The Next Green Revolution

Explore the benefits of and necessity for sustainable agriculture!Here is an easy-to-read, practical introduction to sustainable agriculture: what it means and why it is needed. It is the first book to synthesize the goals of sustainable agriculture into eight comprehensive steps. The Next Green Revolution presents a convincing critique of our current agricultural system and an introduction to an alternative system which gives more consideration to future generations. Interwoven through the book are Dr. Horne's reflections on social justice, quality of life, and how farmers and rural communities are inextricably linked.The Next Green Revolution draws on the unique perspective of Dr. James E. Horne, President of a leading nonprofit agriculture organization, the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture. It is inspired by his experience as a traditional agriculturalist and educator coming to grips with the failings of the conventional system and searching for an alternative. Writing in the first person, he describes growing up in a sharecropper family in Oklahoma, running his own ranch, and consulting with farmers as an agricultural economist. He shares what he learned as the Kerr Center experimented with new "sustainable" approaches to old problems on the Center's ranch/farm, and his experiences working with the USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program. With The Next Green Revolution, you will explore:



the major problems of contemporary industrial agriculture
definitions of sustainable agriculture
the historical roots of sustainable agriculture
the politics of sustainable agriculture
sustainable agriculture practices
changes needed to encourage a sustainable agriculture

and the eight steps to sustainable agriculture, which address:



soil health and erosion
water quality and use
organic waste management
crop and livestock adaptation
biodiversity
environmentally benign pest management
energy use
farm diversification
profitability

The Next Green Revolution is a well-researched introduction to the field, written with a minimum of jargon.