Synopsis
Land quality varies and determines to a large extent the land use systems adopted in a region or area. There are strong links between biophysical processes and economic choices at local, regional and global levels. Understanding the relationships between land attributes, land degradation, agricultural productivity and food security is a major challenge. In this chapter we address some of the underlying issues, including the influence of changing dietary patterns on food security. We point the way to a better future for agriculture industries and the people who depend on them for their livelihoods in this era of global (not only climate) change.
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Notes
- 1.
Land quality refers to the ability of land to produce goods and services that are valued by humans. This ability derives from inherent/natural attributes of soils (e.g., depth and fertility), water, climate, topography, vegetation, and hydrology, as well as “produced” attributes such as infrastructure (e.g., irrigation, transportation routes) and proximity to population centers.
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Virtual water refers to the amount of water used in the production of a crop or an end product, e.g., 1 kg of rice or beef and even a cotton shirt.
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https://www.cornucopia.org/2017/10/agrobiodiversity-key-nutrition-sustainability/
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Squires, V.R., Gaur, M.K. (2020). Agricultural Productivity and Food Security. In: Squires, V., Gaur, M. (eds) Food Security and Land Use Change under Conditions of Climatic Variability. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36762-6_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36762-6_3
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