In the vicinity of a city, farmers are confronted with increasing agricultural land prices and rents along the rural-urban gradient, but they concurrently enjoy the advantages associated with proximityto a larger and wealthier consumer base. We hypothesize that farmers transition fromlow-value, land-intensive \traditional" crops to high-value, labor-intensive \specialized" crops on parcels located closer to urban centers. Once returns to development of a parcel exceed theprofits associated with farming, exurban farmers may sell their land for conversion to urban use.

This study was intended to develop an understanding of producer preference for land-based carbon sequestration in agriculture. We conducted a mail survey to elicit producer choice to provide marketable carbon offsets by participating in different carbon credit programs characterized by varying practices.

Soil fertility and the lack of fertilizer use in Africa are frequently discussed topics. Theproblems of land degradation and low agricultural productivity, which result in foodinsecurity and poverty, are particularly severe in the rural highlands of Ethiopia. Inmany areas, a downward spiral of land degradation and poverty appears to be occurring. Findingsolutions to these problems requires identifying effective entry points for farmers, governments,and civil society organizations, and understanding the potential impacts and tradeoffsthat are likely to arise from alternative interventions.

This 2008 report provides an economic overview of the Canadian agriculture and agri-food system.It is meant to be a multi-purpose reference document to provide:an introduction to the agriculture and agri-food system; a snapshot of structural changes that are occurring throughout the system in response to various factors; and background data and information to inform public discussions on challenges and opportunities facing the Canadian agriculture and agri-food system.

Policies play a pivotal role in determining land change. Uruguay has been subject to first a rise and then decline in plantations of exotic trees as a result of internal Uruguayan government policies, and a recent substantial increase in soybean cultivation that may be attributed to Argentinean policies. To properly assess the relationship between land change and changes in land-use policies, vegetation change for Uruguay from 2001 to 2009 was mapped using MODIS imagery.

The impacts of agricultural practices and landscape composition on bee communities were investigated in 14 sites located in four Western European countries (Belgium, France, the Netherlands and Switzerland). Standardized interviews with farmers assessed agricultural practices in terms of agricultural inputs (nitrogen fertilization and pesticides), livestock density and crop types. The proportion of semi-natural habitats was calculated for each site. We showed negative effects of agricultural intensification on species richness, abundance and diversity of wild bees.

Agriculture has played and still plays a significant role in the life of rural communities and in rural development. But, because agriculture yields low revenues, agricultural workers often need a source of additional income. Agriculture combines excellently with the growing of medicinal herbs, organic farming, handicrafts and tourism. Rural tourism, as originally conceived, is a source of revenue to supplement income from agriculture.

A bstract Purpose : The study aims at analysing the influence of demographics factors on inclusion of agriculture in school curriculum. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study was conducted in five villages of Rewari district in Haryana using a Mixed Methods Research Approach. After a qualitative discussion with the parents in groups, a personal interview survey was administered among 75 parents having diverse demographic and socio-economic profiles.

In certain regions where mixed farming prevails, the specialization of the farms (with the progressive disappearance of livestock) has brought about uniform methods of land occupation which run counter the environmental functions of farming. For that matter, grasslands and perennial covers have beneficial effects, but their insertion or their maintenance have to be thought out at the territorial scale.

As data sets of multiple types and scales proliferate, it will be increasingly important to be able to flexibly combine them in ways that retain relevant information. A case in point is Amazonia, a large, data-poor region where most whole-basin data sets are limited to understanding land cover interpreted through a variety of remote sensing techniques and sensors. A growing body of work, however, indicates that the future state of much of Amazonia depends on the land use to which converted areas are put, but land use in the tropics is difficult to assess from remotely sensed data alone.

Population growth near protected areas threatens the capacity of such areas for biodiversity conservation. Protected areas may even encourage growth by providing economic benefits that attract migrants. Consequently, understanding the relationships between human demographics and biodiversity is important for conservation. We studied a community-governed Wildlife Management Area bordering the Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania, set up to benefit local people and the subsistence rural economy. Annual population growth in this area is 5%.