Agriculture and agribusiness Books

Book SynopsisIn the dynamic realm of agriculture, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) emerge as catalysts for unprecedented transformation and growth. The emergence of big data, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, and advanced analytics has opened up new possibilities for farmers to collect and analyze data in real-time, make informed decisions, and increase efficiency. AI and ML are key enablers of data-driven farming, allowing farmers to use algorithms and predictive models to gain insights into crop health, soil quality, weather patterns, and more. Agriculture is an industry that is deeply rooted in tradition, but the landscape is rapidly changing with the emergence of new technologies.Data-Driven Farming: Harnessing the Power of AI and Machine Learning in Agriculture is a comprehensive guide that explores how the latest advances in technology can help farmers make better decisions and maximize yields. It offers a detailed overview of the intersection of data, AI, and

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Book SynopsisA How-To Guide for Conducting Common Fisheries-Related Analyses in RIntroductory Fisheries Analyses with R provides detailed instructions on performing basic fisheries stock assessment analyses in the R environment. Accessible to practicing fisheries scientists as well as advanced undergraduate and graduate students, the book demonstrates the flexibility and power of R, offers insight into the reproducibility of script-based analyses, and shows how the use of R leads to more efficient and productive work in fisheries science.The first three chapters present a minimal introduction to the R environment that builds a foundation for the fisheries-specific analyses in the remainder of the book. These chapters help you become familiar with R for basic fisheries analyses and graphics.Subsequent chapters focus on methods to analyze age comparisons, age-length keys, size structure, weight-length relationships, condition, abundance (from capture-

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Book SynopsisAn exploration into how we can have truly sustainable, resilient and productive farms.In the 1930s, nutritionists claimed that the increase in population size would soon make it challenging to eat enough protein, which they thought was only obtainable from meat. Mercifully, this is not true. Although meat does offer a nutritional bonus, we do not need vast amounts of it and could get all our protein from plants. The world has lots of food problems still from issues surrounding fertile soill to agroforestry and livestock but there are solutions.Colin Tudge coined the expression ''Enlightened Agriculture'' to describe agriculture that is expressly designed to provide everyone, everywhere, with food of the highest standard, nutritionally and gastronomically, without wrecking the rest of the world. In his enlightening book, Six Steps Back to the Land, he explains how we can achieve truly sustainable, resilient and productive farms, looking at why we need

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Book SynopsisWith over 50,000 distinct species in sub-Saharan Africa alone, the African continent is endowed with an enormous wealth of plant resources. While more than 25 percent of known species have been used for several centuries in traditional African medicine for the prevention and treatment of diseases, Africa remains a minor player in the global natural products market largely due to lack of practical information. This updated and expanded second edition of the Handbook of African Medicinal Plants provides a comprehensive review of more than 2,000 species of plants employed in indigenous African medicine, with full-color photographs and references from over 1,100 publications.The first part of the book contains a catalog of the plants used as ingredients for the preparation of traditional remedies, including their medicinal uses and the parts of the plant used. This is followed by a pharmacognostical profile of 170 of the major herbs, with a brief description of the diagnoTrade Review"This second edition is not a mere reprint of an older classic; it has been thoroughly updated and expanded. …this volume presents a valuable cross-section of the African medicinal flora and useful summaries of largely up-to-date knowledge. All in all, this second edition is a worthy successor to the 1993 edition."—Thomas Brendler, Founder and CEO, Plantaphile; Co-editor, African Herbal Pharmacopoeia, Collingswood, New Jersey, in HerbalGram"Since the first edition was published, much has changed in the fields of ethnobotany and ethnomedicine. In the preface to the second edition of his book, Dr. Iwu acknowledges the enormous body of knowledge that has become available over the last twenty years. He felt that it was critical to add new, relevant information … to review the medicinal plants currently used as phytomedicines that were, for the most part, unknown in 1993.I found Dr. Iwu's Handbook of Major African Medicinal Plants impressively detailed and well presented … . While Dr. Iwu indicates that this is a book for scientists developing new medicines and practitioners of herbal medicine, I suggest that this is a book that should also be read by Western medical doctors who either work or volunteer their services in rural African clinics and hospitals.I commend the time, energy, and knowledge that Dr. Iwu has invested in both editions of his book. This is a truly valuable resource that I hope will be used prolifically and expanded upon."—Patricia Rain, The Vanilla Company"Iwu continues to write elegantly and persuasively about the cultural issues surrounding the integration of Western and traditional African medicine…. Above all, there is a new emphasis on the potential economic impact that the plants of Africa could bring to the continent. Iwu devotes more space to keenly detailing the commercial utilization of native agricultural products. Updated sections on commerce and the creation of value-added products feature prominently in the descriptions of many species. It is undeniably an exceptional and absorbing collection of botanical, ethnomedical, and pharmacological information. It is an efficient collection of botanical information about a diverse and large portion of the earth. Certainly this updated edition would make a rich and interesting manual for a class on African medicinal plants."—John de la Parra, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, Economic BotanyPraise for the First Edition:"The book gives a good description of African medicinal plants and their use within the general African culture …. This is an interesting handbook for phytochemists, pharmacologists, anthropologists, or anyone who is interested in African medicinal plants…. A pioneer work on African medicinal plants…. Our congratulations go to the author and publishers for producing such an interesting book."—Nigist Asfaw and Sebsebe Demissew, The National Herbarium Science Faculty, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Economic Botany, Vol. 48, No. 1, 1994"A vast topic, medicinal plants in the wide expanse of Africa, is well covered in this work. Primarily for medical library collections, but will interest anyone concerned with ethnobotany and African culture."—C.T. Mason, Jr., University of Arizona, as quoted in CHOICE, June 1994Table of ContentsIntroduction. Catalog of Major African Medicinal Plants. Pharmacognostical Profile of Selected Medicinal Plants. Healing and the African Culture. The African Medicine Man. Medicinal Plants and Traditional Healing Methods. Bibliography. Index of Species, Genera, and Families. Subject Index.

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Book SynopsisMarine environment can be affected by several pollutants such as the presence of elements and their chemical species, pharmaceuticals, nanoparticles and other emerging contaminants. Environmental monitoring can be assessed by genomics, proteomics (i.e. redox proteomics), chemical speciation analysis and metallomics, metabolomics as well as other advanced strategies. The present book is a useful methodological tool for researchers and specialists in the field of analytical chemistry, environmental sciences, biochemistry, genomics and toxicology. The book includes for the first time the methodological aspects and applications related to chemical speciation and omics strategies applied to marine environment. Table of ContentsElement Speciation in Seawater: From Free Metal Determination to Proteomic Analysis. The Decisive Role of ICPMS and Related Hyphenated Techniques in Multielement and Speciation Analysis of Marine Biota. Mercury Speciation in Marine Biota and its Influence on Human Health: Metallomic and Metabolomic Approaches. Selenium Speciation in the Marine Environment. Arsenic Occurrence in Marine Biota: The Analytical Approach. Biological Effects of Organotins on the Marine Environment. Functional Genomics Approaches in Marine Pollution and Aquaculture. New Trends in Aquatic Pollution Monitoring: From Conventional Biomarkers to Environmental Proteomics. Protein Expression Profiles in Marine Organisms Exposed to Nanoparticles. Effects of Climate Change in Marine Organisms: A Proteomic Approach. Environmental Metabolomics and Toxicometabolomics in Marine Pollution Assessment. Fate and Toxicity of Inorganic Engineered Nanomaterials in the Marine Environment: Analytical Techniques and Methods. Pharmaceuticals in the Marine Environment: Analytical Techniques and Applications. Biological Effects of Pharmaceuticals on the Marine Environment.

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Book SynopsisIndustrial agriculture is generally characterized as either the salvation of a growing, hungry, global population or as socially and environmentally irresponsible. Despite elements of truth in this polarization, it fails to focus on the particular vulnerabilities and potentials of industrial agriculture. Both representations obscure individual farmers, their families, their communities, and the risks they face from unpredictable local, national, and global conditions: fluctuating and often volatile production costs and crop prices; extreme weather exacerbated by climate change; complicated and changing farm policies; new production technologies and practices; water availability; inflation and debt; and rural community decline. Yet the future of industrial agriculture depends fundamentally on farmers’ decisions.In Defense of Farmers illuminates anew the critical role that farmers play in the future of agriculture and examines the social, economic, and envirTrade Review“Valuable for food system leaders and policy-makers and in graduate seminars. . . . [Analyses] highlight unsustainable methods and suggest improvements that could serve as a starting point for dialogues and decisions on changing the food system framework.”—Stacey F. Stearns, Journal of Agriculture, Food Systems, and Community Development "In Defense of Farmers delivers a timely contribution to helping us better understand how we got to the corporate-hijacked food system we have today and how farm managers navigate this framework as they simultaneously promote and resist it. This edited volume is sharp in its critique while careful in its delivery, making it an important book for both scholars in the humanities and practitioners in the agricultural sciences. Through its successful disciplinary bridging, certainly contributing to its considerate tone, In Defense of Farmers will prove a useful foundation for practical conversations about the future of food production."—Nicole Welk-Joerger, H-Environment"In Defense of Farmers provides a solid overview of the current moment in industrialized agriculture and its human costs."—Megan Birk, New Mexico Historical Review“Feeding the world’s population in a sustainable manner is a topic of critical importance for all humankind. Those of us living in the developed world need to be cognizant of the perils of the industrialized model of agricultural production and the consequences of its adoption around the world. . . . Farmers’ voices are rarely heard, but this book now allows them to be heard with respect to the challenges of groundwater depletion, ‘big chicken,’ climate change, or the consequences of adopting new precision farming technologies.”—Michael J. Broadway, professor of geography at Northern Michigan University and coauthor of Slaughterhouse Blues: The Meat and Poultry Industry in North America“In Defense of Farmers is critical from the empirical standpoint of those disturbing processes that have taken us to a standardized place where too few corporate actors make too many decisions about what we eat, where we eat it, and who reaps food production’s benefits while others bear the costs of compromising animal welfare, the environment, and the quality of food. Gibson and Alexander have assembled an impressive, interdisciplinary volume of authors who know their subjects so well that their disgust at capital concentration, environmental destruction, and routine violations of human and animal rights is palpable.”—David Griffith, professor of anthropology at East Carolina University and author of American Guestworkers: Jamaicans and Mexicans in the U.S. Labor MarketTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Foreword by John K. Hansen Acknowledgments Introduction: A Food System Imperiled Jane W. Gibson 1. Power, Food, and Agriculture: Implications for Farmers, Consumers, and Communities Mary K. Hendrickson, Philip H. Howard, and Douglas H. Constance 2. Chickenizing American Farmers Donald D. Stull 3. Industrial Chicken Meat and the Good Life in Bolivia Sarah Kollnig 4. Automating Agriculture: Precision Technologies, Agbots, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution Jane W. Gibson 5. Water to Wine: Industrial Agriculture and Groundwater Regulation in California Casey Walsh 6. Forecasting the Challenges of Climate Change for West Texas Wheat Farmers Sara E. Alexander 7. From Partner to Consumer: The Changing Role of Farmers in the Public Agricultural Research Process on the Canadian Prairies Katherine Strand 8. Transmission of the Brazil Model of Industrial Soybean Production: A Comparative Study of Two Migrant Farming Communities in the Brazilian Cerrado Andrew Ofstehage 9. The Price of Success: Population Decline and Community Transformation in Western Kansas Jane W. Gibson and Benjamin J. Gray 10. An Alternative Future for Food and Farming John Ikerd List of Contributors Index

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Book SynopsisThis book analyzes global economic policies that impact rural communities, land use, food sovereignty and environmental justice. This is the 9th book in the Critical Development Studies series. It traces the global contours of contemporary agriculture, bringing a critical analysis of the origins of agribusiness in the US and its subsequent international signature. The investigation reveals that the industrialization of agriculture was a result of a dialectical movement of economic crisis and expansion, and the author''s analysis sheds new light on current debates about food sovereignty, agriculture technologies, international financial markets and farmland speculation. For those who are new to the study of agribusiness, this book provides a clear introduction to global trends. For those more engaged, it serves as a valuable overview, an excellent text for students involved in studies of agriculture and food sovereignty.

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Book SynopsisUpdated and revised, this fifth edition incorporates recent developments in the environment in which agriculture operates. Issues that have gained prominence since the previous edition (2014) include climate change and agriculture's mitigating role, concern with animal welfare, the social contributions that agriculture makes, risks associated with globalization, and rising concern over sustainability. Important for UK and EU readers are the adjustments needed now that the UK is no longer a member of the European Union and the nature of the national policies developed to replace the EU's Common Agricultural Policy. Containing all the major economic principles with agriculture-specific examples, An Introduction to Economics, 5th Edition provides a rounded and up-to-date introduction to the subject. The inclusion of updated chapter-focused exercises, essay questions and suggestions for further reading make this textbook an invaluable learning tool. This book: Is updated to include new developments, such as Brexit, importance of climate change and animal welfare. Includes exercises and essay questions. Suggests further reading to supplement the text. This book is recommended for students of agriculture, economics and related sectors.Table of Contents1 : What is Economics? 2 : Explaining the Behaviour of Individuals: Theory of Consumer Choice 3 : Demand and Supply: the Price Mechanism in a Market Economy 4 : Markets and Competition 5 : Production Economics: Theory of the Firm 6 : Factors of Production and their Rewards: Theory of Distribution 7 : Market Failure: Some Problems of Using the Market to Allocate Resources 8 : Macroeconomics: the Workings of the Whole Economy 9 : International Trade 10: Government Policy for Agriculture and Rural Areas

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisAn accessible, practical resource for pasture-based rabbit production-complete with rabbit husbandry basics, enterprise budgets, and guidelines for growing, processing and selling rabbits commercially. In recent years, there has been talk in the food world that rabbits make more sense than chicken. In a country with a $41 billion broiler chicken industry, this might seem like a pretty bold statement, but it’s hardly unsubstantiated. And yet while media has been abuzz about the supposed super protein, very few farmers are stepping up to meet the rapidly increasing interest in sustainably raised rabbit meat. This is partly due to the lack of available resources in the field of rabbit husbandry. Raising Pastured Rabbits for Meat is the first book to address the growing trend of ecological rabbit husbandry for the beginning to market-scale farmer. Inspired by Daniel Salatin, who has long been considered the pioneer in integrated rabbit farming, Nichki Carangelo proves that a viable pasture-based rabbitry is not only possible and user-friendly, it’s also profitable. In Carangelo’s approach, happy, healthy rabbits are seasonally raised outside on pasture, using a pasture and wire hybrid system that promotes natural behaviors and a diverse diet, while effectively managing the associated risks. Raising Pastured Rabbits for Meat offers valuable information on how farmers can build their own rabbit enterprise from scratch and includes tips on breed selection, breeding techniques, nutrition guidelines, record keeping tools, slaughtering and butchering instructions, marketing advice, and enterprise guides to help farmers plan for profitability. This is an essential guide for anyone interested in integrating rabbits onto a diversified farm or homestead.Trade Review“Nichki Carangelo’s Raising Pastured Rabbits for Meat is like a long chat with a warm and generous friend who’s sharing advice based on her own experience, hard won from both her successes and her mistakes (which you won’t have to repeat). Her approach is pragmatic and flexible, never doctrinaire. Perhaps her best advice is to avoid rabbit ‘monoculturing,’ which is only likely to succeed at an unattainably large scale, and instead to make your rabbit marketing venture an integral part of a diverse and adaptable small farm.”—Harvey Ussery, author of The Small-Scale Poultry Flock“Raising Pastured Rabbits for Meat covers some of the ups and downs of a rabbit-raising start-up, as well as the emotions and real-life mistakes tied to starting a farm. Overall it’s a well thought out introduction to pasture-based rabbit production for beginners.”—Daniel Salatin, Polyface Farm“They’re cute, fluffy, and one of the world’s most sustainable sources of meat. Yes, rabbits can make an excellent food source and income stream for a diversified family farm or homestead. Farmer and author Nichki Carangelo clearly lays out the essentials you need to start, manage, and grow a meat rabbit business in a way that not only generates income but also treats the animals humanely. There isn’t another book out there like this on the subject.”—Rebecca Thistlethwaite, author of The New Livestock Farmer“As a rabbit farmer and chef who prizes rabbit as a heritage ingredient, I’ve been encouraged to see more farmers, cooks, and consumers rediscovering the benefits of pastured rabbit in recent years. With this book Carangelo provides a growing community of small-scale producers with an essential road map for the journey of launching a small rabbitry into a successful business and long-lasting, nourishing resource.”—Mike Costello, chef and farmer, Lost Creek Farm

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Book SynopsisAn examination of how farming expertise could be shared and extended, over four centuries. All kinds of knowledge, from traditional know-how to modern science, are socially contingent and the product of an age-long and permanent social struggle. This book unravels the creation and the exchange of agronomic knowledge in rural Europe, from the early eighteenth century up until the end of the twentieth. It explores the spreading of knowing through the lens of "knowledge networks": where did agricultural knowledge come from and how did one learn to run a farm? Who was involved in this process of knowledge exchange? Which strategies and communicative methods were employed and what kind of networks were active? The answers to these questions mirror, as the book illustrates, the inventiveness of the actors on the scene: the creativity of a French naturalist in establishing links with local farmers to stop the circulation of a devastating grain moth, the power of the agricultural press to instill "proper values" into Hungarian farming practices or to shape the identity of the Galician agrarian movement, and the agency of post-war British farmers in selecting their own information, from sources such as lectures to the Young Farmers' Club, visits by public advisors and representatives of commercial firms, and radio programs. From the start of the agricultural Enlightenment, increasingly farmers have been besieged by a growing army of experts, telling them what to do, when and how. In a sense farming has become one of the most patronised professions. But farmers can resist and carve their own path. The chapters here reveal the continuous tensions between science-based agriculture and practice-based farming, between the expert image of an ideal agriculture and the (less known) self-image of being a good farmer. The dominant process, as this book shows, is that of an instrumental top-down transmission of knowledge from "the lab to the field". But between these two poles, complex and flourishing networks developed, functioning as trading zones in which knowledge and experience could be circulated, put to the test, forgotten, altered, rejected - and sometimes imposed.Trade Review[G]ive[s] us much food for thought and points the way to further studies and collaborations in rural Europe, an interesting time to be doing so as the United Kingdom leaves the Common Agricultural Policy. -- LANDSCAPES[...] readers will find value in every chapter, which all offer clear, thoughtful and well-researched histories of farming knowledge. * AGRICULTURAL HISTORY REVIEW *Table of ContentsIntroduction: Knowledge and its Networks in Rural Europe: From the Early Eighteenth to the Late Twentieth Century - Yves Segers and Leen Van Molle Agricultural Literature in Scandinavia and the Anglo-Saxon Countries as an Indicator of a Deep-Rooted Economic Enlightenment, c.1700-1800 - Janken Myrdal Peasant Eyes: A Critique of the Agricultural Enlightenment - Verena Lehmbrock Fighting the Angoumois Grain Moth: Henri-Louis Duhamel du Monceau and his Network of Entomological Observers - Pierre-Etienne Stockland 'Promoting and Accelerating the Progress of Agriculture': A Case Study of Agricultural Societies in the Doncaster District, South Yorkshire, England - Sarah Holland 'Proper Values' in Agriculture: The Role of Agricultural Associations in Knowledge Dissemination in Hungary, 1830-1880 - Zsuzsanna Kiss 'The Eye of the Master'. Livestock Improvement and Knowledge Networks in Belgium, 1900-1940 - Dries Claeys and Yves Segers Bridging Rural Culture and Expert Culture: The Agrarian Press in Galicia, c.1900-c.1950 - Miguel Cabo and Lourenzo Fernández Prieto Farmers Facing a Body of Expertise: the Activities and Methods of the Departmental Services for Agriculture in Oise (France), 1945-1955 - Laurent Herment Technical Change and Knowledge Networks in England, 1945-1980s - Paul Brassley Communicating an Innovation: Building Dutch Progeny Testing Stations for Pigs - Steven van der Laan

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Book SynopsisTells the story of the Palestinian citrus industry from its inception until 1950, tracing the shifting relationship between Palestinian Arabs and Zionist Jews. Kabha and Karlinsky portray the industry's social fabric, detail its economic history, and analyse the conditions that enabled the formation of a unique binational organisation.

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Book SynopsisThis book suggests an in-depth look at nomenclature in systematics instead of providing another instruction for use of various Codes of nomenclature. The focus is on ideas of what taxonomic nomenclature is as a part of the professional language of systematics considered in its full historical and conceptual scope. Basic concepts of nomenclature are outlined, and their development characterized; a hierarchy of fundamental principles of nomenclature are summarized; and the relationship between taxonomic nomenclature and taxonomic theory discussed. This book is addressed to those who would like to go beyond the boundaries of existing Codes to look at the subject from a more general, mostly theoretical standpoint.Key Features Provides a review of the role of nomenclature in systematics Reviews the conceptual scope and historical contexts of nomenclature Analyzes fundamental principles of nomenclature Outlines the historical development of nomencTable of ContentsChapter 01Taxonomic Theory and NomenclatureChapter 02Basic Elements of a Theory of NomenclatureChapter 03Basic Principles of NomenclatureChapter 04History of Nomenclature: An Overview and The BeginningChapter 05History of Nomenclature: The Essentialist RuleChapter 06History of Nomenclature: The Nominalist RouteChapter 07History of Nomenclature: The Conceptualist Route

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Book SynopsisCompanion to Environmental Studies presents a comprehensive and interdisciplinary overview of the key issues, debates, concepts, approaches and questions that together define environmental studies today. The intellectually wide-ranging volume covers approaches in environmental science all the way through to humanistic and post-natural perspectives on the biophysical world. Though many academic disciplines have incorporated studying the environment as part of their curriculum, only in recent years has it become central to the social sciences and humanities rather than mainly the geosciences. The environment' is now a keyword in everything from fisheries science to international relations to philosophical ethics to cultural studies. The Companion brings these subject areas, and their distinctive perspectives and contributions, together in one accessible volume. Over 150 short chapters written by leading international experts provide concise, authoritativeTrade Review"Assembling the vast range of issues and approaches that encompass Environmental Studies, while uniting some of the finest thinkers in the field, all with original and fresh essays, is an extraordinary contribution. In an urgent moment, Castree, Hulme and Proctor have provided an unprecedented resource for students, scholars, and the interested public." - Paul Robbins, Director, Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin - Madison, USTable of ContentsList of contributors Preface Introduction Part 1: Classic concepts Part 2: Contemporary concepts Part 3: Classic approaches Part 4: Contemporary approaches Part 5: Key topics: environmental challenges and changes Part 6: Key topics: human responses to environmental change Part 7: Key debates Index

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1999, this volume explores how African agriculture has always had a strong appeal for the people of the Netherlands. This is due to (1) a long-established interest in tropical agriculture going back to the days when Indonesia was a Duth colony; (2) a broad-based desire to help the Third World; and (3) the view that Tropical Africa is highly dependent on agriculture.As practical expertise in Africa and systematic research on African agriculture grew, specialization became both possible and necessary. This volume reflects the specialization in marketing which has been welcomed by economists, geographers and scholars of agricultural marketing. In addition to a general introductory chapter, this book includes five contributions on staple food grains, two on export crops, two on cattle and one on horticulture. Nine of the chapters are country-specific, covering Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, C?te d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Zambia.Table of Contents1. Agricultural Marketing in Tropical Africa: Obstacles to Systematic Study. H. Laurens van der Laan. 2. Maize Marketing Policies in Tanzania, 1939-1998: From Basic Needs to Market Basics. Deborah Fahy Bryceson, Pekka Seppälä and Marja-Liisa Tapio-Biström. 3. Maize Marketing in Kenya, 1976-1996: Liberalization and Food Security. Henk Meilink. 4. Food Grain Marketing in Burkina Faso Since 1970: the Challenge of Food Security. Andries Klaasse Bos, Clemens Lutz and Boubié Bassolet. 5. Cocoa Marketing in Ghana and Cameroon: The Effects of Structural Adjustment and Liberalization. Ali de Jong and Annelet Harts-Broekhuis. 6. The Coffee Sectors of Cȏte d’Ivoire and Costa Rica: National and Global Aspects of Competitiveness. Wim Pelupessy. 7. Primary Rice Marketing in North-West Sierra Leone: Market and Non-Market Transactions. Aad van Tilburg and Inge Hamming. 8. Maize and Bean Marketing in Benin: The Peasant Farmers’ Choice of Marketing Outlet. Lineke van Bruggen and Aad van Tilburg. 9. Horticultural Marketing in Kenya: Why Potato Farmers Need Collecting Wholesalers. Tjalling Dijkstra. 10. Cattle Marketing in Zambia, 1965-1995: Policies, Institutions and Cattle Owners in Western Province. Henk A.J. Moll and Désirée C.E. Dietvorst. 11. Cross-Border Cattle Marketing in Sub-Saharan Africa since 1900: Geographical Patterns and Government-Induced Change. Leo de Haan, Paul Quarles van Ufford and Fred Zaal.

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Book SynopsisThe tomato gets no respect. Never has. Lost in the dustbin of history for centuries, accused of being vile and poisonous, subjected to being picked hard-green and gassed, even used as a projectile, the poor tomato has become the avatar for our disaffection with industrial foods - while becoming the most popular vegetable in America (and, in fact, the world). Each summer, tomato festivals crop up across the country; the Heinz ketchup bottle, instantly recognizable, has earned a spot in the Smithsonian; and now the tomato is redefining the very nature of farming, moving from fields into climate-controlled mega-greenhouses the size of New England villages. Supported by meticulous research and told in a lively, accessible voice, Ten Tomatoes That Changed the World seamlessly weaves travel, history, humour, and a little adventure (and misadventure) to follow the tomato's trail through history. A fascinating story complete with heroes, con artists, conquistadors, and-no surprise-the Mafia, this book is a mouth-watering, informative, and entertaining guide to the food that has captured our hearts for generations.

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Book SynopsisFully-illustrated, with modern and archive photography of the breweries, their pub estates, people and beers, this book will examine the past, the present and the future of these great brewing companies and help to highlight the important part they continue to play in the nation's brewing story and in their local areas.

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Book SynopsisA deeply empathetic (Publishers Weekly, starred review) must-read (Marion Nestle) that weaves lyrical storytelling and fascinating research into a compelling narrative (San Francisco Chronicle) to look at dietary differences along class lines and nutritional disparities in America, illuminating exactly how inequality starts on the dinner plate.Inequality in America manifests in many ways, but perhaps nowhere more than in how we eat. From her years of field research, sociologist and ethnographer Priya Fielding-Singh brings us into the kitchens of dozens of families from varied educational, economic, and ethnoracial backgrounds to explore how-and why-we eat the way we do. We get to know four families intimately: the Bakers, a Black family living below the federal poverty line; the Williamses, a working-class white family just above it; the Ortegas, a middle-class Latinx family; and the Cains, an affluent white family.

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Book SynopsisJohn Humphrys' is a top political commentator and the voice of Radio 4's Today programme. The Great Food Gamble raises enormous questions and is indeed a manifesto for change.Trade ReviewThought-provoking, well-researched * Fordyce Maxwell, Scotsman *Compelling * Observer *Incisive and readable * Mick Hume, The Times *Humphrys's level-headedness makes the arguments all the more powerful * Paul Heiney, The Sunday Times *This could be the best diet book ever written * The Sunday Times *Without being sentimental, it is a passionate discourse... well-written and accessible. My only concern is that its message is likely to be ignored where it matters most. * Tim Lang, Independent *

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Book SynopsisForests play an important role in resolving global challenges such as sustainable development, climate change, biodiversity loss, and food and water security. Stopping deforestation is crucial for the future of our planet. Global efforts to curb deforestation, have been partially successful, but have largely fallen short. At the same time, national level efforts to support human development, reflected in the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals, aim to increase the welfare and wellbeing of populations living in poverty. Meeting these development goals will inevitably have crosscutting effects on initiatives to address deforestation. In balancing these goals, policy makers are confronted with wicked problems or problems where there are moral considerations and where limited information is available for policy makers. This book is focused on how wicked forest policy problems have been, and can be, addressed.Trade Review'This volume edited by Nikolakis and Innes … explores a range of policies in use around the world to sustainably manage forests.' B. D. Orr, Choice'The global COVID-19 pandemic has recently brought a wicked problem into sharp focus on a worldwide scale, as governments try to strike a balance between imposing restrictions that would slow the spread of the disease, while simultaneously avoiding economic collapse. Achieving the sustainable management of our environment is likewise fraught with wicked problems, not least of which are to be found in the forestry sector. The process of trying to control this destruction, and steering the management of forests towards sustainable conservation and use, has proved to be a fertile breeding ground for wicked problems. This book provides an extensive review of these problems, the policy approaches that have been developed to address them, and how well they are working or not. … [It is] very informative for anyone involved in the environmental policy field to read this book.' Brian W. van Wilgen, South African Journal of ScienceTable of Contents1. The wicked problem of forest policy William Nikolakis and John L. Innes; Part I. Wicked Problems and Policies: 2. Why forests matter? Frances Seymour; 3. Forest certification and forest use: a comprehensive analysis Fred Cubbage and Erin Sills; 4. REDD+ meets local realities Arild Vatn, Maria Nantongo and Raymond Samndong; 5. Have payments for ecosystem services delivered for the rural poor? A decade of implementation in the 'global South' Diana Alfonso-Bécares and Esteve Corbera; 6. Tackling gender inequality through forest-related policies and programmes: global challenges, multi-scale innovations, and local experiences Marlène Elias, Bimbika Sijapati Basnett and Jennie Dey de Pryck; 7. Forestry crimes and our planet: a review Christian Nellemann, Rune Henriksen, Margaretha Schlingemann and Riccardo Pravettoni; 8. Forest bioeconomy development: markets and industry structures Lauri Hetemäki and Elias Hurmekoski; Part II. Tools to Address Wicked Problems: 9. The wicked problems of Indonesia's forests require effective institutions to resolve difficult trade-offs Jeffrey Sayer; 10. Power to the forest people: tendencies, impact and the future of locally-controlled forests David Kaimowitz and Fernanda Tomaselli; 11. How are land use multi-stakeholder forums affected by their contexts? Perspectives from two regions of the Peruvian Amazon Juan Pablo Sarmiento Barletti and Anne Larson; 12. Sustainable landscape investment: a framework for governance of institutional investment in the forestry sector David Brand, MaryKate Bullen and Radha Kuppalli; 13. Community forestry in Liberia: progress and pitfalls Robert O'Hagan, Alida O'Connor, John Fa and Terry Sunderland; 14. Are some forestry problems too wicked? John L. Innes and William Nikolakis.

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Book SynopsisIn Agricultural Research Updates. Volume 22, the authors begin by presenting research on the ecological features and adaptation of white-rot fungi in relation to the possible applications of these fungi in bioremediation strategies. The selection of an appropriate species should consider the production of ligninases and their activity as well as the ecological factors that could stimulate and increase the process. Following this, Streptomyces sр strains were tested for apple scab control in vitro and field conditions. Two applications of Streptomyces strain C1-4 within 35 days completely stopped the scab disease in seedling leaves. The authors also address the necessity for farmers to adapt to these challenges such as restricted land boundaries, adversity of climate changes and environmental degradation to prevent low crop output and maintain livelihoods of people. This is especially true in developing countries. As land becomes less productive, ground-breaking organic crop production systems that cover different cultivating pattern must be implemented. The subsequent chapter provides important information about different possibilities for citric acid production, including the use of alternative agro-industrial substrates. Fermentation techniques, such as submerged fermentation and solid-state fermentation, and conditions that affect the acid synthesis are reported with the presentation of concrete examples of developed research. Wild ginger, or Siphonochilus aethiopicus, is discussed in the context of its usage as an anti-inflammatory, anti-plasmodial, anti-thrush and an indication for allergies, asthma, candidiasis, headache, influenza, menstrual cramps, sinusitis and sore throat among other conditions. Next, the book focuses on the unique characteristics of lavender hydrosols obtained from Polish cultavations of Lavandula angustifolia and describes a new lavender derivative fluidolate acquired in an innovative technology relying on raw material drying. The scientific knowledge acquired on Tara is reviewed in order to sustainably manage the Tara plantations and increase their productivity and stability. The botanical description of this tree species, as well as its ecology, is addressed. Later, a study is presented focusing on factors of different rainfall interannual variability using monthly precipitation in 22 stations for the period 1950-2012. El Niño, El Niño Modoki, the positive phase of the Indian Ocean Dipole, and the shift to the south of the South Atlantic High are shown to lead to an increase in spring precipitation in central Buenos Aires. In another study, an efficient protocol for somatic embryogenesis using leaf explants was developed with three elite cacao cultivars (CRIN TC1, CRIN TC2 and CRIN TC5). The zygotic embryos of these cultivars were aseptically excised and cultured on Murashige and Skoog (MS) basal medium without growth regulators. The compilation ends with an investigation of salt tolerance and the changes of antioxidative ability in mycorrhizal strawberry plants. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi Gigaspora margarita were inoculated in strawberry (Fragaria×ananssa. Duch) plants. Plants were treated with no salt, 200mM and 500mM NaCl solution.

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Book SynopsisThis book on the history, breeding, management and diseases of domestic animals is a snapshot of American animal husbandry around the year 1850.

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Book SynopsisWhether you want to the make most of a small plot of land or add diversity to a large farm, raising miniature livestock can be a fun and profitable experience. With expert advice on choosing a breed that suits your needs, Sue Weaver shows you how to house, feed, and care for miniature goats, sheep, donkeys, pigs, horses, cattle, and llamas. You’ll be inspired by profiles of successful breeders as you learn everything you need to know to keep your miniature livestock healthy and productive.

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Book SynopsisFarm labour was and remains an extremely controversial issue. This book presents in-depth analyses relevant at the outset of the 21st century

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Book SynopsisThis volume includes research on agricultural trade patterns; commercial policy; international institutions (e.g., WTO, NAFTA, EU) and agricultural trade and development; tariff and non-tariff barriers in agricultural trade; exchange rates; biotechnology and trade; agricultural labour mobility; land reform; agriculture and structural problems of underdevelopment; agriculture, environment, trade and development interface.

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Book SynopsisThe innovative 3R "Recycle-Reuse-Reduce" AGROCARBON technology provides recycling of agricultural organic and mineral by-products provides carbon products for soil amendment and restoration of soil natural balance. This book explains how the input feed streams are plant and animal origin carboniferous by-products, such as refuse grain, sawdust, food grade animal bone meal, food processing and/or other agro by-products. The innovative technology is providing surface modified charcoals and minerals for plant availability and post processing the chars by integrated biotechnological means. The process is upgrading by-products to high added-value biological control, plant growth promotion and natural fertilisation combined products for environmentally friendly vegetable cultivation, with carbon sequestration potential. The 3R is a horizontally arranged and indirectly heated low temperature zero emission carbonisation system (operating under vacuum, up to 850 C50C material core temperature) and directly integrated novel agro biotechnological processing units of agrocarbon specific solid state fermentation and formulations. Performance: 1. Food crop mineral deficiency and disturbance stress mitigation in temperate climatic regions by restoration of soil natural balance. 2. Input feed streams: low value organic and/or inorganic by-products; such as refuse grain, sawdust and/or high Phosphorous content animal bone meal, and/or other by products; which can be valorisation transformed by added-value integrated thermal and biotechnological means. 3. The 3R biotechnology integrated industrialised biochar production technology is a modern zero emission solution, in which process all and any output products are recycled and reused, aiming prevention-protection-preservation approaches. 4. The output products are different types of soil biotechnology specific solid carrier composits and adapted microbiological fungus and/or bacteria strain consortiums. Depending on the soil and climate application scenario conditions, different types of soil and climate relevant 3R NPK products can be made. 5. The application objective of the products are the natural balance and functionality restorations of degraded temperate agriculture soils with controlled microbiological activity and precision farming nutrient supply. Further objectives are the promotion of humus building and mineral mobilisation towards plant availability, for sustainable, improved, economical and ecological food crop production in the fields of organic and low input low green house gas farmings, while carbon sequestration is also targeted. 6. The application targets combined effects, such as plant growth promotion, biological control against soil borne plant pathogens and natural NPK fertilisation, especially sequenced mobilised Phosphorus supply and improved nutrient use efficiency. 7. The application sectors are the organic farming and/or low input farming for environmentally friendly vegetable cultivation and other food crop productions. 8. STATUS: "product like" field demonstration plant has been developed, successfully tested, scale up optimisation and comprehensive industrialised engineering design made for 30,000 m3/year input feed stream as of modern US/EU industrial norms and standards. Patented original solution. Available for licensing and technology transfer.

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Book SynopsisFrom Farms to Incubators takes an exciting look at how women entrepreneurs are revolutionising agriculture through high technology. Drones, artificial intelligence, sophisticated soil sensors, data analytics, blockchain, and robotics are transforming agriculture into the growing field of agtech -- the integration of agriculture and technology. From Farms to Incubators presents inspiring case studies of how women entrepreneurs from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds are leading the agtech revolution. Each agribusiness leader profiled in From Farms to Incubators tells her own story of how she used agtech innovation to solve specific business problems and succeed. These business cases demonstrate the influence of female innovation, the new technologies applied to agribusiness problems, and the career opportunities young women can find in agribusiness. From Farms to Incubators also documents the sweeping changes happening in American food production. Growers in the United States and around the world face rising challenges, including climate change, limited water and land supply, labour shortages, and the problem of feeding a rising population estimated at 9 billion in 2050. The entrepreneurs profiled in From Farms to Incubators are the new leaders in tackling these problems through tech innovation. The women profiled speak frankly on the advantages and drawbacks of technological solutions to agriculture and offer lessons in making technology productive in real work. A must-read book for business leaders, policy makers, and everyone interested in tech innovation, From Farms to Incubators offers exhilarating role models for young women and a fascinating glimpse at how women leaders are profitably disrupting the worlds oldest industry.

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Book SynopsisAgriculture is one of the defining elements of a nation. This series consists of analyses on a variety of agricultural issues including (but not limited to) developments, policies, programs, trade, trends and economics. (Topics will be seen from a U.S. perspective, but not to the exclusion of other countries particularly when the discussion has an international scope).

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Book SynopsisThe U.S. beef industry has recalled over 23 million pounds of beef owing to contamination from pathogenic strains of Shiga toxin-producing E.coli (STEC) bacteria since 2006. These strains do not harm cattle but may contaminate meat during slaughter. If humans eat contaminated meat without properly cooking it, STEC can cause illnesses, including bloody diarrhea and Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome, which is characterized by kidney failure and can be fatal. The Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and of Agriculture (USDA) play a role in reducing STEC. The USDA has stated that interventions to reduce STEC before slaughter offer a significant opportunity to improve food safety. This book examines current developments to provide safety in the U.S. meat and poultry products industry. Preslaughter interventions that could reduce E.coli in cattle are discussed, as is the "pink slime" controversy, meat and poultry inspection, and the USDA''s authority to recall meat and poultry products.

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Book SynopsisThe U.S. Department of Agriculture and the broader farming community often refer to the price and income support programs of the farm bill''s Title I and the crop insurance and disaster assistance programs of Title XII as encompassing the farm safety net. Many policy makers and farmers consider federal support of farm businesses necessary for their financial survival, given the unpredictable nature of agricultural production and markets. In contrast, many environmental groups and budget hawks argue that farm subsidies encourage overproduction on environmentally fragile land and are a market-distorting use of tax dollars. This book provides an overview of the current farm safety net programs, proposals and overlap in producer support. Also discussed is the congressional debate that is expected to precede the next round of omnibus farm legislation in 2012 and the budget and policy issues and implications for U.S. farm policy in the context of the World Trade Organization (WTO).

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Book SynopsisGrasslands provide both ecological and economic benefits. The importance of grasslands lies not only in the areas they cover, but also in the diversity of environmental benefits they produce. The lands provide forage for livestock, water for urban and rural uses, flood protection, wildlife habitat, purification of air, and carbon sequestration. The lands also provide aesthetic values and open space. This book discusses the Grasslands Reserve Program (GRP), which provides assistance to landowners and operators to protect grazing uses and related conservation values on eligible private range and pasture lands. The program emphasises support of grazing operations, maintaining and improving plant and animal biodiversity, and protecting grasslands and shrublands under threat of conversion to cropping, urban development, and other non-grazing uses.

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Book SynopsisAgriculture is one of the defining elements of a nation. This series consists of analyses on a variety of agricultural issues including (but not limited to) the developments, policies, programs, trade, trends and economics of agriculture. Topics will be seen from a U.S. perspective, but not to the exclusion of other countries particularly when the discussion has an international scope.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the developments, issues and research outlook of global agriculture. Topics discussed include classifying and measuring agricultural support and identifying differences between the WTO and OECD systems; China''s volatile pork industry; long-term growth prospects for wheat production in Afghanistan; and economic policy and cotton production in Uzbekistan.

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Book SynopsisThe United States is the undisputed world leader in agricultural production today, but as we look out across the 21st century, agriculture faces a series of challenges: managing new pests, pathogens, and invasive plants; increasing the efficiency of water use; reducing the environmental footprint of agriculture; growing food in a changing climate; managing the production of bioenergy; producing safe and nutritious food; and assisting with global food security and maintaining abundant yields. Meeting these challenges requires a new commitment to research, innovation, and technology development in agriculture. This book examines the challenges of agricultural preparedness and the required public commitment to agricultural research, fostering a culture of innovation and excellence to address some of the greatest threats to U.S. long-term prosperity and security.

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Book SynopsisThe North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) entered into force on January 1, 1994. The overall economic impact of NAFTA is difficult to measure since trade and investment trends are influenced by numerous other economic variables, such as economic growth, inflation, and currency fluctuations. The agreement may have accelerated the trade liberalization that was already taking place, but many of these changes may have taken place with or without an agreement. Nevertheless, NAFTA is significant because it was the most comprehensive free trade agreement (FTA) negotiated at the time and contained several groundbreaking provisions. This book provides an overview of North American trade liberalization before NAFTA, an overview of NAFTA provisions, the economic effects of NAFTA, and policy considerations. This book also examines the integration of North America''s agricultural and food markets as a result of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

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Book SynopsisRice, an ancient grain, is the primary staple for more than half the world''s population, through its role in the diets of billions of low-income, food-insecure consumers. Its vital role makes its availability and price politically sensitive for governments in several regions. Government intervention is often aimed at keeping prices affordable, especially for low-income consumers. In some cases, government intervention also encourages domestic production to promote national self-sufficiency. The United States faces little direct competition domestically and relies heavily on export markets; exports account for about half of the annual crop each year. This book investigates factors affecting the global competitiveness of the U.S. rice industry. It provides an overview of the rice industry in the United States and other major global producing and exporting countries and provides information on recent trade trends and developments in the global market for rice. It supplies a comparison of the competitive strengths and weaknesses of rice production and exports in the United States and other major exporting countries and assesses the impact of government policies and programs of major producing and exporting countries.

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Book SynopsisPractically all countries of Asia have pledged at the national as well as international level to reduce the number of hungry and food insecure. A concrete step in this direction was taken in the World Food Summit in Rome, in 1996, when the nations resolved to reach the goal of food security. It was further reiterated at the Millennium Summit held in New York in 2000 where the United Nations adopted the Millennium Declaration, which contains goals and targets in important areas of human development. One of these goals is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. This particular study aimed to examine the results of the efforts to achieve food security in Asian Countries in the context of Millennium Goals. Having adopted the basic premise that factors determining food security can be best understood at the country level, the study was based on country case studies: two least developed countries (Cambodia and Nepal), two medium-income countries undergoing fast structural changes (Indonesia and Thailand), and one large and fast developing country (India).

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Book SynopsisOn April 10, 1966, a crowd of 10,000 farm workers and supporters gathered at the California state capitol to celebrate victory in one of the most significant strikes in American history--one that made Cesar Chavez famous as leader of the National Farm Workers Association, which later became the United Farm Workers (UFW). In Why David Sometimes Wins, Marshall Ganz tells the story of the UFW''s ground-breaking victory, drawing out larger lessons from this dramatic tale. A longtime leader in the movement and current lecturer in public policy at Harvard, he offers unique insight. Since the 1900s, large-scale agricultural enterprises had relied on migrant labor--a cheap, unorganized, and powerless workforce. In 1965, after successive waves of attempts at organizing this large and growing population, the AFL-CIO, the Teamsters, and the three-year-old NFWA all found themselves on the ground, recruiting members. That year, some 800 Filipino grape workers began a strike, under the aegis of theTrade ReviewThis throughly documented account is support by insights and evidence from Marshall's personal experience, and many will read it as much for its exciting story of the farm workers' struggle as for its contribution to the theory of social movements.... Recommended. * Social & Behaviorial Science *In Why David Sometimes Wins, Ganz demonstrates his own marvelous story telling skill in his narration of the farm workers' movement in America... It's about organizing and tactics that work. Ganz describes them in a unique and interesting manner from his own vantage point within the farm workers' movement. WHy David Sometimes Wins is a valuable resource for teachers and students of community organizing, labor history and the dynamics of social change. * Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare *A brilliant new book. * The Nation *Why David Sometimes Wins is an exceptional book that will be of widespread interest to scholars and activists alike. * American Journal of Sociology *This book is a must read for organizers. The analysis of how a small and poor, but motivated, group of workers triggered a social movement provides invaluable lessons on what to do and not do as we struggle with the challenges of the 21st century. * Andy Stern, President, Service Employees International Union *Table of ContentsPreface ; 1. Introduction: How David Beat Goliath ; 2. Beginnings: Immigrants, Radicals, and the AFL (1900-1959) ; 3. New Opportunities, New Initiatives: (1959-1962) ; 4. A Storm Gathers: Two Responses (1963-1965) ; 5. The Great Delano Grape Strike (1965-1966) ; 6. Meeting the Counter-Attack (1966) ; 7. Launching a New Union (1966-1967) ; Epilogue ; Appendix ; Notes ; References ; Index

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Book SynopsisDr. Smil is the world's authority on nitrogenous fertilizer.The industrial synthesis of ammonia from nitrogen and hydrogen has been of greater fundamental importance to the modern world than the invention of the airplane, nuclear energy, space flight, or television. The expansion of the world's population from 1.6 billion people in 1900 to today's six billion would not have been possible without the synthesis of ammonia.In Enriching the Earth, Vaclav Smil begins with a discussion of nitrogen's unique status in the biosphere, its role in crop production, and traditional means of supplying the nutrient. He then looks at various attempts to expand natural nitrogen flows through mineral and synthetic fertilizers. The core of the book is a detailed narrative of the discovery of ammonia synthesis by Fritz Haber—a discovery scientists had sought for over one hundred years—and its commercialization by Carl Bosch and the chemical company BASF. Smil also exami

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