Adapting agriculture to climate change : preparing Australian agriculture, forestry and fisheries for the future [book]

Editors: Chris Stokes & Mark Howden

"Moves beyond describing the causes and consequences of climate change to providing options for people to work towards adaptation action. Climate change implications and adaptation options are given for the key Australian primary industries of horticulture, forestry, grains, rice, sugarcane, cotton, viticulture, broadacre grazing, intensive livestock industries, marine fisheries, and aquaculture and water resources. Case studies demonstrate the options for each industry." - cover.
Call number: 632.10994 ADA 2010
Click here, and request a copy from the library!

Land & Water Australia, 1990-2009 : research reports and publications [CD ROM]

Author: Land and Water Australia

Contains an archive of all Land and Water Australia's research papers, publications and tools on topics including: climate, native vegetation, water & rivers and innovation, biodiversity, landscape management, and more.

Want to borrow a copy from the library? Click here to email through your request

The Blue Revolution (journal article)
by Colin Chartres
from Australasian Science, December 2009
"Water scarcity is going to be one of the critical limitations on agricultural production and our ability to feed the growing world population. However, the overall productivity of water use can be increased to help cope with increasing food demand."

Local variation or global convergence in agricultural biotechnology policy? A comparative analysis
by Daniel Lee Kleinman, Abby J. Kinchy and Robyn Autry
from Science and Public Policy, June 2009
"The history of attention to local variation in science and technology studies notwithstanding, there is a growing emphasis in the study of science policy on global convergence. In this paper, we undertake a multi-state comparative study of agricultural biotechnology policies, illustrating the continuing value of attending to policy variation and the factors that mold it. We acknowledge the growing influence of supranational entities and transnational cultural exchanges in shaping policy. However, our research does not indicate the homogenization of agricultural biotechnology policies across the globe. Instead, we find three broad models of agricultural biotechnology governance: 'liberal science-based' regulation, 'precautionary science-based' regulation, and 'social values-based' regulation. While states are constrained by global and local factors, they actively shape policies by blending parts of these three policy models in distinct ways."

Biofuels : prospects, risks and opportunities [book]

United Nations. Food and Agriculture Organization

"The growing demand for agricultural commodities for the production of biofuels is having significant repercussions on agricultural markets, and concerns are mounting over their negative impact on the food security of millions of people across the world. At the same time, the environmental impacts of biofuels are also coming under closer scrutiny. ... Reviews the current state of the debate and the available evidence on these critical questions." - cover.

Paying farmers for environmental services [book]

Author: United Nations. Food and Agriculture Organization

"Explores the potential for agriculture to provide enhanced levels of environmental services alongside the production of food and fibre. The report concludes that demand for environmental services from agriculture - including climate change mitigation, improved watershed management and biodiversity preservation - will increase in the future, but better incentives to farmers are needed if agriculture is to meet this demand." - cover.

Inquiry into mandatory ethanol and biofuels targets in Victoria : report of the Economic Development and Infrastructure Committee on the inquiry into mandatory ethanol and biofuels targets in Victoria [book]

Author: Victoria. Parliament. Economic Development and Infrastructure Committee

Investigates the costs and benefits of introducing a biofuels mandate in Victoria.

Agriculture and emissions trading : the impossible dream? [book]

Authors: Hugh Saddler, Helen King / Australia Institute

Argues against the inclusion of agriculture in the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme because agricultural emissions are difficult to measure and caused by natural phenomena, rather than production methods. It then outlines alternatives including herd management, reducing the nitrous oxide in fertiliser and carbon sequestration.

Ten commitments : reshaping the lucky country's environment [book]

Author: David Lindenmayer

"In Ten Commitments, leading environmental thinkers in Australia have written provocative chapters on environmental issues facing the country. It is organised into three sections: by ecosystem (deserts, rangelands), by sector (fisheries, forestry); and cross-sector and cross-ecosystem themes. Each chapter addresses the question: What are the 10 key things that must be urgently addressed to improve Australia's environment? Readily accessible using straightforward language, this is a must-read for anyone interested in the environment."--Provided by publisher.

Preliminary modelling of the farm-level impacts of the Australian greenhouse emission trading scheme [book]

Author: Mick Keogh, Alex Thompson / Australian Farm Institute

"Indicates that increases in the prices farmers pay for farm inputs as a result for the ETS have the potential to reduce average farm cash margins in 2016 by between 3 and 9%." - page vii.

Environmental performance of agriculture in OECD countries since 1990 [online resource]

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)

"Provides the latest and most comprehensive data and analysis on the environmental performance of agriculture in OECD countries since 1990. Covers key environmental themes including soil, water, air and biodiversity and looks at recent policy developments in all 30 countries." - abstract.

Biofuels or biofertilisers? Agriculture's contribution to reducing emissions (article)
By Brian Chatterton
from Australian Options Autumn 2008, pp. 27 - 29
"The program to develop bio-ethanol in the United States is a triumph of the lobbyist's art over rationality. Most of the powerful pressure groups have been mollified but the scheme is fundamentally flawed and should not be used as a model for Australian efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions."

Biofuels in Australia : issues and prospects : a report for the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation

Author: CSIRO Sustainable Ecosystems

Considers the following questions: what are the drivers for a biofuel industry, will there be competition for crops with alternative markets, what are the sustainability issues for biofuels, and what infrastructure will be required for biofuel production.

Click here to order this book.

The State of Food and Agriculture 2007 : paying farmers for environmental services

United Nations. Food and Agriculture Organization

"Concludes that demand for environmental services for agriculture - including climate change mitigation, improved watershed management & biodiversity preservation - will increase in the future, but better incentives to farmers are needed if agriculture is to meet this demand." - cover.

Now available in Library & Research Services' Reference Collection.

Eating fossil fuels : oil, food and the coming crisis in agriculture
Dale Allen Pfeiffer
Finds that the current methods of fossil-fuel based agriculture are not sustainable, and recommends the transition to localized agriculture.
Contact the library to request this book.