Transgenic crops: Engineering a more sustainable agriculture?

Transgenic crops currently available foruse potentially provide environmental benefits, suchas reduction in insecticide use and substitution ofless toxic for more toxic herbicides. These benefitsare contingent on a host of factors, such as thepotential for development of resistant pests,out-crossing to weedy relatives, and transgenic cropmanagement regimes. Three scenarios are used toexamine the potential sustainability of transgeniccrop technologies. These scenarios demonstrate thatexisting transgenic varieties, while potentiallyimproving the sustainability of agriculture relativeto existing chemical based production systems, fail inenabling a fully sustainable agriculture. Genetictraits that have a higher potential for promoting asustainable agriculture have been precluded fromdevelopment for a number of reasons. These include thelack of EPA and USDA regulatory policies thatexplicitly promote sustainable traits; the structureof the agricultural biotechnology industry, which isdominated by agricultural chemical companies; andpatent law and industry policies that proscribe farmhouseholds from saving transgenic seed and tailoringtransgenic crops to their local environmentalconditions – ecological, social, and economic.     

红壤旱地几种耕作制度效益的综合评价

经过对效益的综合评价 ,在所有供试处理中 ,“油菜 | |紫云英 /玉米 /玉米 | |绿豆”的效益最佳 ,“油菜×紫云英 -玉米 -玉米”次之。这两种耕作制度均可兼顾经济、社会和生态效益 ,保证农民增产增收 ,实现农业生产的可持续发展 ,是值得在红壤旱地上推广应用的两种双季玉米耕作制度     

Not just what, but how: Creating agricultural sustainability and food security by changing Canada's agricultural policy making process

Agriculture has been enormously productive in recent decades. The main problem is that fragmentation of issues, knowledge, and responsibilities has hidden the costs associated with this success. These are mainly environmental, social, and health costs, which have been assigned to other ministries, with their own histories unconnected to agriculture. Now that agricultural policy has achieved its success, its costs are becoming apparent. The current system is preoccupied with traditional views of competitiveness and efficiency. Policies, programs, and regulations are organized to support specific commodities, not farming and food systems. Responsibilities are extremely fragmented and frequently uncoordinated. In this environment, the focus on nourishment, food security, and environmental sustainability is subordinated to economic issues.The future lies in reorienting agricultural policy away from maximum production and towards sustainability. We propose a major transformation of the policy making apparatus in order to shift the focus of the system towards nourishment, food security, and sustainability. A new policy making system must be built on the themes of: integrated responsibilities and activities; emphasis on macro-policy; transdisciplinary policy development; proximity of policy makers to the diverse groups affected by problems needing resolution; food systems policy.The design principles for such a new system are taken from the theory of food security and ecology. Using these principles, we design a new provincial department of food and food security, and test this design with two case studies.     

Local food policy coalitions: Evaluation issues as seen by academics, project organizers, and funders

Several different evaluation issuesare perceived as important by people involved withinnovative projects intended to improve local food andnutrition systems; particularly the establishment oflocal food policy coalitions. Several such coalitionshave been formed in North America, Europe, andAustralia with the goal of improving community foodsecurity and promoting sustainable local food systems.Pioneer coalitions have served as models, yet therehas been little systematic evaluation of thesemodels. A qualitative study was conducted to identifyfactors that may hinder evaluation efforts. In grouptelephone interviews, we sought the views ofacademics, project organizers, and funders, a total of24 key informants. Pressures to evaluate were assessed differently bythe three groups of key informants. Academics felt thefocus of evaluation should be on the effectiveness ofthe process used to discuss issues and formulatepolicies and plans. Project organizers and fundersperceived a need to assess project impact andoutcomes. A lack of suitable evaluation models andmethods was viewed as a formidable barrier. The use ofinappropriate methods and premature impact evaluationwere noted as potential threats to projectsustainability. External constraints and resourcelimitations were also said to inhibit evaluationefforts. It appears that several other factors may also beimpeding progress in conducting more (and more useful)evaluations including: (1) the apparent negativeconnotation of evaluation and the limited benefitsexpected from evaluation by stakeholders, (2) a lackof consensus about important evaluation questions,(3) insufficient evaluation expertise among projectorganizers, and (4) inadequate appreciation ofincreasing accountability pressures.     

How Could Agricultural Land Systems Contribute to Raise Food Production Under Global Change?

To feed the increasing world population, more food needs to be produced from agricultural land systems. Solutions to produce more food with fewer resources while minimizing adverse environmental and ecological consequences require sustainable agricultural land use practices as supplementary to advanced biotechnology and agronomy. This review paper, from a land system perspective, systematically proposed and analyzed three interactive strategies that could possibly raise future food production under global change. By reviewing the current literatures, we suggest that cropland expansion is less possible amid fierce land competition, and it is likely to do less in increasing food production. Moreover, properly allocating crops in space and time is a practical way to ensure food production. Climate change, dietary shifts, and other socio-economic drivers, which would shape the demand and supply side of food systems, should be taken into consideration during the decision-making on rational land management in respect of sustainable crop choice and allocation. And finally, crop-specific agricultural intensification would play a bigger role in raising future food production either by increasing the yield per unit area of individual crops or by increasing the number of crops sown on a particular area of land. Yet, only when it is done sustainably is this a much more effective strategy to maximize food production by closing yield and harvest gaps.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Still</Emphasis> a time to act: A review of institutional marketing of regionally-grown food

Regional institutional marketing supports sustainable farming by bringing wholesome, nutritious food to members of the community. Schools, in particular, can benefit greatly from this arrangement in comprehensive efforts to address childhood obesity. Nineteen previous publications examined issues around supply of and/or demand for regional food procurement by institutions across the United States, including levels of interest, perceived benefits, and barriers to this arrangement. Food service directors, farmers, and/or distributors participated in surveys, interviews, workshops/forums, case studies, and one evaluation about regional food procurement. Accounts of seven farmer cooperatives or networks indicate that institutional customers are more often restaurants (n = 5), health care facilities (n = 2), colleges/universities (n = 2), and other facilities (n = 2), than public schools (n = 1) or food retailers (n = 1). The studies agree that the main benefits offered by regional food procurement are support of the local economy and increased access to fresh and nutritious food. Barriers consistently faced by food services and farmers have to do with lack of infrastructure and financial support for processing and central distribution. Though obstacles vary by district and/or geographic characteristics, results indicate that across groups there is a clear need for better support mechanisms by which farms can connect with regional markets. The practice of farm-to-institution marketing holds the potential to improve nutritional status of community members and financial stability of farmers, though institutional support is needed for systemic transition to this purchasing method.

南京市新农村建设系统的实证分析研究

基于系统工程的角度,立足于南京市新农村建设实际,将新农村建设系统分为经济、社会、资源、环境四子系统,并对系统发展水平、系统发展趋势以及系统发展协调度等可持续发展问题进行实证分析和定量评价,结果表明,南京市新农村建设的经济、社会子系统发展呈现增长趋势,环境子系统发展呈现下降趋势,资源子系统发展呈现波动趋势;在观察期内,系统发展水平呈现先降后升的趋势,系统发展协调度呈现先升后降的趋势。     

绿色食品产业与中国绿色农业的可持续性发展战略

从我国绿色食品产业发展现状入手,分析了绿色食品产业在我国农业可持续发展中的意义,阐述了我国绿色食品产业存在的问题,提出了促进我国绿色农业可持续性发展的战略途径.     

Scaling up: Bringing public institutions and food service corporations into the project for a local,sustainable food system in Ontario

This paper reports on a relationship between the University of Toronto and a non-profit, non-governmental (“third party”) certifying organization called Local Flavour Plus (LFP). The University as of August 2006 requires its corporate caterers to use local and sustainable farm products for a small but increasing portion of meals for most of its 60,000 students. LFP is the certifying body, whose officers and consultants have strong relations of trust with sustainable farmers. It redefines standards and verification to create ladders for farmers, Aramark and Chartwells (the corporations that won the bid), and the University, to continuously raise standards of sustainability. After years of frustrated efforts, other Ontario institutions are expressing interest, opening the possibility that a virtuous circle could lead to rapid growth in local, sustainable supply chains. The paper examines the specificities of the LFP approach and of the Toronto and Canadian context. Individuals in LFP acquired crucial skills, insights, experience, resources, and relationships of trust over 20 years within the Toronto “community of food practice,” located in a supportive municipal, NGO and social movement context. Harriet Friedman PhD, is Professor of Sociology at the University of Toronto Mississauga and at the Centre for International Studies University of Toronto. Her research is in international and local politics of food and agriculture, focusing on contested transitions between food regimes. Her current research is on politics of standards and certification. Thanks to Lori Stahlbrand, Mike Schreiner, and Rod MacRae of LFP and Debbie Field and Zahra Parvinian of FoodShare for sharing time and insights at length, and to Wayne Roberts of TFPC, David Clandfield of New College, Josee Johnston, and Amber McNair for helpful conversations about our “community of practice.” Thanks to Yossi Cadam for the ladder metaphor.     

The poverty of sustainability: An analysis of current positions

A short time ago the idea of sustainable agriculture was accepted only at the extreme margins of the U. S. agricultural systems. Although sustainability has now become a major theme of many U. S. agricultural groups, there remains much under-explored terrain in the meaning of sustainable agriculture. A thorough examination of who and what we want to sustain and how we can sustain them is critical if sustainable agriculture is to be a practical improvement over conventional agriculture. In order to begin this effort, this article analyzes contemporary sustainable agriculture discourse and suggests alternatives for reconceptualizing sustainable agriculture. In particular we look at three arenas of sustainable discourse—family farm/rural community preservation, food safety, and agricultural science—and address issues of class, race/ethnicity, and gender found in current sustainability positions. We find that while advocates of sustainability have succeeded in pushing agricultural researchers and policy makers to address environmental issues, we need to go much farther both in theory and practice in order to deal with equally important issues of social equity.Patricia Allen is senior analyst with the Agroecology Program at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her work concentrates on the political economic aspects of sustainability issues in food and agricultural systems. Her edited book,Food for the Future: Conditions and Contradictions of Sustainability, will be published this spring by John Wiley & Sons.     

Eating Right Here: Moving from Consumer to Food Citizen

The term food citizenship is defined as the practice of engaging in food-related behaviors that support, rather than threaten, the development of a democratic, socially and economically just, and environmentally sustainable food system. Ways to practice food citizenship are described and a role for universities in fostering food citizenship is suggested. Finally, four barriers to food citizenship are identified and described: the current food system, federal food and agriculture policy, local and institutional policies, and the culture of professional nutrition organizations. Jennifer L. Wilkins is a Senior Extension Associate in the Division of Nutritional Sciences at Cornell University and currently a Kellogg Food and Society Fellow. Her extension and applied research focuses on community food systems, regional dietary guidance, and farm to school connections.     

Moving beyond the opposition of diverse knowledge systems for food security and nutrition

Food Security and Nutrition(FSN) is influenced by diverse and complex factors, and therefore requires a holistic approach to agriculture and food systems plus integration of knowledge from diverse sources in science and society. Using the results of a colloquium held at the University of Hohenheim(Germany) in September 2016 leading up to the recent High Level Panel of Experts(HLPE) Note on Critical and Emerging Issues for Food Security and Nutrition, this article underlines the role of research and innovation as a social and political process and draws attention to neglected types of knowledge. It illustrates the potential of knowledge co-production and co-innovation to transform food systems in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.     

Healthy soils for sustainable food production and environmental quality

Soil is the foundation for sustainable food production and environmental protection. Created by unsustainable land management practices and a range of social, economic and environmental drivers, soil degradation and pollution have been an ongoing threat to international food security and environmental quality. Soil degradation and pollution assessments are, however, often focused on the soil itself with little scope to devise new soil management approaches that match food production systems and/or environmental protection. This study draws lessons from an Australia-China Joint Research Center Program, Healthy Soils for Sustainable Food Production and Environmental Quality: a research platform that has brought together multi-disciplinary approaches from world-renowned universities and research organizations in Australia and China. To this end, a framework is presented for future soil management in a new way that combines excellence in research, industry and policymakers in a partnership that will ensure not only the right focus of the research but also that high-quality outputs will be transferable to industry and end-users.     

四川白沙河流域生态经济系统可持续性能值分析

利用能值分析的方法,通过建立指标对2002～2006年四川白沙河流域的社会、经济和自然系统进行定量分析,并与新疆玛纳斯河流域以及四川省进行比较,从而评估白沙河流域的可持续发展情况,为白沙河流域今后的开发利用提供参考。结果表明:从经济系统能值投入的角度看,白沙河流域是典型的资源丰富待开发型生态经济区;从自然条件开发和生态资源利用的角度看,白沙河流域资源利用强度较弱,环境负荷率较低,能值产出水平有待提高;白沙河流域系统具有较强的可持续发展能力和较好的发展潜力。     

长沙市土地资源可持续利用评价

从经济可行性、社会可接受性和生态合理性3个方面出发,构建了包括21个指标的长沙市土地资源可持续利用评价指标体系,根据《长沙市统计年鉴2010~2014》数据,运用多指标综合评价法、极值法、熵权法,对长沙市土地资源的可持续利用情况进行定量研究。结果表明:2009~2012年,长沙市的土地资源可持续利用情况得分不高,且伴有下降趋势,总体上处于可持续利用的起步阶段;2013年的可持续利用水平最高,并摆脱可持续利用的起步阶段,进入到可持续利用的发展阶段;2009~2013年,其可持续利用水平并不稳定。长沙市土地资源可持续利用水平总体上仍处于可持续利用起步阶段,可持续利用水平有待提高。     

可再生能源的利用与可持续发展

开发利用可再生能源对于中国构建可持续发展能源战略具有重要意义。文章对中国开发利用可再生能源的重要意义进行了比较全面的分析,探讨了缓解能源需求压力,改善能源结构,实现能源可持续利用和经济社会可持续发展对可再生能源开发利用的现实需要及可能路径．最后指出发展可再生能源是中国经济社会可持续发展的重要举措和有效途径。     

中国冬小麦品质改良研究进展

小麦是中国第三大粮食作物,在农业生产和食品工业中占有重要地位。随着中国经济和社会的发展,消费者的生活需求正在发生变化,工业化和城市化使食品工业,特别是传统食品工业化加速发展。与此同时,食品工业对食品原料的专用化和规模化,即品种的质量、规格和数量,提出了更高的要求。如何研究和解决这一矛盾,已成为小麦产业和食品工业可持续发展的新问题。本文以国内发表的论著为基础,整理、分析了小麦品质改良历史、研究进展、存在问题;讨论了小麦产业链和食品加工业的可持续发展对优质小麦的需求;结合农业生产和食品工业的发展趋势提出建议,供小麦育种、生产、收贮、食品加工等部门和研究人员参考。     

伊春林区森林可持续经营效果评价

通过调查森林资源情况以及地区的经济、社会状况,从生态效益、社会效益、经济效益3个方面提出伊春林区森林可持续经营评价指标体系;应用层次分析法和加权平均法对伊春林区森林可持续经营状况进行评价,分析影响其可持续经营的制约性因素。结果表明:伊春林区森林可持续经营综合评价指数为0.892,说明伊春林区森林资源可持续经营状况总体上处于可持续发展状态。从社会、生态、经济3个子系统的可持续发展状况分析发现,社会可持续性指数最高(0.981),生态可持续性指数为0.905,2个子系统均处于完全可持续发展状态;经济可持续性指数为0.808,略低于其他2个子系统,处于可持续发展状态。目前影响伊春林区森林可持续经营的主要问题包括:森林植被物种多样性较低;树种的组成比较单一,尤其是人工林中大部分是人工纯林;森林龄级结构不合理,大部分是幼中龄林,成过熟林面积蓄积都偏少;森林质量低;林地生产力退化;旅游收入偏低,与伊春林区丰富的旅游资源不对称;经济发展模式单一,经济发展缓慢;产业结构不合理。     

西藏普兰县生态环境保护与经济可持续发展

生态环境保护是人类经济社会实现可持续发展重要内容,如何更好地协调人类经济社会系统与自然生态系统之间的关系,实现经济社会可持续发展,是人类社会的迫切需要。西藏普兰县经济发展紧迫、地理位置特殊,生态环境极度脆弱和敏感,并带有很强的宗教色彩,实现该区域经济的协调发展,具有十分重要的现实意义。