Reseñas proporcionadas por Syndetics

CHOICE Review

Many farmers seek innovative ways to reduce costs and protect human health and the environment. The focus has generally been on keeping US farm products competitive, cutting production costs, and reducing the environmental consequences of farming. In this book a National Research Council committee examined specific and economic variability of alternative systems of agriculture in an attempt to achieve these goals. The first section describes the dimensions of US agriculture in domestic and world economics, including such topics as fertilizer, pesticides, antibiotics, irrigation water, trade policy, federal commodity price and income support programs, and regulatory and tax policies. The second section views the economic and environmental consequences of agricultural practices and federal government policies, and the third looks at the basic science supporting farm practices used in alternative agriculture. The fourth analyzes the economic potential of alternative systems using midwestern corn and northwestern wheat production as examples. The book concludes with 11 case studies describing 14 farms managed within an effective combination of alternative and conventional practices. Well referenced; typesetting and diagrams are extremely good, on better-than-average paper. Recommended for graduate or professional readers. H. W. Ockerman The Ohio State University