Morris J., Harrison R.M., Hester R.E. Environmental Impacts of Modern Agriculture

Royal Society of Chemistry, 2012. — 168 p. — ISBN: 1849733856, 9781849733854Modern agriculture must seek to feed the world's growing population with little or no cost to the Environment. Modern agriculture is capable of producing greater yields than ever before, but intensification of agriculture does come at a price. This comprehensive volume examines the environmental impact made by agriculture in the 21st Century, looking forward to the future with the lessons of the past. Key chapters include impacts of agriculture upon soil quality, greenhouse gas budgets, water-borne pathogens, surface water chemistry, groundwater, agricultural pesticides and the environment, balancing the environmental consequences of agriculture with the needs for food security and positive and negative aspects of agricultural production of biofuels. A fundamental reference for advanced students, researchers, practitioners and policy makers working in the field or related areas.
Agriculture now accounts for 40% of land use across the globe. While agriculture is an unnatural activity within the environment, farmers are often considered custodians of the landscape and must strike a balance between the positive and negative environmental impacts of agriculture, while meeting the demands of feeding an ever-growing population. This volume of the Issues in Environmental Science and Technology series examines the factors currently affecting agriculture on a global scale. Land use, soil quality and the inherent production of greenhouse gasses by agriculture each receive their own chapters. Further chapters present an historical and contemporary perspective to the use of pesticides and how to achieve a balance between increased food production versus environmental impact. Agriculture now encompasses Biofuels, and the final chapter gives a balanced view on their production. With contributions from distinguished authors, this book be of immediate and lasting value, not only to practitioners in government, consultancy and industry, but also to environmentalists, policymakers and students taking courses in environmental science, agriculture, conservation and environmental management.