Sustainable Food Production Includes Human and Environmental Health

Issues In Agroecology approaches the complex panorama of interrelated topics that encompass agroecology by presenting internationally authoritative, comprehensive, and analytical reviews. Authors are invited and provide strong summaries and scholarly advances that serve as foundations for discussion leading to novel routes of research activity, application of management methodologies, and education and outreach programs. Each review represents concise and up-to-date syntheses of the rapidly growing quantity of scientific information in each chosen topic within this highly interdisciplinary field. Authors for each review assess the present status of this knowledge as to whether or not it is effectively moving toward or contributing to increased sustainability. As a part of this assessment, authors identify inadequacies, errors, and gaps in knowledge that may be hindering or opposing sustainability objectives. For each review, the authors ultimately discuss what might be needed to bring work and programs onto a better track towards achieving sustainability. Such informed assessments of the routes to realize future potential make the series an essential part of the scientific method and a necessity for researchers, teachers, students, and field professionals when dealing with increasing global environmental and socioeconomic change. This format will make Issues in Agroecology a highly citable series that is guaranteed to enlighten research teams, technology users, educators, students, and the general public on the status and advances of agroecology around the world.

Foreword.- Acknowledgements.- Biosketches of Editors and Contributing Authors.- Chapter 1: The Trading and Use of Agrochemicals.- . The Rise of Agrochemicals and Their Benefits to Humanity.- 2. Problems Associated with Agrochemicals.- 3. Limiting Agrochemical Use - Integrated Pest Management.- Conclusions.- References.- Chapter 2: Critical Evaluation of Genetic Manipulation for Improved Productivity: Is This a Sustainable Agenda.- 1. Introduction: Agricultural Paradigms.- 2. Agriculture, Biotechnology and Biodiversity.- 3. Genetically Modified Crops, Biofuels and Sustainable Agriculture in the United States.- 4. The Ethical Socioeconomic and Political Issues of Biotechnology in Agriculture.- 5. Genetically Engineered Crops, Food Security and Safety.- 6. Conclusions and Perspectives: Supporting Sustainable Agriculture and Development.- Acknowledgements.- References.- Chapter 3: Organic Farming and Organic Food Quality - Prospects and Limitations.- 1. Organic Farming.- 2. Food Quality.- Conclusions and Outlook.- References.- Chapter 4: Veterinary Medicine: The Value of Plant Secondary Compounds and Diversity in Balancing Consumer and Ecological Health.-1. Plant Diversity in Ecosystems.- 2. Plant Diversity and Secondary Compounds.- 3. Plant Secondary Compounds as Medicines - Feedback Mechanisms.- 4. Plant Secondary Compounds as Preventive Agents: Feed-Forward Mechanisms.- 5. Feedback (Treatment) vs. Feed-Forward (Prevention).- 6. Impacts of PSCs on Food Products.- 7. Plant Diversity, PSCs, Productivity and Health.- 8. Grazing and Spatial and Temporal Biodiversity.- 9. Plant Diversity, Prevention and Food Interactions.- 10. Plant Diversity and the Value of Silvopastoral Systems.- 11. Current vs. "Ideal" Feeding Systems.- Acknowledgements.- References.- Chapter 5: Controlling the Introduction and Augmentation of Parasites In and On Domesticated Livestock.- 1. Introduction.- 2. Parasitism in Tropical DomesticatedLivestock: Human Interventions and Welfare.- 3. Hunger and Parasites: Common Enemies in Grazing Systems.- 4. The Spread of Parasitic Diseases and the Potential Impacts.- 5. Parasiticide Medications Used on Ruminant Livestock.- 6. Parasiticide Resistance in Ruminant Livestock.- 7. Improving the Use of Existing Parasiticide Drugs.- 8. Parasiticides in Domesticated Livestock: Ecotoxicity and Environmental Cost.- 9. How do Agroecologically Oriented Operations Affect the Introduction and Spread of Endoparasites and Ectoparasites to Other Animals and Humans?.- 10. Advances in Biological Control for Domesticated Livestock with Emphasis on Tick and Gastrointestinal Nematode (GIN) Control.- 11. Supplementary Feeding to Improve Resilience and Resistance Against GINs.- 12. Concluding Remarks.- Acknowledgements.- References.