R M Harrison & R E Hester 
Sustainability in Agriculture 

World trade in agriculture, with its massive subsidies, restrictive barriers, international collaboration and competition, and the livelihoods of millions of farmers worldwide at stake, is an emotive subject that often provokes heated debate. So how can sustainability in agriculture be addressed whilst taking these issues into account? Sustainability in Agriculture presents an authoritative and balanced overview of many of the key factors that impact upon world agricultural practices. The aim is to throw light on the subject and so generate informed and rational discussion of the topics which so often generate powerful emotions. Fully referenced, and with sources of further reading given, the contributions from experts from around the globe cover: *Free trade *Fair and unfair trade *GM crops *The use of pesticides *Change in land use and sustainable development *Economic consequences of recent changes in the Common Agricultural Policy of the European Union A balanced analysis of risks and benefits is also provided, taking into account the economic and social impacts as well as the science of the novel practices discussed. The timeliness of this book, discussing as it does many hotly debated issues, make it essential reading for all those having an interest in the future of agriculture worldwide, but especially farmers and students of farming, environmental scientists, government agencies and policy makers. Cover image courtesy of Professor Jules Pretty.

Table of Content

Sustainability In Agriculture: Recent Progress And Emergent Challenges: 1: Recent Progress on Food Production; 2: What is Agricultural Sustainability?; 3: The Environmental Challenge; 4: How Much Pesticide is Used?; 5: The Benefits of Integrated Pest Management (IPM); 6: Current Evidence of Pesticide Reductions at Country Level; 7: The Wider Policy Context for Agricultural Sustainability; 8: Areas of Debate and Disagreement; References; Ecological Risks Of Transgenic Plants: A Framework For Assessment And Conceptual Issues; 1: Introduction; 2: The Products of Agricultural Biotechnology; 3: Using Risk Analysis to Evaluate Transgenic Crops; 4: Ecological Hazards and Today’s Transgenic Crops; 5: Ecological Exposure Pathways for Health and Socio-Economic Hazards; 6: Strategies in Ecological Risk Management; 7: Issues in Governance with Respect to Risk; References; Gm Pest-Resistant Crops: Assessing Environmental Impacts On Non-Target Organisms; 1: Introduction; 2: Possible Risks And Benefits Of Pest-Resistant GM Crops For Above And Below Ground Agro-Ecosystems; 3: Discussion of GM crop impacts; References; Sustainable Land Management: A Challenge For Modern Agriculture; 1: The Agricultural Origins of Sustainable Development; 2: Agriculture: A Drive Towards More Sustainable Land Management; 3: Making Agriculture More Sustainable; 4: Principles For Making Agriculture Sustainable; 5: Science for Sustainable Agriculture; References; UK Environmental-Economic Consequences Of Decoupled Cap Payments; 1: Introduction; 2: Subsidies and the Environment; 3: CAP, Decoupling and the Environment; 4: Case Studies of Changes to More Extensive Farming; 5: Implications for Farming Policy; 6: Conclusions; References; Globalizing Vulnerability: The Impacts Of Unfair Trade On Developing Country Agriculture; 1: Introduction: Linking the Global to the Local; 2: An Overview of International Trade and Less Developed Country Agriculture; 3: Impacts of Unfair Trade on Developing Country Agriculture; 4: Countries and Commodities: Sugar and southern Africa; 5: Conclusions: Re-Connecting the Global and the Local; References; Free Trade In Food: Moral And Physical Hazards; 1: Introduction; 2: Free Trade – Theory and Reality; 3: The Moral Hazards of Free Trade; 4: The Physical Hazards of Free Trade; 5: The Environmental Hazards of Free Trade; 6: Reforming the Global Economy; 7: Conclusion; References

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.