Understanding Options for Agricultural Production

Understanding Options for Agricultural Production

Author: G.Y. Tsuji

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2013-03-14

Total Pages: 405

ISBN-13: 9401736243

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The first premise of this book is that farmers need access to options for improving their situation. In agricultural terms, these options might be manage ment alternatives or different crops to grow, that can stabilize or increase household income, that reduce soil degradation and dependence on off-farm inputs, or that exploit local market opportunities. Farmers need a facilitating environment, in which affordable credit is available if needed, in which policies are conducive to judicious management of natural resources, and in which costs and prices of production are stable. Another key ingredient of this facilitating environment is information: an understanding of which options are viable, how these operate at the farm level, and what their impact may be on the things that farmers perceive as being important. The second premise is that systems analysis and simulation have an impor tant role to play in fostering this understanding of options, traditional field experimentation being time-consuming and costly. This book summarizes the activities of the International Benchmark Sites Network for Agrotechnology Transfer (IBSNAT) project, an international initiative funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). IBSNAT was an attempt to demonstrate the effectiveness of understanding options through systems analysis and simulation for the ultimate benefit of farm households in the tropics and subtropics. The idea for the book was first suggested at one of the last IBSNAT group meetings held at the University of Hawaii in 1993.


Book Synopsis Understanding Options for Agricultural Production by : G.Y. Tsuji

Download or read book Understanding Options for Agricultural Production written by G.Y. Tsuji and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-03-14 with total page 405 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first premise of this book is that farmers need access to options for improving their situation. In agricultural terms, these options might be manage ment alternatives or different crops to grow, that can stabilize or increase household income, that reduce soil degradation and dependence on off-farm inputs, or that exploit local market opportunities. Farmers need a facilitating environment, in which affordable credit is available if needed, in which policies are conducive to judicious management of natural resources, and in which costs and prices of production are stable. Another key ingredient of this facilitating environment is information: an understanding of which options are viable, how these operate at the farm level, and what their impact may be on the things that farmers perceive as being important. The second premise is that systems analysis and simulation have an impor tant role to play in fostering this understanding of options, traditional field experimentation being time-consuming and costly. This book summarizes the activities of the International Benchmark Sites Network for Agrotechnology Transfer (IBSNAT) project, an international initiative funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). IBSNAT was an attempt to demonstrate the effectiveness of understanding options through systems analysis and simulation for the ultimate benefit of farm households in the tropics and subtropics. The idea for the book was first suggested at one of the last IBSNAT group meetings held at the University of Hawaii in 1993.


Agricultural Options

Agricultural Options

Author: Christopher A. Bobin

Publisher:

Published: 1990-05-21

Total Pages: 276

ISBN-13:

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Agricultural Options Trading, Risk Management, and Hedging If you’re a trader, a hedger, a speculator, or even a novice at the ag market game, this is the book for you. Written by a leading options expert, Agricultural Options: Trading, Risk Management, and Hedging gives you the principles and proven strategies you need to profit in all the ag option markers— wheat, corn, soybeans, livestock, soft commodities, and more. You’ll learn: All the mathematical background and formulas you need to win in today’s ag market All about options in general and agricultural options in particular Risk management strategies, option pricing factors, and trading techniques Plus, the book contains detailed case studies of option trades that illustrate the best strategies and how—and why—they work. With Agricultural Options, you’re right on top of the game.


Book Synopsis Agricultural Options by : Christopher A. Bobin

Download or read book Agricultural Options written by Christopher A. Bobin and published by . This book was released on 1990-05-21 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Agricultural Options Trading, Risk Management, and Hedging If you’re a trader, a hedger, a speculator, or even a novice at the ag market game, this is the book for you. Written by a leading options expert, Agricultural Options: Trading, Risk Management, and Hedging gives you the principles and proven strategies you need to profit in all the ag option markers— wheat, corn, soybeans, livestock, soft commodities, and more. You’ll learn: All the mathematical background and formulas you need to win in today’s ag market All about options in general and agricultural options in particular Risk management strategies, option pricing factors, and trading techniques Plus, the book contains detailed case studies of option trades that illustrate the best strategies and how—and why—they work. With Agricultural Options, you’re right on top of the game.


Agricultural Production Economics

Agricultural Production Economics

Author: David L. Debertin

Publisher:

Published: 2002

Total Pages: 413

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Agricultural Production Economics by : David L. Debertin

Download or read book Agricultural Production Economics written by David L. Debertin and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 413 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Technology Systems For Small/spec Sale O Issues And Options

Technology Systems For Small/spec Sale O Issues And Options

Author: Abbas M Kesseba

Publisher: CRC Press

Published: 2019-07-11

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13: 1000314189

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This volume seeks a better understanding of the issues and options involved in the generation and transfer of technology to poor small farmers. It is intended to provide a fresh opportunity to develop guidelines for the future design and implementation of rural development investment projects.


Book Synopsis Technology Systems For Small/spec Sale O Issues And Options by : Abbas M Kesseba

Download or read book Technology Systems For Small/spec Sale O Issues And Options written by Abbas M Kesseba and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2019-07-11 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume seeks a better understanding of the issues and options involved in the generation and transfer of technology to poor small farmers. It is intended to provide a fresh opportunity to develop guidelines for the future design and implementation of rural development investment projects.


Cultivating Knowledge

Cultivating Knowledge

Author: Andrew Flachs

Publisher: University of Arizona Press

Published: 2019-11-05

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 0816539634

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A single seed is more than just the promise of a plant. In rural south India, seeds represent diverging paths toward a sustainable livelihood. Development programs and global agribusiness promote genetically modified seeds and organic certification as a path toward more sustainable cotton production, but these solutions mask a complex web of economic, social, political, and ecological issues that may have consequences as dire as death. In Cultivating Knowledge anthropologist Andrew Flachs shows how rural farmers come to plant genetically modified or certified organic cotton, sometimes during moments of agrarian crisis. Interweaving ethnographic detail, discussions of ecological knowledge, and deep history, Flachs uncovers the unintended consequences of new technologies, which offer great benefits to some—but at others’ expense. Flachs shows that farmers do not make simple cost-benefit analyses when evaluating new technologies and options. Their evaluation of development is a complex and shifting calculation of social meaning, performance, economics, and personal aspiration. Only by understanding this complicated nexus can we begin to understand sustainable agriculture. By comparing the experiences of farmers engaged with these mutually exclusive visions for the future of agriculture, Cultivating Knowledge investigates the human responses to global agrarian change. It illuminates the local impact of global changes: the slow, persistent dangers of pesticides, inequalities in rural life, the aspirations of people who grow fibers sent around the world, the place of ecological knowledge in modern agriculture, and even the complex threat of suicide. It all begins with a seed.


Book Synopsis Cultivating Knowledge by : Andrew Flachs

Download or read book Cultivating Knowledge written by Andrew Flachs and published by University of Arizona Press. This book was released on 2019-11-05 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A single seed is more than just the promise of a plant. In rural south India, seeds represent diverging paths toward a sustainable livelihood. Development programs and global agribusiness promote genetically modified seeds and organic certification as a path toward more sustainable cotton production, but these solutions mask a complex web of economic, social, political, and ecological issues that may have consequences as dire as death. In Cultivating Knowledge anthropologist Andrew Flachs shows how rural farmers come to plant genetically modified or certified organic cotton, sometimes during moments of agrarian crisis. Interweaving ethnographic detail, discussions of ecological knowledge, and deep history, Flachs uncovers the unintended consequences of new technologies, which offer great benefits to some—but at others’ expense. Flachs shows that farmers do not make simple cost-benefit analyses when evaluating new technologies and options. Their evaluation of development is a complex and shifting calculation of social meaning, performance, economics, and personal aspiration. Only by understanding this complicated nexus can we begin to understand sustainable agriculture. By comparing the experiences of farmers engaged with these mutually exclusive visions for the future of agriculture, Cultivating Knowledge investigates the human responses to global agrarian change. It illuminates the local impact of global changes: the slow, persistent dangers of pesticides, inequalities in rural life, the aspirations of people who grow fibers sent around the world, the place of ecological knowledge in modern agriculture, and even the complex threat of suicide. It all begins with a seed.


Agricultural Resources and Environmental Indicators

Agricultural Resources and Environmental Indicators

Author: United States. Department of Agriculture. Economic Research Service

Publisher:

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 358

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Agricultural Resources and Environmental Indicators by : United States. Department of Agriculture. Economic Research Service

Download or read book Agricultural Resources and Environmental Indicators written by United States. Department of Agriculture. Economic Research Service and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


Effects of Climate Change and Variability on Agricultural Production Systems

Effects of Climate Change and Variability on Agricultural Production Systems

Author: Otto C. Doering III

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 296

ISBN-13: 1461509696

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Effects of Climate Change and Viarability on the Agricultural Production Systems provides an integrated assessment of global climate change's impact on agriculture at the farm level, in the context of farm level adaptation decisions. Ten agricultural areas in the Upper Midwest region - the heart of the United States' corn belt - were subjected to climate change and changing climate variability scenarios through simulations of future climate using results from general circulation models. Crop growth models, calibrated to the study sites, were used to simulate yields under varying climate conditions. Farm level production and economic analyses were performed to determine what adaptation strategies might be best utilized to maintain production and profitability for producers under conditions of global climate change and changing climate variability. Similar integrated analyses from Australia and Argentina provide comparisons from different regions.


Book Synopsis Effects of Climate Change and Variability on Agricultural Production Systems by : Otto C. Doering III

Download or read book Effects of Climate Change and Variability on Agricultural Production Systems written by Otto C. Doering III and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Effects of Climate Change and Viarability on the Agricultural Production Systems provides an integrated assessment of global climate change's impact on agriculture at the farm level, in the context of farm level adaptation decisions. Ten agricultural areas in the Upper Midwest region - the heart of the United States' corn belt - were subjected to climate change and changing climate variability scenarios through simulations of future climate using results from general circulation models. Crop growth models, calibrated to the study sites, were used to simulate yields under varying climate conditions. Farm level production and economic analyses were performed to determine what adaptation strategies might be best utilized to maintain production and profitability for producers under conditions of global climate change and changing climate variability. Similar integrated analyses from Australia and Argentina provide comparisons from different regions.


The Fight for Food

The Fight for Food

Author: Harold E. Croxall

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2019-07-19

Total Pages: 230

ISBN-13: 100011368X

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Originally published in 1984. Without technical Jargon or a mass of confusing statistics, this book describes a wide range of factors influencing agricultural productivity including weather, soil biology and ecology, and human, social, economic and political factors. The ways in which these factors operate and interact with each other to produce the changing circumstances in which farmers take their decisions are discussed. These decisions are the crucial factors in every productivity problem and the authors suggest policy changes which could improve the chances of farmers making the best choices, not only for themselves but for the consumer and the community at large.


Book Synopsis The Fight for Food by : Harold E. Croxall

Download or read book The Fight for Food written by Harold E. Croxall and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-07-19 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally published in 1984. Without technical Jargon or a mass of confusing statistics, this book describes a wide range of factors influencing agricultural productivity including weather, soil biology and ecology, and human, social, economic and political factors. The ways in which these factors operate and interact with each other to produce the changing circumstances in which farmers take their decisions are discussed. These decisions are the crucial factors in every productivity problem and the authors suggest policy changes which could improve the chances of farmers making the best choices, not only for themselves but for the consumer and the community at large.


The Ecology of Agricultural Landscapes

The Ecology of Agricultural Landscapes

Author: Stephen K. Hamilton

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2015-03-03

Total Pages: 448

ISBN-13: 0199773483

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Evidence has been mounting for some time that intensive row-crop agriculture as practiced in developed countries may not be environmentally sustainable, with concerns increasingly being raised about climate change, implications for water quantity and quality, and soil degradation. This volume synthesizes two decades of research on the sustainability of temperate, row-crop ecosystems of the Midwestern United States. The overarching hypothesis guiding this work has been that more biologically based management practices could greatly reduce negative impacts while maintaining sufficient productivity to meet demands for food, fiber and fuel, but that roadblocks to their adoption persist because we lack a comprehensive understanding of their benefits and drawbacks. The research behind this book, based at the Kellogg Biological Station (Michigan State University) and conducted under the aegis of the Long-term Ecological Research network, is structured on a foundation of large-scale field experiments that explore alternatives to conventional, chemical-intensive agriculture. Studies have explored the biophysical underpinnings of crop productivity, the interactions of crop ecosystems with the hydrology and biodiversity of the broader landscapes in which they lie, farmers' views about alternative practices, economic valuation of ecosystem services, and global impacts such as greenhouse gas exchanges with the atmosphere. In contrast to most research projects, the long-term design of this research enables identification of slow or delayed processes of change in response to management regimes, and allows examination of responses across a broader range of climatic variability. This volume synthesizes this comprehensive inquiry into the ecology of alternative cropping systems, identifying future steps needed on the path to sustainability.


Book Synopsis The Ecology of Agricultural Landscapes by : Stephen K. Hamilton

Download or read book The Ecology of Agricultural Landscapes written by Stephen K. Hamilton and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2015-03-03 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Evidence has been mounting for some time that intensive row-crop agriculture as practiced in developed countries may not be environmentally sustainable, with concerns increasingly being raised about climate change, implications for water quantity and quality, and soil degradation. This volume synthesizes two decades of research on the sustainability of temperate, row-crop ecosystems of the Midwestern United States. The overarching hypothesis guiding this work has been that more biologically based management practices could greatly reduce negative impacts while maintaining sufficient productivity to meet demands for food, fiber and fuel, but that roadblocks to their adoption persist because we lack a comprehensive understanding of their benefits and drawbacks. The research behind this book, based at the Kellogg Biological Station (Michigan State University) and conducted under the aegis of the Long-term Ecological Research network, is structured on a foundation of large-scale field experiments that explore alternatives to conventional, chemical-intensive agriculture. Studies have explored the biophysical underpinnings of crop productivity, the interactions of crop ecosystems with the hydrology and biodiversity of the broader landscapes in which they lie, farmers' views about alternative practices, economic valuation of ecosystem services, and global impacts such as greenhouse gas exchanges with the atmosphere. In contrast to most research projects, the long-term design of this research enables identification of slow or delayed processes of change in response to management regimes, and allows examination of responses across a broader range of climatic variability. This volume synthesizes this comprehensive inquiry into the ecology of alternative cropping systems, identifying future steps needed on the path to sustainability.


Sustainable Food and Agriculture

Sustainable Food and Agriculture

Author: Clayton Campanhola

Publisher: Academic Press

Published: 2018-11-30

Total Pages: 611

ISBN-13: 0128121351

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Sustainable Food and Agriculture: An Integrated Approach is the first book to look at the imminent threats to sustainable food security through a cross-sectoral lens. As the world faces food supply challenges posed by the declining growth rate of agricultural productivity, accelerated deterioration of quantity and quality of natural resources that underpin agricultural production, climate change, and hunger, poverty and malnutrition, a multi-faced understanding is key to identifying practical solutions. This book gives stakeholders a common vision, concept and methods that are based on proven and widely agreed strategies for continuous improvement in sustainability at different scales. While information on policies and technologies that would enhance productivity and sustainability of individual agricultural sectors is available to some extent, literature is practically devoid of information and experiences for countries and communities considering a comprehensive approach (cross-sectoral policies, strategies and technologies) to SFA. This book is the first effort to fill this gap, providing information on proven options for enhancing productivity, profitability, equity and environmental sustainability of individual sectors and, in addition, how to identify opportunities and actions for exploiting cross-sectoral synergies. Provides proven options of integrated technologies and policies, helping new programs identify appropriate existing programs Presents mechanisms/tools for balancing trade-offs and proposes indicators to facilitate decision-making and progress measurement Positions a comprehensive and informed review of issues in one place for effective education, comparison and evaluation


Book Synopsis Sustainable Food and Agriculture by : Clayton Campanhola

Download or read book Sustainable Food and Agriculture written by Clayton Campanhola and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2018-11-30 with total page 611 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sustainable Food and Agriculture: An Integrated Approach is the first book to look at the imminent threats to sustainable food security through a cross-sectoral lens. As the world faces food supply challenges posed by the declining growth rate of agricultural productivity, accelerated deterioration of quantity and quality of natural resources that underpin agricultural production, climate change, and hunger, poverty and malnutrition, a multi-faced understanding is key to identifying practical solutions. This book gives stakeholders a common vision, concept and methods that are based on proven and widely agreed strategies for continuous improvement in sustainability at different scales. While information on policies and technologies that would enhance productivity and sustainability of individual agricultural sectors is available to some extent, literature is practically devoid of information and experiences for countries and communities considering a comprehensive approach (cross-sectoral policies, strategies and technologies) to SFA. This book is the first effort to fill this gap, providing information on proven options for enhancing productivity, profitability, equity and environmental sustainability of individual sectors and, in addition, how to identify opportunities and actions for exploiting cross-sectoral synergies. Provides proven options of integrated technologies and policies, helping new programs identify appropriate existing programs Presents mechanisms/tools for balancing trade-offs and proposes indicators to facilitate decision-making and progress measurement Positions a comprehensive and informed review of issues in one place for effective education, comparison and evaluation