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This book is about the invisible or subtle nature of food and farming, and also about the nature of existence. Everything that we know (and do not know) about the physical world has a subtle counterpart which has been scarcely considered in modernist farming practice and research. If you think this book isn’t for you, if it appears more important to attend to the pressing physical challenges the world is facing before having the luxury of turning to such subtleties, then think again. For it could be precisely this worldview – the one prioritises the physical-material dimension of reality - that helped get us into this situation in the first place. Perhaps we need a different worldview to...
Agroecology is at the forefront of transforming our food systems. This bestselling textbook provides the essential foundation for understanding this transformation in all its components: agricultural, ecological, economic, social, cultural, and political. It presents a case for food system change, explains the principles and practices underlying the ecological approach to food production, and lays out a vision for a food system based on equity and greater compatibility with the planet’s life support systems. New to the fourth edition: A chapter on Alternatives to Industrial Agriculture, covering the similarities and distinctions among different approaches to sustainable agriculture A chapt...
This book explores how a group of home gardeners grow food in the Santa Clara Valley to transform their social relationships, heal from past traumas, and improve their health, communities, and environments.
Gardening during times of crisis can have significant benefits to individuals and populations in terms of health, well-being, social and economic outcomes. So-called ‘crisis gardening’ can even be linked to transformative change in food systems through socio-ecological aspects of agroecology. In this book, crisis gardening is explored to better define, describe and provide recommendations about this activity globally. Diverse perspectives are offered from scholars around the world, providing an overview of gardening during crises with ties to agroecology. Such a perspective is critical as we grapple with food system crises, pandemics, climate change, biodiversity loss, mental health issu...
This book brings together an international group of agriculture and food lawyers and scientists to define the field of Food System Transparency in three parts: the big picture, food safety and health, and the global view. Each part adds to the whole but zooms in through a unique lens. Investigating social, economic, political, scientific and legal frameworks, this comprehensive volume addresses topics such as food authenticity, agroecological evaluations, and consumer protection. Interwoven themes of transparency contextualize concepts of food safety, information sharing and regulatory opportunities at a local and global scale. Editors’ notes provide blended legal and scientific commentary...
A tiny organism called pollen pulls off one of nature’s key tasks: plant reproduction. Pollination involves a complex network of different species interacting with one another and mutually adapting to their ecosystems, which are constantly changing. Some pollen grains require just a puff of wind to set them in motion, but most plants depend on creatures gifted with mobility. These might be birds, bats, reptiles, or insects including butterflies, beetles, flies, wasps, and over twenty thousand species of bee. In Paths of Pollen Stephen Humphrey asks readers to imagine a tipping point where plants and pollinators can no longer adapt to stressors such as urbanization, modern agriculture, and ...
Today, 20 percent of the global food supply relies on urban agriculture: social-ecological systems shaped by both human and non-human interactions. This book shows how urban agroecologists measure flora and fauna that underpin the ecological dynamics of these systems, and how people manage and benefit from these systems. It explains how the sociopolitical landscape in which these systems are embedded can in turn shape the social, ecological, political, and economic dynamics within them. Synthesizing interdisciplinary approaches in urban agroecology in the natural and social sciences, the book explores methodologies and new directions in research that can be adopted by scholars and practition...
The research was conducted in 18--25 urban gardens along the central coast of California. Differences at these gardens in terms of local and landscape features (such crop diversity and natural cover) allowed me to ask how anthropogenic processes such as urbanization impact bee health. In the 1st and 2nd chapter, I examine how garden management influences parasite and pathogen prevalence. In the 3rd chapter, I compare microbiome composition between orchard bees. In the 4th chapter, I use qualitative methods to describe the social factors shaping sustainable beekeeping practices.
Wild bees provide pollination but are gravely endangered. This book uses art and science to catalog the amazing diversity of bees in California. Over 25 stunning full color illustrations and haikus were contributed by up-and-coming young artists and poets. The book also describes bee ecology, decline, and how to support wild bees in your backyard.