Sustainable Agricultural Development Economics and Policy

• Format: eBook
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute 2023
• Subjects: Development economics and emerging economies; "Belt and Road"; affecting factors; agri-food supply chain; agricultural development; agricultural economic cycle; agricultural education; agricultural frontier; agricultural mechanization; agricultural policies; agricultural producers; agricultural professionals; agriculture products; agriculture total factor productivity (TFP); agrometeorological modeling; almond nuts; Amazon; Amazonia; available water capacity; beef; binary outcome models; Brazil; Cerrado-Amazon; child health; China; climate change; commercialization potential; conservation status; consumers' food preference; content-based analysis; contingent valuation; crops; cultivars; deforestation; determinants; diversity indexes; ecological forest ranger; ecotypic seed; edible beans; education and learning processes; egg-producing farmers; environmental impact; environmental impacts; export demand; farm irrigation facilities; fast growing tree plantations; feed brand loyalty; fuzzy set; geoprocessing; GIS; Google Earth Engine; government grants; greenhouse gases; healthier soils; high quality; human food; hydraulic conductivity; hydro-sedimentology; improved germplasms; increased stand wood biomass; industry chain; influencing factors; inherently nutrient-poor soil; land conversion; land use; livelihood; livestock breeds; livestock intensification strategies; logistic regression; Maine; mapping; market prospects; media coverage; multilevel model; multiple linear regression; n/a; native plant material; non-conventional vegetable; off-farm; Opuntia stricta; organic production; partial least square (PLS); planting behavior; policy; policy satisfaction; pollinators; pore distribution curve; principal component analysis; purchasing power; QAP; qualitative comparative analysis; questionnaires; R&D investment; rainfall simulator; reduced mowing; reflectance; retaliatory tariff policy; retention curve; roadside vegetation; rural development; rural economy; rural extension; satellite imagery; satellite images; social networks; soil conservation; soil erosion; soil texture; soluble solids; southern Amazon; spatiotemporal distribution; statistical model; structural equation model (SEM); sugarcane; supervised classification; sustainability; sustainability trade-offs; sustainable; sustainable development goals; switching behavior of egg producers; Targeted Poverty Alleviation Strategy; technical advancement; technological innovation in agricultural enterprises; Teles Pires River; territorial dynamics; trade structure; wage employment; water erosion prediction; watershed; WEPP parameters; yield prediction
• Online Access: Open Access: DOAB: description of the publication; Open Access: DOAB, download the publication

 The sustainable development of agriculture is not only dependent on economics and policy but also relies on decisions to increase sustainability through either (1) specialization (e.g., sustainable intensification) or (2) diversification (e.g., ecological intensification). Understanding the historical context of the region being evaluated is critical to selecting ideal development strategies. Depending on the emphasis on either specialization or diversification, sustainable development can follow different pathways. Specialization during agricultural development is typically concentrated in specific geographic areas with comparative advantages in terms of agricultural production. However, tradeoffs to agricultural specialization include greater reliance on purchased external inputs, greater dependence on government support, and international and interregional interdependence. Addressing the economic and environmental challenges of specialized agricultural production requires a focus on detailed models and field experiments to help balance productivity with reduced environmental impacts. Diversification can incorporate both enterprise diversification as well as ecological intensification strategies, such as integrating livestock and agroforestry with crops. Despite the promises of maintaining the diversity of small shareholders in the developing world, challenges remain. Regional case studies can be used to inspire and implement diversified agricultural systems for the creation of more sustainable future food systems around the world.