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Interactions: Food, Agriculture And Environment is a component of Encyclopedia of Environmental and Ecological Sciences, Engineering and Technology Resources in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. The Theme on Interactions: Food, Agriculture and Environment focuses on methods to ensure the development of agriculture and food production to be in dialectic unity with the surrounding natural environment. In every country of the world agriculture always faces complex problems: how to significantly increase production of agricultural products to supply the population with sufficient food, and industry with sufficient raw materials, and how to satisfy the permanently growing demand. The acuteness of this task has always been linked with the demographic factor and the need to guarantee the population with a high living standard free of starvation and poverty. These two volumes are aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College students Educators, Professional practitioners, Research personnel and Policy analysts, managers, and decision makers and NGOs.
Soils, Plant Growth and Crop Production is a component of Encyclopedia of Food and Agricultural Sciences, Engineering and Technology Resources in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty Encyclopedias. Plants, and crops in particular, grow and develop through the uptake of water and nutrients by the root system in soils and their transformation into biomass through processes governed by photosynthesis. The quality and amount of products harvested from this biomass depend largely on the intrinsic properties of the soil, i.e. the moisture and nutrients made available for uptake by the roots. These volumes describe in a synthetic form ...
The Global Conference on Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization (GAMC) organized by FAO from 27 to 29 September 2023 provided a neutral platform for global stakeholders to discuss sustainable agricultural mechanization for agrifood systems transformation. The conference covered various themes like crop production, post-harvest and agroprocessing, climate change and resilience, digitalization and automation, supply chain and standards, models and multistakeholder engagement, and creating an enabling environment. The proceedings feature abstracts of speeches and presentations and culminate in a compelling call to action to guide future efforts for promoting sustainable agricultural mechanization towards 2030 and beyond.
Automation has been shaping world agriculture since the early twentieth century. Motorized mechanization has brought significant benefits in terms of improved productivity, reduced drudgery and more efficient allocation of labour, but also some negative environmental impacts. More recently, a new generation of digital agricultural automation technologies has appeared, with the potential to further enhance productivity, as well as resilience, while also addressing the environmental sustainability challenges driven by past mechanization. The State of Food and Agriculture 2022 looks into the drivers of agricultural automation, including the more recent digital technologies. Based on 27 case stu...
Sustainability in agriculture and associated primary industries, which are both energy-intensive, is crucial for the development of any country. Increasing scarcity and resulting high fossil fuel prices combined with the need to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, make the improvement of energy efficient farming and increased use of renewable energy essential. This book provides a technological and scientific endeavor to assist society and farming communities in different regions and scales to improve their productivity and sustainability. To fulfill future needs of a modern sustainable agriculture, this book addresses highly actual topics providing innovative, effective and more ...
This publication contributes to ongoing initiatives aimed at reducing post-harvest loss (PHL) through capacity development and knowledge sharing. It aims to enhance understanding of the gaps in post-harvest management and how to address them. The publication highlights the importance of reducing post-harvest losses (PHL) in developing countries by integrating gender perspectives, providing support to agribusiness and entrepreneurship, and promoting climate change adaptation. Additionally, the publication provides recommendations for further actions. It targets practitioners, including extension staff, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community-based organizations (CBOs), and academic institutions involved in providing technical support to farmers and policymakers, particularly those engaged in gender and climate change issues. Furthermore, the publication will benefit, guide, and inspire current and future FAO field projects that incorporate a post-harvest component.
Agricultural engineering, developed as an engineering discipline underpinned by physics, applies scientific principles, knowledge, and technological innovations in the agricultural and food industries. During the last century, there was exponential growth in engineering developments, which has improved human wellbeing and radically changed how humans interact with each other and our planet. Among these, “Agricultural Mechanization” is ranked among the top 10 in a list of 20 Top Engineering Achievements of the last century that have had the greatest impact on the quality of life. While many success stories abound, the problems of low appeal among students, identity crises, and limited job...
This manual is specifically designed to help train actual and potential farm mechanization service providers, in order to increase access to sustainable farm power to raise the productivity of smallholder farmers. It focuses on two crucial aspects: the provision of farm mechanization services as a viable business opportunity for entrepreneurs, and the essential criteria of raising productivity in an environmentally sensitive and responsible way i.e. that includes conservation agriculture. Practical guidance on the essential business development and management skills required to successfully run a mechanization service provision business are presented, with a focus on the equipment required to offer services compatible with conservation agriculture. The manual will be of particular interest to policymakers’ intent on achieving sustainable intensification in the agricultural sector. It is also a valuable resource for trainers charged with increasing the supply of well-trained and well-equipped entrepreneurial mechanization service providers through the implementation of training courses tailored to the specific course locations.
This framework presents ten interrelated principles/elements to guide Sustainable Agricultural Mechanization in Africa (SAMA). Further, it presents the technical issues to be considered under SAMA and the options to be analysed at the country and sub regional levels. The ten key elements required in a framework for SAMA are as follows: The analysis in the framework calls for a specific approach, involving learning from other parts of the world where significant transformation of the agricultural mechanization sector has already occurred within a three-to-four decade time frame, and developing policies and programmes to realize Africa’s aspirations of Zero Hunger by 2025. This approach entails the identification and prioritization of relevant and interrelated elements to help countries develop strategies and practical development plans that create synergies in line with their agricultural transformation plans. Given the unique characteristics of each country and the diverse needs of Africa due to the ecological heterogeneity and the wide range of farm sizes, the framework avoids being prescriptive.
FAO organized its first ever Global Conference on Sustainable Plant Production (GPC) (Rome, 2 to 4 November 2022), with a focus on Innovation, Efficiency and Resilience. Its main objective was to provide a neutral forum for FAO Members, farmers, scientists, development agencies, policy makers, extensionists, civil society, opinion leaders and the private sector to engage in dialogues around sustainable plant production. To achieve impact towards implementing the 2030 Agenda, the GPC developed 20 actionable recommendations. The recommendations encompass all the thematic areas highlighted in the GPC, with a focus on adaptation to local contexts, needs of small-scale farmers, and include cross-cutting issues to guide active innovation for global sustainable plant production systems. The recommendations clearly establish (i) priorities for targeted mobilization and pooling of scientific, technical and financial resources; (ii) evidence and knowledge sharing through the creation and management of functional technical networks; and (iii) testing and scaling evidence-based sustainable plant production practices, partnerships and policies.