agriculture land use News
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The effects of agricultural land use change on farmland birds in Sweden
The effects of changing agricultural practices on farmland birds are explored in a recently published study from Sweden. Overall abundance of 16 common species declined by 23% between 1994 and 2004, which may be partly caused by changes in land use, such as an increase in the amount of wheat cropland. However, effects vary between species, and some species increased or stayed stable in number. ...
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New satellite sensing tool for improving agricultural land use observation
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) data indicate that annually 2500 km3 of freshwater are used for agricultural production, which amounts to 70% of the water resources the whole of humanity consumes in a year. With the global population continuing to grow at a high pace, it is essential to optimize the use of water resources and to increase agricultural production in ...
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Understanding land use change and US ethanol expansion
Understanding changes in land use—such as deforestation, urbanization and agriculture expansion—is important if society is to properly address the challenges of climate change, utilization of natural resources, and energy production and consumption. However, the intensifying debate over potential indirect land use changes resulting from biofuels expansion is nebulous at best. At worst, it is ...
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Comparing farmland changes in China, the Netherlands and Germany
Converting agricultural land for non-agricultural use has implications for food security and environmental degradation, and concerns many countries across the world. How different nations address these issues has been examined in a recent study which compares the governance structures for farmland conversion in the Netherlands, Germany and China. Working within the RECREATE project1, partly ...
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FAO’s State of the World’s Forests Calls for Positive Interactions Between Agriculture and Forestry
It is not necessary to cut down forests to produce more food. Promoting more positive interactions between agriculture and forestry can stop deforestation, build sustainable agricultural systems and improve food security. This is the key message of 'The State of the World's Forests' (SOFO), the flagship publication of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO), presented at the opening ...
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China to test farmers` right to transfer plots
An eastern Chinese region is experimenting with letting farmers mortgage or transfer control of their publicly owned land, in what could help spread prosperity to the impoverished countryside and become one of China's most pivotal rural land reforms in 35 years. There is no private land ownership in China, with all urban land under state ownership and rural land under collective ownership ...
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From the ground up: local knowledge informing agri-environmental policy
Agricultural land use presents a number of environmental challenges, which the European Commission is committed to addressing through a range of agri-environmental policies. A new study points to the importance of aligning agri-environmental policies with farmers’ needs and operations. Using the case of land clearing in Finland, the research underlines the importance of incorporating input ...
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Birds could provide a simple means of identifying high nature value farmland
New research from central Italy shows that high nature value farmland in the region can be accurately identified by the presence of just four bird species. Once such groups of species have been identified for different regions, they can provide a quick and inexpensive tool for assessing the ecological value of farmland, the researchers say. Agriculture is a major land use across Europe and ...
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Bio-economy depends on technological innovation and the fertilizer industry wants to be part
Bio-economy is about using renewable biological resources and making the economy more sustainable and resource-efficient. We live in times of a growing global population with high demand for food and energy while there is increased competition for limited and finite natural resources. In order to contribute to this debate Fertilizers Europe organized a panel discussion at the Global Forum for ...
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Irish agriculture faces emissions dilemma
Ireland is facing a classic conflict, pitching economic growth targets against the need for action on climate change. On one hand, Ireland’s planners want to see significant growth in its food and agriculture industry – a sector that is one of the main pillars of the country’s economy, accounting for about 8% of gross domestic product. On the other hand, the country − ...
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New ORNL tool gets handle on cropland CO2 emissions
For the first time, farmers have data that tracks at the county level on-site and off-site energy use and carbon dioxide emissions associated with growing crops in the United States. This information is vital for examining changes in cropland production and management techniques and could play an even bigger role as more land is devoted to bioenergy crops, said Oak Ridge National Laboratory's ...
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Janez Potočnik European Commissioner for Environment 20 years on – The importance of EU nature protection
Ladies and Gentlemen, I am delighted to be here today to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Habitats Directive and the Natura 2000 network. As you probably correctly assume, this is not my first celebration, but the message of the importance of both, the Directive and the Network, should be repeated again and again. I am particularly pleased to celebrate this special occasion with you, who ...
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Pakistan to get $75m for irrigation projects
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide Pakistan with $75 million in loans to build several multi-purpose dams, irrigation canals and drinking water supplies across the Potohar Plateau near Islamabad. The project will improve the livelihoods of about 22,000 farming households by bringing irrigation to 11,500 hectares of agricultural land that used to rely on irregular and unpredictable ...
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Use of residues from agriculture and forestry as energy source improves food security
The sustainability of growing crops for use as energy sources has been disputed for many years. A potentially attractive alternative is to use waste and residues from agricultural and forestry. However, using waste and other residues may have an impact on land use, biodiversity and food security. The additional sources of income from the sale of waste and other residues could prompt an increase ...
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How to feed the world without destroying the planet
By 2050, there will be another two to three billion people on Earth, and the planet's population will consume twice as much food as now. For 50 years farmland has grown at the cost of natural habitat and biodiversity, and already more than two-thirds of agricultural land is either in use or protected. As a result, we need to develop the technology to double the output of the 10–15 main ...
By SciDev.Net
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Forest Restoration Projects in Ghana, United States and Uruguay Earn Independent Carbon Offset Validation from SCS Global Services
Projects on three continents that will absorb carbon dioxide by planting trees on more than 30,000 hectares of degraded lands have been given the green light, based on independent validations conducted by SCS Global Services (SCS). The six carbon offset projects, located in Ghana, the United States and Uruguay, will result in the generation of saleable carbon credits. In Uruguay, three projects ...
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Third world climate conference
With climate change increasing the incidence and severity of weather events, agriculture, one of the most climate dependent of all human activities, depends heavily on effective meteorological services which are vital to climate change mitigation and adaptation, said an FAO expert today. “The economic costs associated with natural disasters, including extreme weather events, have increased ...
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NRDC announces winners of the 2013 Growing Green Awards
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) today celebrates four remarkable food vanguards for their pioneering efforts to create healthier and more sustainable food systems at the fifth annual Growing Green Awards. The winners, who are leaders in tackling antibiotic resistance on farms, infusing urban areas with fresh produce in corner stores, championing business innovation in organic ...
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Protecting forests alone would not halt land-use change emissions
Global forest conservation measures meant to mitigate climate change are likely to drive massive cropland expansion into shrublands or savannahs to satisfy the ever-growing hunger for arable land. The consequent changes in land use could cause substantial greenhouse gas emissions, a new study in the journal Nature Climate Change shows. In contrast to previous assumptions, conservation schemes ...
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Making agriculture sustainable
Agriculture is possibly the most important sector of global activity. It is a source of foods, fibers and, increasingly, fuel. It provides livelihoods and subsistence for the largest number of people worldwide. It is vital to rural development and therefore critical to poverty alleviation. Up to 40% of the land’s surface is used for agriculture, along with 70% of the world’s fresh water supply. ...
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