Agriculture/Food

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Articles ,Resources, Tips, Videos, Recommended Reading

Agriculture refers to the production of food and goods through farming and forestry. Agriculture was the key development that led to the rise of human civilization, with the husbandry of domesticated animals and plants (i.e. crops) creating food surpluses that enabled the development of more densely populated and stratified societies.

Agriculture encompasses a wide variety of specialties and techniques, including ways to expand the lands suitable for plant raising, by digging water-channels and other forms of irrigation. Cultivation of crops on arable land and the pastoral herding of livestock on rangeland remain at the foundation of agriculture. In the past century there has been increasing concern to identify and quantify various forms of agriculture. In the developed world the range usually extends between sustainable agriculture (e.g. permaculture or organic agriculture) and intensive farming (e.g. industrial agriculture).

Modern agronomy, plant breeding, pesticides and fertilizers, and technological improvements have sharply increased yields from cultivation, and at the same time have caused widespread ecological damage and negative human health effects.

Selective breeding and modern practices in animal husbandry such as intensive pig farming (and similar practices applied to the chicken) have similarly increased the output of meat, but have raised concerns about animal cruelty and the health effects of the antibiotics, growth hormones, and other chemicals commonly used in industrial meat production.
Source Wikipedia http://bit.ly/XdE86

Resources:
Seeing Hunger Through New Eyes: From Lack to Possibility
By Frances Moore Lappé | Small Planet Institute 

Articles:

Managing peat to sink carbon Monday, 24 May 2010
Hemp in harmony: Some researchers believe hemp has many properties that make it perfect for sustainability. Friday, 09 April 2010 09:04
Resources for this article:
A RENEWAL OF COMMON SENSE: The Case for Hemp in 21st Century America
HEMP
HEMP FACTS
Hemp and Marijuana: Myths & Realities - by David P. West, Ph.D. for the North American Industrial Hemp Council
CRS Report for Congress: Hemp as an Agricultural Commodity

Food a Growing Problem Wednesday, 31 March 2010
Slash and burn farming Wednesday 6 January 2010
Resources for this article:
Sanrem Crsp Policy Brief: Vegetable agroforestry in the Philippines. The policy environment and incentives for small landowners
Sanrem Crsp Research Brief: Lowland Irrigation Practices Benefit Upland Farms
Rotational Grazing for Soil Carbon Sequestration
Understanding Alternatives to Forest Use in Malawi
USAID Agriculture Strategy Linking Producers to Markets
USAID: Agricultural Biotechnology for Development
Improving Lives through Agricultural Science and Technology
UN Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries

GM foods have never been more divisive. Multinationals claim potential to feed billions, while NGOs fear worldwide contamination and crop failure. What’s the truth? Thursday 26 November 2009
Resources for this article:
The Royal Society: Science and the sustainable intensification of global agriculture October 2009
Greenpeace Reports:
Agriculture at a crossroads: Food for survival
Why co-existence of GM and non-GM crops remains impossible
Greenpeace briefings:
When genetically engineered rice meets a toxic pesticide
Environmental and health impacts of GMOs: the evidence
Food Security and Climate Change: The answer is biodiversity

Far Eastern growth seems unstoppable. Can we protect the planet from human development, advocate social justice, food for all, and equality at the same time? Thursday, 12 November 2009
Bio-packaging a biogradable alternative to traditional plastic Tuesday, 15 September 2009 GM Crops: A Global Perspective Tuesday, 28 July 2009
Pint-Sized Cows Friday, 19 June 2009

Tips: As summer approaches, more of us will be heading outside to cook – but which is the most eco-friendly fuel to use? Charcoal barbeques burn around 11kg of CO2 an hour, with 5.6kg for Gas and 11kg an hour for electric. However charcoal is carbon neutral due to it absorbing CO2 when living, which is not really the case with gas. However when you take into account the large distances charcoal travels, and the fact that 97% of the 40 000 tonnes of it used annually in Britain come from unsustainable sources, its benefits diminish. Charcoal also emits lots of carbon monoxide, which isn’t to handy for your lungs or the environment. If you already have a charcoal barbeque and don’t want to fork out for a new gas one, then when buying new charcoal check the packet to see if it’s Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, meaning its sourced from sustainable sources.

Videos:

Video related to Hemp in harmony: Some researchers believe hemp has many properties that make it perfect for sustainability.

Recommended Reading:

Diet for a Hot Planet By Anna Lappé
If we are serious about addressing climate change, we have to talk about food. Diet for a Hot Planet: the Climate Crisis at the End of Your Fork and What You Can Do About It voices the dreams, tales, and warnings of the farmers and eaters at the front lines of the battle to keep the planet cool and explores the potential for sustainable agriculture to mitigate climate change.