24 research outputs found

    A geography-based critique of new US biofuels regulations

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    The new renewable fuels standard (RFS 2) aims to distinguish corn-ethanol that achieves a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions compared with gasoline. Field data from Kim et al. (2009) and from our own study suggest that geographic variability in the GHG emissions arising from corn production casts considerable doubt on the approach used in the RFS 2 to measure compliance with the 20% target. If regulators wish to require compliance of fuels with specific GHG emission reduction thresholds, then data from growing biomass should be disaggregated to a level that captures the level of variability in grain corn production and the application of life cycle assessment to biofuels should be modified to capture this variability

    Advancing our understanding of the vulnerability of farming to climate change

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    Vulnerability is not a new concept. It has been developed and applied by hazards, famine and health resear

    Agricultural adaptation to changing environments: Lessons learned from farmers in eastern Ontario, Canada

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    Agriculture exists in dynamic environments where change is normal. All facets of agri-food systems are constantly exposed to these changes and, when necessary, make adjustments. This study builds on our growing understanding of farm-level adaptations in uncertain environments. It grapples with agriculture change in general and, more specifically, framing climatic change adaptation within the complex and dynamic environments that farmers negotiate on a daily basis. Engagement with the farming community was in conjunction with the Dundas County Federation of Agriculture, occurred during 2009-2013, and included the co-hosting of two focus group meetings plus the administration of 42 in-depth interviews. Many changes in Dundas County over the past 30 years mirror broader sectoral trends, including a decline in the number of farms (-40%) coupled with increases in farm size (+61%) and the age of farm operators (+14%). One significant difference however is that farming continues to be the main economic activity in Dundas County with only a slight decline (-3%) in the overall area devoted to farming. The continued strength of farming reflects the willingness and ability of farmers to embrace technological improvements as well as consolidate farm operations in order to manage costs and buffer uncertainties. Farmers are confident they can manage anticipated changes over the next two decades but are concerned with potential negative impacts associated with more government regulations and farm succession. Climate change, especially increases in the incidence of extreme events, is viewed as another but manageable uncertainty that will need to be factored into longer-term decisions

    New farmers' efforts to create a sense of place in rural communities: insights from southern Ontario, Canada

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    This research situates new farmers within the counter-urbanization phenomenon, explores their urban-rural migration experiences and examines how they are becoming a part of the rural agricultural landscape. Key characteristics in new farmers' sense of place constructions are revealed through an ethnographic study conducted in southern Ontario, Canada, during the summer of 2009. Using a sense of place framework comprised of place identity, place attachment, and sense of community, this research details a contemporary concept of place to provide a fresh perspective on new farmers. It uncovers underlying motivations, goals, and values attached to rural agricultural landscapes as well as the "everyday" interactions and challenges experienced by those transitioning into rural farming communities. New farmers are found to draw unevenly from both the physical and social landscape of the urban and rural environments in the creation of a sense of place. This finding raises important questions about the socio-spatial dynamics that underscore the place of food and the local food movement

    Global environmental change and food systems GECAFS: A new interdisciplinary research project

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    Global environmental change is happening. Human activities, including those related to food, are now recognised to be partly responsible for changing the world's climate and giving rise to other, globally and locally important environmental changes. These include alterations in supplies of freshwater, in the cycling of nitrogen, in biodiversity and in soils. There is growing concern that the ability to provide food - particularly to more vulnerable sections of society - will be further complicated by global environmental change (GEC). There is also concern that meeting the rising societal demand for food will lead to further environmental degradation, which will, in many cases, result in further uncertainties for food provision systems. Policies need to be formulated that enable societies to adapt to the added complication GEC will bring to food provision, while promoting socio-economic development and limiting further environmental degradation. Such policy formulation needs to be built upon an improved understanding of the links between GEC and food provision. "Global Environmental Change and Food Systems" (GECAFS) is designed to meet this need

    Prototype agricultural land evaluation systems for Canada: II. Selected applications and prospects

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    Abstract. This paper describes the application of prototype Canadian land evaluation systems to selected issues. Two categories of applications are recognized. Routine evaluations employ standardized data sets and provide a backdrop for framing broader land‐related concerns (e.g. assessments of land supply and suitability). Iterative analyses investigate implications of modified conditions (e.g. soil erosion, global climatic warming, altered food demands) on land use and production options, and require additional data and expertise. The paper demonstrates the capacity of land evaluation systems to address a wide range of issues, and illustrates the range of skills required to maintain and apply these systems. Copyrigh
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