* Only reader of its kind in this field, edited by the world’s leading expert on sustainable agriculture* Maps out the complex subject area of sustainable agriculture; introduces and explains key hard-to-find literature * Highly accessible--the essential student reference textOur agricultural and food systems are not meeting everyone’s needs, and despite great progress in increasing productivity over the past century, hundreds of millions of people remain hungry and malnourished. This book describes a different form of agriculture: one founded more on ecological principles and which is also more harmonious with people, their societies, and cultures.
Current trends in population growth suggest that global food production is unlikely to satisfy future demand under predicted climate change scenarios unless rates of crop improvement are accelerated. In order to maintain food security in the face of these challenges, a holistic approach that includes stress-tolerant germplasm, sustainable crop and natural resource management, and sound policy interventions will be needed.
Traditionally, landscape planning has involved the designation and protection of exceptional countryside. However, whilst this still remains important, there is a growing recognition of the multi-functionality of rural areas, and the need to encourage sustainable use of the whole countryside rather than just its "hotspots."
This work is an interdisciplinary, cross-cultural, widely-calibrated checklist for EU sustainable landscape management, which is intended to serve both as an analytical tool of reference as well as a design tool for local, regional and European policy making on sustainable developments. The tool has been developed out of a multidisciplinary study in EU countries which was designed to find out what would be the overall requirements for a sustainable management of the landscape of rural areas. Could these stipulations be brought together in a comprehensive system with sufficient consistency to comply with the notion that the landscape is an entity, which should be managed accordingly?
The Book presents a survey of Kindergarten through 12th-grade schools from around the world featuring projects that combine the best in aesthetics, sustainability and high-performance design. The book utilizes 45 case studies to illustrate the range of sustainable and high performance design solutions currently being applied to K-12 school design.
