About Book

Sustainable agriculture refers to the act of using activities while farming which don’t cause any harm to the crops, the land, and the environment. It is the practice of using organic manures and environment friendly techniques for farming practices. It can be based on an understanding of ecosystem services. There are many methods to increase the sustainability of agriculture. When developing agriculture within sustainable food systems, it is important to develop flexible business process and farming practices. Every person involved in the food system – growers, food processors, distributors, retailers, consumers, and waste mangers-can play a role in ensuring a sustainable agricultural system. This book is a valuable compilation of topics, ranging from the basic to the most complex theories and principles in the field of sustainable agriculture and farming. It is designed in such a way, that it will provide deep insights about the new theories and concepts related to the subject to the readers. It examines alternative fertilizer, agricultural production, urban sustainability, farming systems, international cooperation, biodiversity conservation, cultural landscape and impact of sustainable agriculture. This unique book addresses a wide array of topics from all continents, making it a valuable reference resource for students, researchers and agriculturists who are concerned with biodiversity, agroecology and sustainable development of agricultural resources.

Preface............................................................................................................v

Chapter 1 International Cooperation for Smart and Sustainable

Agriculture....................................................................................................1

Abstract...................................................................................................1

1. Introduction and state of the art.......................................................1

2. Current situation of smart agriculture in Europe..........................2

3. The Danube transfer centers network: a collaboration

framework..............................................................................................6

4. The “Made in Danube” project approach........................................9

5. Some results in smart agriculture....................................................10

6. Connecting smart agriculture, bioeconomy, and sustainable

development.........................................................................................13

7. Conclusions..........................................................................................17

Chapter 2 Accounting for the Impact of Sustainable Agriculture: The Role of Community Based Organization and Local Governance Structures in Promoting Sustainable Agriculture.................................................20

Abstract.................................................................................................20

1. Introduction..........................................................................................21

2. Rationale for local action in designing sustainable agricultural

production systems.............................................................................24

3. Relevance of governance structures................................................27

4. What difference does it make which governance model a

community or organization adopts to coordinate the production

of goods and services?.......................................................................29

5. Material and methods........................................................................31

6. Results...................................................................................................33

7. Discussion.............................................................................................37

Chapter 3 Biochar: The Black Diamond for Soil Sustainability, Contamination

Control and Agricultural Production...................................................42

Abstract.................................................................................................42

1. Introduction..........................................................................................43

2. Production and characterization of biochars derived from

different wastes....................................................................................43

3. The beneficial effect of biochars derived from different wastes

on soil fertility.....................................................................................50

4. Biochar: alternative option for soil sustainability.........................52

5. Biochar and the environmental change..........................................52

6. The beneficial role of biochar for contamination control of soils

and waters............................................................................................53

7. Conclusion and future challenges of biochar ..............................55

Chapter 4 Urban Agriculture: The Allotment Gardens as Structures of

Urban Sustainability................................................................................67

1. Introduction..........................................................................................67

2. Materials and methods......................................................................72

3. What is urban agriculture?...............................................................73

4. Results ..............................................................................................117

5. Conclusion..........................................................................................129

Chapter 5 Alternative Fertilizer Utilizing Methods for Sustaining

Low Input Agriculture...........................................................................137

1. Introduction........................................................................................137

2. Materials and methods....................................................................140

3. Results and discussion.....................................................................142

Acknowledgement.............................................................................154

Chapter 6 Agriculture and Rurality as Constructor of Sustainable Cultural

Landscape..................................................................................................157

1. Introduction ......................................................................................157

2. Agriculture from nature .................................................................158

3. Rurality, territory and cultural landscape ..................................163

4. Cultural landscape construction and governance ...................166

5. Cultural landscape sustainability .................................................179

6. Concluding remarks.........................................................................182

Chapter 7 Sustainable Farming Systems vs Conventional Agriculture:

A Socioeconomic Approach..................................................................191

1. Introduction........................................................................................191

2. Methodology......................................................................................199

3. Results and discussion.....................................................................202

4. Conclusions........................................................................................217

Chapter 8 Sustainable Agriculture – A Panacea for Achieving Biodiversity

Conservation and Rural Development in Sub-Saharan Africa?.223

1. Introduction........................................................................................223

2. Performance of conventional agriculture in SSA ......................224

3. Sustainable agriculture: A conceptual overview .......................227

4. Application and performance of sustainable agriculture in

SSA .....................................................................................................229

5. Conditions under which sustainable agriculture could contribute

to improved food production, biodiversity conservation and

rural development ...........................................................................233

6. Rural development ..........................................................................239

7. Conclusion .........................................................................................241

Citation......................................................................................................245

Index...........................................................................................................247

About Author

Elmer Petritsch holds Ph.D. in Agricultural Science and Land Use from Public State University, Oregon. His academic interests are in impacts of land use on ecology and sustainable agriculture. He is serving as a Research Associate at Community College, Manitoba. He has authored and edited several texts, which include articles, technical papers and book chapters, in the field of sustainable agriculture and associated land use planning and management. Petritsch also works as a freelance agronomic writer. He has been awarded several awards for his articles in this field.