Food And Natural Resources

Front Cover......Page 1
Food and Natural Resources......Page 4
Copyright Page......Page 5
Table of Contents......Page 6
CONTRIBUTORS......Page 14
PREFACE......Page 16
CHAPTER 1. ECOLOGICAL SYSTEMS, NATURAL RESOURCES, AND FOOD SUPPLIES......Page 20
II. The Structure and Functioning of Ecosystems......Page 21
III. Evolution of Living Systems......Page 25
IV. Biogeochemical Cycles......Page 26
V. Aquatic Ecosystems......Page 28
VI. Terrestrial Ecosystems......Page 29
VII. Human Food Gathered and Hunted from the Wild......Page 30
VIII. Agricultural Ecosystems......Page 31
IX. Resource Constraints in World Food Production......Page 36
X. Food Needs for Future Generations......Page 40
XI. Requirements for Solving Food Problems......Page 41
XII. Conclusion......Page 43
References......Page 44
CHAPTER 2. INTERDEPENDENCE OF FOOD AND NATURAL RESOURCES......Page 50
II. World Population Growth......Page 51
III. Energy Constraints......Page 53
IV. Arable Land—Quality and Quantity......Page 56
V. Water Constraints......Page 59
VI. Biological Diversity......Page 61
VII. Looking to the Future......Page 62
References......Page 63
CHAPTER 3. LOSS OF BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY AND ITS POTENTIAL IMPACT ON AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PRODUCTION......Page 68
II. Species' Contributions to Modern Agriculture......Page 69
III. Extinction Processes......Page 81
References......Page 84
CHAPTER 4. AVAILABILITY OF AGRICULTURAL LAND FOR CROP AND LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION......Page 88
I. The World Land Area and Its Utilization......Page 89
II. Food Production and Land......Page 93
III. Livestock Production and Land......Page 98
IV. Conclusion......Page 100
References......Page 101
CHAPTER 5. LAND DEGRADATION AND ITS IMPACT ON FOOD AND OTHER RESOURCES......Page 104
I. Introduction......Page 105
II. Land Degradation......Page 106
III. Technological Options for Minimizing Soil Degradation......Page 140
IV. Land Degradation and World Food Production......Page 147
V. Need to Restore Productivity of Degraded Lands......Page 150
VI. Conclusions......Page 151
References......Page 152
CHAPTER 6. WATER USE IN AGRICULTURE......Page 160
II. Global Perspective......Page 161
III. Water Sources and Systems......Page 163
IV. Water in Crop Production......Page 164
V. Water in Animal Production......Page 167
VI. Water in Food Processing......Page 168
VII Water Quality......Page 171
VIII. Irrigation Systems......Page 177
References......Page 181
CHAPTER 7. WATER SCARCITY AND FOOD PRODUCTION IN AFRICA......Page 182
I. Introduction......Page 183
II. Present Resource Crisis......Page 185
III. Water and Development......Page 192
IV. Water Availability Limits Increase of Carrying Capacity......Page 199
V. The Combined Picture......Page 204
VI. Conclusions......Page 206
References......Page 208
CHAPTER 8. AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS: FOOD AND ENVIRONMENT......Page 210
II. Use of Agricultural Chemicals......Page 211
III. Nitrogen in Agroecosystems......Page 214
IV. Pesticides......Page 226
V. Rational Use of Agricultural Chemicals......Page 243
References......Page 246
CHAPTER 9. NATURAL GAS AS A RESOURCE AND CATALYST FOR AGROINDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT......Page 254
I. Background......Page 255
II. Monteagudo Agroindustrial Project......Page 259
III. Food Processing Plants......Page 262
IV. Energy Supply......Page 266
V. Alternatives for the Supply of Electricity and Steam......Page 270
VI. Water Supply......Page 272
VII. Gas Pipeline......Page 273
IX. Impact of the Project......Page 274
X. Conclusions......Page 277
References......Page 278
CHAPTER 10. MECHANIZATION AND FOOD AVAILABILITY......Page 280
I. Introduction......Page 281
III. Mechanization, Tractorization, and Electrification......Page 282
References......Page 291
CHAPTER 11. POPULATION, FOOD, AND THE ECONOMY OF NATIONS......Page 294
I. Is Population Limited by Food?......Page 295
II. Is Food Driven by Population or by the Economy of Nations?......Page 298
III. Can the Worst Fears of Environmentalists be Substantiated?......Page 303
IV. Vision 2020......Page 312
References......Page 317
CHAPTER 12. ECOLOGICAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT FOR A PRODUCTIVE, SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE......Page 320
I. Introduction......Page 321
II. Principles for a Productive, Sustainable Agriculture......Page 322
III. Soil Nutrient and Water Resources......Page 323
IV. Pests and Their Control......Page 326
V. Importance of Biological Resources......Page 328
VI. Environmental and Economic Aspects of Ecological Agricultural Management......Page 330
VII. Conclusion......Page 334
References......Page 335
CHAPTER 13. POPULATION GROWTH, AGRARIAN STRUCTURE, FOOD PRODUCTION, AND FOOD DISTRIBUTION IN THE THIRD WORLD......Page 344
I. Introduction......Page 345
II. The Malnutrition Debate......Page 346
III. Population Growth and Hunger......Page 349
IV. The Green Revolution and the Alleviation of Hunger:Contribution and Controversy......Page 360
V. Agrarian Structure, Food Production, and Hunger......Page 369
VI. Food Policy, Food Consumption, and Nutrition......Page 373
VII. Discussion......Page 375
Appendix: Data Sources and Ope rationalization of Variables for the Empirical Analysis of Food Access in Third World Countries......Page 376
References......Page 377
CHAPTER 14. ENVIRONMENT AND POPULATION: CRISES AND POLICIES......Page 382
I. Introduction......Page 383
II. Human Needs Worldwide......Page 384
III. Standard of Living and Population Growth......Page 385
IV. Population Growth......Page 386
V. Per Capita Use of Resources in the United States and China......Page 387
VI. State of the Environment in the United States and China......Page 389
VII. Policy Decisions Concerning Environmental and Population Problems......Page 391
VIII. National Population Policies in the United States and China......Page 399
IX. Conclusion......Page 403
References......Page 404
CHAPTER 15. FOOD AVAILABILITY AND NATURAL RESOURCES......Page 410
II. Utilization of Resources......Page 411
III. Production of Food in the United States and the World......Page 415
IV. Summary......Page 425
References......Page 426
CHAPTER 16. FOOD AS A RESOURCE......Page 428
II. Patterns of Human Population Growth......Page 429
III. Food and Dietary Patterns......Page 431
IV. Major Nutritional Problems......Page 439
V. Trends in Food Production......Page 443
VI. Resources Used in Food Production......Page 446
VII. Planning Future Policy......Page 450
References......Page 453
CHAPTER 17. POPULATION GROWTH AND THE POVERTY CYCLE IN AFRICA: COLLIDING ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC PROCESSES?......Page 458
I. The African Paradox......Page 459
II. Population......Page 460
III. The Ecological Crisis......Page 471
IV. The Economic Decline......Page 482
V. Foreign Aid......Page 492
VI. The Poverty Cycle and the Way Ahead......Page 498
References......Page 502
CHAPTER 18. FOOD AND FUEL RESOURCES IN A POOR RURAL AREA IN CHINA......Page 504
I. Introduction......Page 505
II. An Overview of Kazhou County......Page 507
III. The Agroecosystem: Food and Fuel Production and Consumption System......Page 509
IV. Energy Flows in the Kazhou Agroecosystem......Page 510
V. Assessment of the Kazhou Agroecosystem......Page 515
VI. Strategies for Improving Food and Household Fuel Supplies in Kazhou......Page 518
VII. Conclusions......Page 522
References......Page 523
INDEX......Page 526