The debate on the relative benefits of conventional and organic farming systems has in recent time gained significant interest. So far, global agricultural development has focused on increased productivity rather than on a holistic natural resource management for food security. Thus, developing more sustainable farming practices on a large scale is of utmost importance. However, information con...

This paper innovates as it tests two different hypotheses regarding climate impacts on agricultural markets in Brazil: farmers only observe the average climate conditions of their region when deciding the type and amount of crop/animal to grow/raise; and weather diversions from normal climate conditions deviate farmers from their optimal profits. Both hypotheses are not rejected by the data. Th...

Carbon sequestration in agricultural soils has the capacity to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, as well as to improve soil biological, physical, and chemical properties. The review of literature pertaining to soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics within Australian grain farming systems does not enable us to conclude on the best farming practices to increase or maintain SOC for a specific combina...

Organic farming uses almost exclusively biological and natural materials and processes to produce food. The practice aims to protect human health and conserve, maintain or enhance natural resources, with the goal to preserve the quality of the environment for future generations while being economically sustainable. Organic farming has grown rapidly throughout the world in recent years. Currentl...

This paper presents an agent-based model of shifting cultivation that explains patterns of land use and forest structure beyond the extensive margin of agriculture. The anthropological literature is first examined in order to specify key aspects of farming group preferences vis-à-vis food requirements. Two existing theories of shifting cultivation are then addressed to motivate the present form...

Nitrogen fixed by legumes is the main nitrogen source in organic farming systems. The design of crop rotation is strongly depending on the knowledge of how much nitrogen is fixed by legumes. Also for farm scale budgeting of Nitrogen it is essential to know the amount of Nitrogen fixed by the single leguminous crop. According to the literature, the determination of Nitrogen fixation is expensive...

Only 34% of all German farms apply reduced tillage (RT), while approximately 1% of the arable land is under no-tillage (NT). Statistics for organic farming are not available, but the percentages are probably even lower. The development of German organic RT and NT has been strongly driven by pioneer farmers for 40 years, and supported by field trials since the 1990s. The main motive for conversi...

In the future the Mallee is going to be hot and dry. Farming in the Mallee is going to be very profitable sometimes, middling profitable in some years and not profitable at all at times as has always been the case. In 10 years time there will be less Mallee farmers; they will be farming a little differently to now; and most will earn a good living. The scale of operations will be greater. The r...