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Sustainable Agriculture for the21st Century
Martin Purvis and Richard Smith
Introduction
In providing food and other raw materials, agriculture meets some of humanity’s most fundamental needs. Adequate nutrition is essential if individuals are to be healthy and economically productive (Conway, 1997; WCED, 1987). Worldwide, agriculture underpins the livelihoods of billions of people, ranging from peasant farmers to employees of the chemical, life science and food companies that are so influential in modern farming. Through agriculture, humanity transforms the environment, changing landscape, land use and biodiversity. These different dimensions of agriculture – its importance in life support and socio-economic development, and its influence ...
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