Campesino A Campesino: Voices from Latin America's Farmer to Farmer Movement for Sustainable Agriculture

Customer Reviews:

I'm in LOVE with the authors of this book!.......2006-05-29

This book took me on a deep journey through the indigenous peasant world of Campesino a Campesino, a fascinating movement working for food sovereignty and environmental sustainability. I had no idea of its existence or of the dramatic struggles of its protagonists. On one hand, it is told through the eyes of the peasants themselves as they brave repressive regimes, war, globalization and poverty. On the other, the author weaves in his own observations and thoughtful analysis of how and why these events occur. It is powerfully and passionately written, without losing any of its sharp analytical edge. I learned a lot from this book, and will use it in my teaching and simply to share in the wisdom of the peasants.

The Wealth of Forests: Markets, Regulation, and Sustainable Forestry

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The Wealth of Forests

The Wealth of Forests: Markets, Regulation, and Sustainable Forestry

Manufacturer: UBC Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0774806834

Customer Reviews:

The Wealth of Forests.......2000-08-26

The book consists of a series of informative papers analyzing the current forest regulatory scheme in British Columbia. The authors include academics from the University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria as well as lawyers and business people. Their discussion is very analytical and comprehensive.

Customer Reviews:

Pure castrist propaganda........2006-03-27

Some years ago, a brazilian lend this book to me.It's a small and concise book.In fact the only quality of this bad book is his small size.
All the rest are ridiculous Castro's propaganda.
Well, I'm an (unemployed) brazilian agronomist.I must tell you that Cuba has nothing to teach about agriculture.In fact Castro's Cuba is, a complete agriculture failure.The big Cuba's crop is sugar.Well, in 1912, Cuba produced more sugar then in 2003,2004 and 2005.
Cuba's experimente with organic agriculture was and is a failure.In fact, in Cuba, the general people has no flowing water, eletricity,etc.
Outside privileges and money support to latin american marxists, Cuba's money goes to propaganda.And this is pure castrist propaganda.

should be required text.......2001-04-18

for any environmental studies program. Ideas put to the test on an island with very little outside resources. Excellent discussion material. Unique insight into the revolution.

First-rate scientific and social examination of Cuba's agric.......1999-01-25

Cuba's social and economic systems have been in crisis since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The prime concern of the country is how to feed its citizens so that every member has an adequate and nutritious diet. Rosset and Benjamin's scientific delegation to Cuba examined the history leading up to the current crisis, and the social, political and economic factors which maintain the food shortage up to this day. They then launch on an encyclopedic survey of the agricultural and social reform programs launched by Cuba's government to remedy the crisis. The country has adopted a Low Input, Sustainable Agriculture (LISA) style of food production in order to cope with drastically reduced inputs of chemicals, fertilizer, fuel, and capital since the USSR collapsed. Research programs abound, with several hundred research and development facilities in a country little larger than Vancouver Island, B.C. They are studying and implementing programs in non-chemical control of insects, weeds, and disease; soil remediation and fertility; labour distribution; post-harvest physiology and storage; and the distributions of production and population centers. The Greening of the Revolution combines the expertise of a 20 member delegation who spent a week in 1992 travelling the country. It reads like a comprehensive Annual Review article, with insightful analysis throughout, but not for the faint-of-heart looking for a light read. The 1992 date is now 7 years past, it would be of great interest to have a second edition of the book published in a repeat of the 1992 surveys. The book could also use some close editing; although logically laid out and of strong scientific style, there were reduncies and inconsistencies sprinkled throughout the text. In all, though, an excellent and compelling analysis of a country in transition.

Forest Resource Policy in Latin America (Inter-American Development Bank)

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Forest Resource Policy in Latin America (Inter-American Development Bank)

Manufacturer: Inter-American Development Bank
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

Latin America has one of the highest deforestation rates in the world, and its forests are exploited for the benefit of both rich and poor. In several countries of the region, current policies favor the conversion of natural forests to other uses and the establishment of tree plantations.

How can Latin America conserve its rich natural inheritance? Forest Resource Policy in Latin America gathers the thinking of more than a dozen international experts on financing and policy mechanisms for sustainable use and management of forests, including incentives for investment. They tackle the thorny social issues of property rights, deforestation, and forest management and ownership by indigenous people. Alternatives for habitat protection and rural income generation are outlined, and forest concession policies across the region are analyzed.

The authors take a hard look at many trade and environmental issues in forest production that will affect future directions for sustainable forestry development in Latin America. Some argue that the main opportunity to conserve natural forests lies in recognizing and paying for the environmental services they provide. Meanwhile, compensatory measures such as the establishment and better management of strictly protected areas appear to be the best tools to delay the loss of ecosystems and species.

Biodiversity, Biotechnology, and Sustainable Development in Health and Agriculture

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Biodiversity, Biotechnology, and Sustainable Development in Health and Agriculture
Pan American Health Organization
Manufacturer: World Health Organization
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

This publication explores the connections among biodiversity, biotechnology, and sustainable development by examining the drug discovery process and agricultural improvements for better nutrition.

The first section discusses different bioprospecting ventures-including the now famous agreement between Merck & Co. and Costa Rica's National Institute for Biodiversity (INBio)-and suggests policy options for potential host countries. Subsequent sections explore such issues as costs, scientific and resource requirements, and economic prospects of different drug development models; how biodiversity and biotechnology can team up to establish a high-yield, sustainable agriculture; the legal ramifications of intellectual property rights, fair compensation for indigenous knowledge, and different contractual arrangements; how to assess biodiversity's economic value; and domestic and international policy implications of the use and conservation of biodiversity. A final section discusses whether biodiversity- "green gold"-will, in fact, become Latin America and the Caribbean's new competitive advantage.

Book Description

The Central American region is a vital ecological resource that provides environmental balance for the rest of the American continents. Using comprehensive surveys and statistical studies, this volume presents an evaluation of the region's deforestation, sustainable agriculture, tourism, emerging carbon markets, trade, and growth. By comparing and contrasting policies applied by other countries with similar environmental characteristics, the contributors argue that Central American governments must learn from the results of these policies in order to manage resources, foster sustainability and competitiveness, and procure positive results.

Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests (Agriculture)

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A partially unrealistic guide for forest landowners

Forested Landscapes in Perspective: Prospects and Opportunities for Sustainable Management of America's Nonfederal Forests (Agriculture)

Manufacturer: National Academy Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Customer Reviews:

A partially unrealistic guide for forest landowners.......2000-08-22

Though the book is well written and brings to the forefront of forest policy the issues we must confront in the future, no truly usable suggestions are made for action. The book also fails to truly understand the capacity of the NIPF landowner to institute management plans.

Managed Ecosystems: The Mesoamerican Experience (Topics in Sustainable Agronomy)

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Managed Ecosystems: The Mesoamerican Experience (Topics in Sustainable Agronomy)

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

As human activities in the New World Tropics (Neotropics) increase in intensity and extent, sodo the interactions between natural and human-dominated ecosystems. The essays in this book compare the sociocultural and biophysical aspects of managing the resource base in these regions. It describes the potential benefits--and liabilities--of the major food, fuel, and fiber production systems, each one exmined in terms of its potential impact upon resource preservation and utilization. The book is a departure from traditional treatments of agricultural sustainability or natural resources development in that it addresses the specific systems prevalent in the Neotropics, focusing on the flow between agricultural and natural ecosystems.

Non-Governmental Organisations and the State in Latin America : Rethinking Roles in Sustainable Agricultural Development (Non-Governmental Organizations Series)

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Non-Governmental Organisations and the State in Latin America : Rethinking Roles in Sustainable Agricultural Development (Non-Governmental Organizations Series)
A. Bebbington
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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Book Description

This book presents twenty specially commissioned case studies of farmer participatory approaches to agricultural innovation initiated by non-governmental organizations in Latin America. Beginning with a broad review of institutional activity at the grassroots level, the authors set the case material within the context of NGO relations with the state and their contribution to democratization and the consolidation of rural civil society.

The book raises specific questions about how useful NGOs can be in promoting technological innovation and addressing constraints to change in present agriculture, how effective they are at strengthening grassroots organizations, and how donor pressures influence NGOs and their links to the state.

Ogallala: Water for a Dry Land (Our Sustainable Future)

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A very good introduction to this topic

Ogallala: Water for a Dry Land (Our Sustainable Future)
John Opie
Manufacturer: University of Nebraska Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0803235577

Book Description

The Ogallala aquifer, a vast store of underground water reserves extending from South Dakota through Texas, is the product of eons of accumulated glacial melts, ancient Rocky Mountain snow melts, and rainfall, all percolating slowly through gravel beds hundreds of feet thick. Irrigation from the aquifer has allowed the High Plains region to prosper, but without revolutionary changes in the management of this resource, the future may bring a return to subsistence conditions.

Focusing on the Ogallala aquifer, John Opie vividly portrays the south-central plains—its natural resources, the history of settlement and dryland farming, and the remarkable irrigation technologies that have industrialized farming in the region. He recounts state and local attempts to manage and conserve groundwater and describes the operations, insights, hopes, and fragile future of several families farming on the High Plains. In doing so, he illustrates that the aquifer is not merely a local resource, nor simply a regional treasure: its influence is felt in farming, food, and foreign trade issues at the national and international levels.

Customer Reviews:

A very good introduction to this topic.......2000-08-12

A few years ago I came across a magazine article that discussed the importance of the Ogallala Aquifer to American agriculture, geography, and society. Realizing that I knew absolutely nothing about this topic I picked up John Opie's book. It's safe to say that I now know more about the Ogallala Aquifer than I could ever have imagined possible.

The book begins with a discussion of the geology of the aquifer, and then moves into the history of irrigation efforts on the Plains since the 19th century, and finally to a discussion of the various irrigation technologies currently used to exploit the aquifer. There is ample discussion along the way about how these technologies have changed over the years as environmental consciousness and the problems of declining aquifer levels have become more prevalent.

This book is not only a very informative look at the Ogallala Aquifer but is pleasantly readable as well. And now that it is (finally) available in a more affordable paperback edition, I'm going to go buy a copy for myself.

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