driven system. Designed to aid the movement to reform industrial agriculture, Fatal Harvest will inform and influence the activists, farmers, policymakers, and consumers who are seeking a safer and more sustainable food future. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Don't Confuse This Book with "The Fatal Harvest Reader"
This review is for "Fatal Harvest: The Tragedy of Industrial Agriculture" a huge book which is NOT "The Fatal Harvest Reader."

Square trade paperback, released with matte dustjacket with French flaps, 384 pp, 5.25 pounds. Color illustrations throughout.

Fatal Harvest
This is a very interesting book with excellent illustrations.However there is a very similiar book titled "Fatal Harvest Reader", which is not the same.Both have the same picture on the cover, the suttle difference is in the word "Reader".When ordering or considering either book, make sure which one you are actually ordering.The Fatal Harvest Reader does not have any photographs.

Kimbrell has done an amazing job
This book is beyond a book. It is like a movie on pages. The visuals are that powerful.
What is revealed in these pages is a secret that must be exposed. Andrew Kimbrell has done a wonderful job here. His work is pioneering a new awareness for the entire world.

Every person in America should read this book.
Like other reviewers, I was unable to put this book down once I opened it.Although I understood in sort of a theoretical way that corporate agriculture was not a good thing, the pictures in this book connected all the dots for me.There is something about the photography that is simply transfixing - which seems odd given that the photos are of agriculture - but true nevertheless.

After reading this book I could not bring myself to buy any more non-organic produce, so be forewarned - this is not a "coffee table book" in any ordinary sense.It should come with a warning label.

Buy one for yourself and one to share...
After reading this book, your views about agriculture will be forever altered.Presented in a high quality, high impact format, the photography offers the reader the chance to see the stark contrast between the products generated by 'power farmers' and that of the 'small farmer' - the true agrarian.Upon opening the book for the very first time, you will be completely engaged; you will be unable to put the book down until you have rummaged through all of the pages.The images will be etched on your brain with a subtle permanence and the accompanying text is just as powerful.

... Read more

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*Exposes the massive hidden health and environmental costs of rampant pesticide use
*Presents an array of cheaper, safer alternatives to pesticides used by millions of farmers around the world
*Written by leading international agricultural and biological scientists supported by The Global Integrated Pest Management Facility of the FAO

Since the 1960s the world’s population has more than doubled and agricultural production per person has increased by a third, largely because of widespread pesticide use. Yet this growth in production has masked enormous hidden costs -- massive ecological damage and high incidences of farmer poisoning and chronic health effects.
Yet in recent years millions of farmers in communities around the world have been identifying harmful pesticides and developing cheaper and safer alternatives. "The Pesticide Detox" explores the potential for the phasing-out of hazardous pesticides and the phasing-in of cost-effective alternatives already available on the market. This book makes clear that it is time to start the pesticide detox and to move towards a more sustainable agriculture. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The new pesticide
Over the past 40 years, world population, the use of modernized farming methods, and farming production have gone up. Modernized farming uses hazardous pesticides. But does it have to? Where are pesticides used? Are there alternatives? And what can be done to replace pesticides with alternative controls?

More than 800 different pesticides are regularly used throughout the world. They're used to protect crop yields from diseases and pests. Just under 4/5 of all pesticides are used outside the United States. The developing countries are the part of the world where companies plan to hugely increase pesticide sales and use.

But pesticides are damaging to the environment. They're not just hazardous to people who make and use them. Scientists keep on studying the effects of pesticides on animals, birds, bugs, other green things, people, places and water. But the chain of cause and effect isn't always easy to prove, show and tell. That's particularly the case when the audience is people making money from pesticide sales and use!

Editor Jules Pretty says alternatives can replace pesticides. Alternatives can be based on bacteria, certain nematodes, fungi or viruses. They can include parasitoids and predators. When tested with 80 crop combinations, alternatives came up with workable results. Crop yields went up acceptably, with cut-back pesticide use and with alternatives.

Pretty says that what's needed are political will, consumer awareness, and market response. But what can change national policies, international conventions, and programs? Pretty says to start on the level of appropriate taxing, education and environmental action. Specifically, for example, taking away subsidies and putting in effect high taxes would make pesticides less affordable. The list of registered pesticides could be reviewed. The most toxic pesticides could be taken off. Less hazardous alternatives could be added. Also, cooperative extension schools could be set up in the field. Agricultural colleges could have their courseload updated to cover alternatives as well as they're already covering pesticides! All three steps would make alternatives better known. Maximum residue limits could be set, checked and enforced. That would cut down the use of pesticides and increase the use of alternatives.

THE PESTICIDE DETOX is a well-organized and -written book. The editor and the contributing writers include helpful charts, examples, graphs and illustrations. There's a good index and set of references. The subject is now. It's dealt with in such a way that the problems are clear. And there are actually workable solutions! What more could a girl ask? ... Read more

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Agricultural production is highly sensitive to weather and climate-related disasters such as drought, storm and flood. While it is not possible to prevent the occurrence of natural disasters, the resultant disastrous effects can be reduced mitigated through proper planning and effective preparation. This book, based on a gathering of experts in Beijing, discusses ways to reduce the vulnerability of agriculture to disaster and extreme events, both by accurate and timely warning, and by impact-reducing countermeasures.

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As the world's population increases and the demand for water increases apace there is a rising demand for information concerning the reuse of wastewater, particularly for the irrigation of key food crops worldwide. This important new book addresses in detail the use of treated wastewater in agricultural situations, its impact on crops and the soil environment. Coverage includes the composition and treatment of wastewater, health considerations, regulations and economic aspects. Major sections of the book also concentrate on crop management and the soil environment. This book is an essential purchase for all those working in irrigation, water management and crop production worldwide.

*Use of Treated Water Sewage (TWS) for irrigation is increasingly important as the world's population increases
*Chapters prepared by leading scientists in the field
*Comprehensive coverage of current knowledge and advances in the area of TWS
*Focus on possible environmental impacts (positive and negative)

Product Description
Investing to promote agricultural growth and poverty reduction is a central pillar of the World Bank's current rural strategy, Reaching the Rural Poor (2003). One major thrust of the strategy outlines the priorities and the approaches that the public sector, private sector, and civil society can employ to enhance productivity and competitiveness of the agricultural sector in ways that reduce rural poverty and sustain the natural resource base.These actions involve a rich mixture of science, technology, people, communication, management, learning, research, capacity building, institutional development, and grassroots participation.

This Sourcebook addresses how to implement the rural strategy, by sharing information on investment options and identifying innovative approaches that will aid the design of future lending programs for agriculture. It provides generic good practices and many examples that demonstrate investment in agriculture can provide rewarding and sustainable returns to development efforts.

It is divided into eleven self-contained modules. Each module contains three different types of subunits that can also be stand-alone documents: I. Module Overview, II. Agricultural Investment Notes, III. Innovative Activity Profiles. The stand-alone nature of the subunits allows flexibility and adaptability of the material. Selected readings and web links are also provided for readers who seek more in-depth information.

The Sourcebook draws on a wide range of experiences from donor agencies, governments, institutions, and other groups active in agricultural development. It is an invaluable reference tool for policy makers, professionals, academics and students, and anyone with an interest in agricultural investments. ... Read more

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Can developing countries meet the food requirements of their growing populations without jeopardizing a natural resource base that is already under great stress?Can increases in food production achieved in the past two decades be sustained in the next two decades?Can developing countries achieve freedom from hunger and malnutrition for their entire populations?How can food security be reconciled with environment quality in an industrializing society?Leading authorities, from soil scientists to economists, address these critical questions in Food Security and Environmental Quality in the Developing World. With a focus on India, this book reviews the state of natural resources, fertilizer and energy needs, and the potential importance of biotechnology as they affect all developing countries. It then addresses issues pertaining to water quality, agricultural chemicals, and pesticide residues on food. Part Three examines water harvesting, post-harvest food losses, storage and processing of animal products, and sustainability and inequality issues. The next sections deal with poverty alleviation, microfinance, gender equity, policy issues, and the role of the public sector. Finally, the book considers emerging issues and priorities.Developing countries have achieved an impressive increase in total food production over the past two decades, but at a high cost to environmental quality. As the populations of these countries continue to grow, soil degradation, pollution and contamination of natural waters, deteriorating air quality, and growing dependence on expensive and diminishing fossil fuels become increasing concerns. Food Security and Environmental Quality in the Developing World takes on the crucial challenge of enhancing agricultural production while reversing the alarming trends in soil and environmental degradation. ... Read more

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Provides a balanced scientific review of the environmental and sustainability issues relating to fertilizer use and how its environmental impact can be minimized.Softcover. DLC: Fertilizers. ... Read more

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The Spirit of the Soil challenges environmentalists to think more deeply and creatively about agriculture. Paul B. Thompson identifies four `worldviews' which tackle agricultural ethics according to different philosophical priorities; productionism, stewardship, economics and holism. He examines current issues such as the use of pesticides and biotechnology from these ethical perspectives. This book achieves an open-ended account of sustainability designed to minimise hubris and help us to recapture the spirit of the soil. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Superb general intro. to politics and ethics of agriculture
The educated layperson will find Dr. Thompson's *Spirit of the Soil* to be a perfect introduction to the bewilderingly complex ethical and economic questions that increasingly surround modern agriculture.The author ruthlessly dissects politically charged and often intentionally vague terms and concepts such as "sustainability," "stewardship," the consumer mentality, and the flawed yet indispensible materialism of modern production agriculture.This book will be enormously helpful to anyone who wants to attack farm policy with a more mature understanding of the ethical issues upon which the cultural and physical sustainability of modern agriculture depends ... Read more

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Bridging the gap between political economy and ecology, this work offers a critical review of the history of capitalism and socialism in relation to agriculture. It is argued in the book that the important role of agriculture has been overlooked during the last two centuries and must be restored to a central place in society. Using ecological, historical, humanist, institutionalist, and Marxist methodologies, the argues that the entire project of developing a theory of political economy has been seriously sidetracked by industrialism. Using England as a case study he shows that the relationship between modernity and agriculture need not be so uncomfortable and suggests ways in which the original socialist project can be rejuvenated to make it both more feasible and more attractive. The book concludes that no sustainable human future can be conceived unless and until the centrality of agriculture is properly recognized and new economic institutions are developed that will encourage people to take care of their landscapes. This book is intended for students of political economy and ecology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The place of agriculture in society
Colin Duncan has provided a very interesting account of what he sees as the central problem with modern agriculture. However, it has to be remembered when reading this book that it was intended as a means to spur debate amongst socialists over the "Centrality of Agriculture".Duncan percieves agriculture to be a "retrograde" activity thatis in a constant battle with natural processes for use of the land. In thefarmers battle to entrench his crops, agricultural practices have startedto copy some of the more destructive tendencies of modern industrialism.The result is an agriculture that is not environmentally sensitive andpotentially harmful to the life cycle. Duncan's proscriptions for this arewhat he calls decidedly "peasantist" or of a "luddite"nature. He proposes that cultivators need to become more intimate with thelandscape, which is thus a rejection of the large-scale agriculturalopperations which dominate currently. For Duncan the solution lies insmall-scale operaters who produce more of what they consume (this is hisrejection of modernism which holds that a scoeity is modern to the extentits households consume little of what they themselves produce, and producelittle of what they consume). Of course, my concern would be how toconvince people in today's society that it would be in their best interestto work a marginal plot of land? This is something that I do not think thebook directly addresses. Regardless, the book makes a provactive argumentworthy of contemplation. If you have read Victor Hanson's "FieldsWithout Dreams" this is a similar account which seeks to make theargument for small-scale production. ... Read more

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A growing concern for environmental quality and resource scarcity has led to numerous policy debates regarding resource utilization around the world. This is especially true when it comes to agriculture. This textbook brings together economic theory and resource-specific problems of agriculture, and includes aggregate- and micro-level models and examples for most resource and environmental issues. Although the book's emphasis is on cropland agriculture, there are also examples from livestock, poultry, grazing, fisheries, orchards, and forestry. Students and professionals in resource economics, management, and policy as well as economists and planners in government agencies will benefit from the valuable lessons presented here. ... Read more

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Modern agriculture and food systems, including organic agriculture, are undergoing a technological and structural modernisation and are faced with a growing globalisation. Organic agriculture (OA) can be seen as pioneering efforts to create sustainable development based on other principles than mainstream agriculture. There are however large differences between the challenges connected to, on one hand, modern farming and consumption in high-income countries and, on the other, smallholder farmers and resource poor consumers in low-income countries. The point of departure is the increasing globalisation and the production and trade of food and fodder and how this influences the role of OA. This book provides an overview of the potential role and challenges of organic agriculture in this global perspective, as seen from different perspectives such as sustainability, food security and fair trade. ... Read more

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Nutrients from farms in the Mississippi River Basin are the leading cause of the Gulf of Mexico s "Dead Zone," a 5,000 to 7,000 square mile region where declining oxygen levels are threatening the survival of marine life. From the Corn Belt to the Gulf explores how new agricultural policy can help alleviate this problem, and at the same time improve water quality overall, enhance biodiversity, improve the quality of life for the people who live and work in Corn Belt communities, and relieve downstream flooding.

The themes of the book are the far-reaching environmental impacts of Corn Belt agriculture, including associated economic and social effects at multiple spatial scalesand the potential for future agricultural policy to address those impacts through changes in agricultural landscapes and practices. We know that the environmentalfootprintof Corn Belt agriculture extends beyond farmland and adjacent lakes and streams to groundwater, rivers, cities downstream, into the Gulf of Mexico, and, ultimately, to global oceanic and atmospheric systems. And we acknowledge that agricultural policies, including commodity support payments, have economic impacts at the national and international levels. Pressing negotiations with America s trade partners, along with increasing societal attention to both the costs and environmental effects of current agricultural policy, are creating momentum for policy change.

From the Corn Belt to the Gulf presents innovative, integrated assessments of the agriculture and ecological systems in the Mississippi River Basin along with studies of local Iowa agricultural watersheds. Contributors from multiple academic and professional disciplines discuss how agricultural policies have contributed to current environmental conditions, and, in what the authors termalternative futuresfor agricultural landscapes, envision how new policy can help achieve more beneficial patterns. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Generally good
I anticipated a lightly used book but no mention was made of writing (ink pen) throughout book like other sellers had clearly listed.As soon as I flipped through it that was the first thing I saw.If I had known it was ink I may have paid more for something cleaner.Overall, they shipped it much faster than they were obligated to do so I am grateful for that.I would likely order from them again. ... Read more

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In response to increasing concerns about the degradation of natural resources and the sustainability of agriculture, many research programmes have been established in natural resource management (NRM). However, although methods for evaluating the impacts of crop improvement technologies are well developed, there is a dearth of methods for evaluating the impacts of NRM interventions. This is partly due to the complexity of interactions among natural resources, spatial and temporal dimensions of impact, and the valuation of direct and indirect environmental costs and benefits. This book discusses the unique features and methodological difficulties of NRM impact assessment. It examines the strengths and weaknesses of various impact assessment approaches, including econometric, bio-economic, and more direct methods. It also assesses and identifies data requirements for developing impact indicators and recommends suitable methodologies for assessing the impacts of NRM technologies on issues such as soil and water conservation and watershed and biodiversity management. ... Read more