Food for the Future: Conditions and Contradictions of Sustainability

Ten years ago, sustainable agriculture was not considered a viable option within the food and agriculture industry. Today, it has become imperative, as resources are depleted, toxins enter the food chain, farmers lose their land, and children go hungry. Sustainability is the new framework for addressing these issues, and is promoted by agriculturalists, researchers, and visionaries alike. In this important work, fifteen leading scholars of food and agriculture present a detailed description of the social, economic, and political aspects of the sustainability concept. They address many important questions surrounding these issues, including: What do we want to sustain? Who should benefit from sustainable agriculture? What types of political, economic, and social structures will facilitate the development of sustainable agriculture? Food for the Future confronts the theoretical and practical aspects of a transformation to sustainability systems--aspects that are too often overlooked due to the current emphasis on production per se. This book presents new approaches to understanding and developing sustainability, the limitations and future potential of sustainable food and agriculture systems, and ways in which we can work together from different positions to achieve sustainability. This clear and far-reaching book is must reading for scientists, policy makers, students, and all others interested in finding comprehensive solutions to today's food and agriculture crises.