Energy Use in Agriculture : an Empirical Note on Technical Development and Ecological Loading

• Main Authors: Conforti, P., Giampietro, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Presses Agronomiques de Gembloux 1996-01-01
• Series: Tropicultura
• Subjects: Agriculture; Energy; Agricultural development
• Online Access: http://www.tropicultura.org/text/v14n3/118.pdf

Technical development in agriculture is largely dependent upon the interaction of labour productivity with demographie pressure on available arable land. The paper is aimed at sketching oui the relation of relative energy utilization levels in agriculture with labour productivity, land availability and environmental loading. It is accordingly discussed the position of selected countries around the world. Four groups of countries are roughly identifiable ; major problems seem to arise where a high energy use per unit of food is coupled with a low labour productivity and with a relatively high level of environmental loading.