Sustainable Food and Agriculture

Citation

Blades, M. (2004), "Sustainable Food and Agriculture", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 34 No. 5, pp. 237-237. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2004.34.5.237.1

Sustainable food supplies are now becoming recognised as being important in enabling future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable agriculture encompasses three main goals:

1. 1.

   Environmental health.

2. 2.

   Economic profitability.

3. 3.

   Economic and social equity.

The book covers all of these subjects in the same depth: and includes:

Chapter 1 describes what sustainable agriculture and food systems involve. It also briefly details the history of farming and food production. This mentions the domestication of plants and animals and different feudal agricultural systems that were used in the middle ages. The impact of The Second World War and the following population explosion is discussed, together with the implementation of more intensive farming methods used to produce food.

Chapter 2 presents a systems analysis of food and agricultural systems. Various models for such an analysis are discussed. The funding of farming by price support and different ways of levies is discussed as well as the management of food supplies by quotas and set aside mechanisms.

Chapter 3 provides information on crops produced and where they are grown in the world. The chapter contains some extremely useful tables. Information on water resources, land resources and forests is also included.

Chapter 4 covers food and agriculture technology. Mechanisation of agriculture as well as food storage and processing is covered.

Chapter 5 includes information on food supply and demand and includes tables of demands for different foods. Policies on organic food production, sustainable agricultural management and forestry management are discussed.

Chapter 6 provides information on agriculture, food and society, and the effects it has on social development, human health as well as the effects of malnutrition.

Chapter 7 concludes with food, agriculture and the global environment and the impact that is occurring with deforestation, pollution and over‐cropping.

There is a good glossary of food and agricultural terms at the back of the book plus a full list of references. Throughout each chapter there are Web sites so the reader can obtain further information. Both of these aspects make this a useful book for students of nutrition or food production as well as anyone with an interest in the subject.