Agriculture and the environment : papers presented at the International Conference on Agriculture and the Environment 10-13 November 1991

Until the 1980s, global increases in food production exceeded the concomitant growth of human populations. However, progressively agriculture is becoming unable to meet the world-wide per capita needs for food. Unless there is major international cooperation in addressing the problems associated with population control, it is predicted that the global human population will reach more than 14 billion by the year 2050, with provision of adequate food, fuel and space for such an increased population unachievable. These problems are accentuated by factors such as world-wide reductions in soil fertility, the accelerating degradation of land that is suitable for food production through soil erosion, the world-wide trend for migration of human populations from rural habitats to cities and extremely rapid rates of global deforestation. Possible solutions to global sustainability in agriculture and natural resources must involve an integration of ecological, sociological, cultural, and economic considerations, as well as mandated international and national policies. This publication outlines these problems and attempts to seek solutions. Front Cover......Page 1 Agriculture and the Environment......Page 4 Copyright Page......Page 5 Table of Contents......Page 6 Abstract......Page 8 Introduction......Page 9 Factors endangering global sustainability......Page 10 Potential solutions to sustainable development in agriculture and natural resource management......Page 16 References......Page 24 Introduction......Page 28 Part 1. Definition of efficiency......Page 30 Part 2. The efficiency of economies......Page 33 Other factors that can contribute to reduction in efficiency......Page 42 Part 3. Efficiency of agriculture......Page 47 Economic vs. energy analysis......Page 54 References......Page 55 Introduction......Page 58 Changes in the tropical forest landscape......Page 61 Need for sustainable tropical landscapes......Page 68 References......Page 70 Introduction......Page 72 The setting......Page 73 Conflicting pressures about trees......Page 74 Farm-level strategies to conserve trees......Page 75 Indigenous agroforestry in perspective......Page 78 References......Page 80 Introduction......Page 82 Agromineral resource assessments......Page 83 Biogeochemical cycling and agricultural practices......Page 87 Agricultural chemicals and the hydrogeologic interface......Page 89 Agriculture, land degradation, and the geosciences......Page 90 Minimally processed and ion-exchange agrominerals......Page 91 Summary......Page 92 References......Page 93 Introduction......Page 96 Land degradation and agricultural growth model......Page 98 Land degradation and area change......Page 100 Summary and conclusions......Page 101 References......Page 103 Abstract......Page 108 References......Page 115 Introduction......Page 116 Why the interest in sustainability......Page 117 The choice and meaning of the term 'sustainable agriculture......Page 118 Two critical issues regarding agricultural sustainability......Page 121 References......Page 123 Definitions and concepts......Page 126 Integrated farming systems......Page 128 Commonalities and differences among agroecosystems......Page 131 Simulation model of agroecosystems......Page 135 Practical tools for developing sustainable agricultural systems......Page 139 Socio-economic inputs into the development of sustainable agriculturalsystems......Page 142 Implementation of sustainable agricultural systems research......Page 144 References......Page 145 Introduction......Page 150 Challenges in research......Page 152 New directions in education......Page 155 Designing the future......Page 159 References......Page 160 Introduction......Page 162 Science-led development......Page 163 Socio-ecological developmental paradigm......Page 165 Issues......Page 168 Proposed systems protocol......Page 169 References......Page 171 Introduction......Page 174 Growing concerns with industrialization of agriculture......Page 175 A new paradigm for agriculture......Page 178 Sustainability: a systems concept......Page 180 Synergism: the key to sustainability......Page 182 Knowledge: the key to systems management......Page 184 References......Page 187 Introduction......Page 188 Measuring sustainability......Page 192 Policy analysis......Page 194 References......Page 200 Introduction......Page 202 The social origins of sustainable agriculture......Page 204 The future of sustainable agriculture......Page 207 The need to diversify the approach to sustainable agriculture......Page 209 Conclusions......Page 212 References......Page 213 Introduction......Page 214 Pesticide parameters......Page 215 Soil parameters......Page 218 Pesticide selection criteria......Page 222 References......Page 223 Introduction......Page 224 Study area and methods......Page 227 Results and discussion......Page 229 Acknowledgments......Page 240 References......Page 241 Introduction......Page 244 NPS loads in the Chesapeake Basin......Page 245 Control programs......Page 247 Progress......Page 248 References......Page 249 Introduction......Page 250 Evaluation of agricultural best management practices for water quality......Page 253 Conclusions......Page 257 References......Page 258 Abstract......Page 260 Introduction......Page 261 The EIL concept......Page 263 Environmental EILs......Page 266 Acknowledgments......Page 269 References......Page 270 Introduction......Page 272 Problems associated with pesticide use......Page 273 Constraints to IPM adoption......Page 274 Reorganizing to address constraints......Page 279 Acknowledgment......Page 281 References......Page 282 Introduction......Page 284 Biodiversity and pest management......Page 285 Ecological theory and pest management in polycultures......Page 286 Diversity improved pest management systems for traditional farmers......Page 294 Linking soil conservation and pest management in Central America......Page 295 Conclusions......Page 296 References......Page 298 Introduction......Page 300 Extent of pesticide use......Page 301 Crop losses to pests and changes in agricultural technologies......Page 302 Estimated agricultural benefits/costs with a reduction in pesticide use......Page 304 Environmental impacts......Page 310 Conclusion......Page 311 Acknowledgments......Page 312 References......Page 313 Introduction......Page 316 Legislation......Page 317 Inundative weed biocontrol......Page 319 Classical biocontrol......Page 321 The impact of classical weed biocontrol......Page 322 New directions for classical weed biocontrol......Page 325 Responsibilities of classical biocontrol user groups......Page 326 References......Page 328 Introduction......Page 332 Cassava pests in Africa......Page 333 Plant and pest phenology......Page 337 Cassava pest management in Africa......Page 339 A sustainable plant protection research philosophy......Page 340 Cassava plant protection technologies......Page 341 Implementation......Page 345 Cassava plant protection in West Africa: a model program......Page 346 Conclusion......Page 347 References......Page 348 Author Index......Page 352 Announcement from the Publisher......Page 354 Agriculture is becoming unable to meet the worldwide per capita food needs. Solutions to global sustainability in agriculture and natural resources must involve integration of ecological, sociological, cultural and economic considerations. This work outlines the problems and looks for solutions.