R M Harrison & R E Hester 
Environmental Impacts of Modern Agriculture 

Modern agriculture must seek to feed the world’s growing population with little or no cost to the Environment. Modern agriculture is capable of producing greater yields than ever before, but intensification of agriculture does come at a price. This comprehensive volume examines the environmental impact made by agriculture in the 21st Century, looking forward to the future with the lessons of the past. Key chapters include impacts of agriculture upon soil quality, greenhouse gas budgets, water-borne pathogens, surface water chemistry, groundwater, agricultural pesticides and the environment, balancing the environmental consequences of agriculture with the needs for food security and positive and negative aspects of agricultural production of biofuels. A fundamental reference for advanced students, researchers, practitioners and policy makers working in the field or related areas.

Table of Content

Land Use Implications of Modern Agriculture; Impacts of Agriculture upon Soil Quality; Impacts of Agriculture upon Greenhouse Gas Budgets; Impacts of Agriculture upon Water-borne Pathogens; Impacts of Agriculture upon Surface Water Chemistry; Impacts of Agriculture upon Groundwater; Agricultural Pesticides and the Environment; Balancing the Environmental Consequences of Agriculture with the Needs for Food Security; Positive and Negative Aspects of Agricultural Production of Biofuels; Index

About the author

Ron Hester is an emeritus professor of chemistry at the University of York. In addition to his research work on a wide range of applications of vibrational spectroscopy, he has been actively involved in environmental chemistry and was a founder member of the Royal Society of Chemistry’s Environment Group. His current activities are mainly as an editor and as an external examiner and assessor on courses, individual promotions, and departmental/subject area evaluations both in the UK and abroad.