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Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide.

Print Price: $74.99

Format:
Paperback, eBook
432 pp.
189 mm x 246 mm

ISBN-13:
9780198814375

Copyright Year:
2020

Imprint: OUP UK


Food and Sustainability

Edited by Paul Behrens, Thijs Bosker and David Ehrhardt

The first text to introduce students to the full range of disciplines underpinning food sustainability, and help them successfully apply their knowledge to the real-world challenges food sustainability presents

Food and Sustainability explores the issues related to our growing demand for food from the perspectives of disciplines ranging from environmental and social sciences, to public health. It examines food as a point of convergence across these disciplines, illustrating the need for a transdisciplinary approach to understand common challenges and opportunities in food systems.

Readership : Undergraduates exploring issues related to food sustainability on a multidisciplinary range of degree programmes.

1. Introduction: Can We Feed the World Sustainably?
Part I: Food and Environment
2. Biodiversity: What are the Impacts of Food Production on Biodiversity?
3. Pollution: How are Food Systems Related to Environmental Pollution?
4. Water: How Does Agriculture Impact Freshwater Resources?
5. Soils: What are the Impacts of Agriculture on Soils?
6. Climate Change: How Will Food Systems and the Climate Interact?
7. Energy: What is the Role of Energy in Food Production, and How Must It Change?
Part II: Food and Society
8. Nutrition: How are Diets Linked to Environmental Impacts?
9. Food Security: What are the Challenges in Providing Everyone Accessible, Affordable, and Healthy Food?
10. Food Aid: How Can Food Aid Effectively Reduce Food Insecurity?
11. Consumption: How Can We Promote Sustainable Food Consumption?
Part II: Food Systems and Governance
12. Food Systems: How are Food Systems Organised in a Globalised Economy?
13. Governance: How Can Food Systems be Governed to Promote Sustainability?
14. Collective Action: How Do Collective Action Problems Hinder the Transition to Sustainable Food Systems?
Summary: A View Toward the Future

Oxford Learning Link:
Instructor Resources
- Image bank
- Test bank
- Answer Sheets to end-of-chapter questions
Student Resources
- Extended research readings
- Practice quizzes
- Answers to in-text questions

Paul Behrens is an Assistant Professor in Energy and Environmental Change at Leiden University. A physicist by training, Paul received his Masters in Physics and Astronomy from the University of Sheffield (UK) after conducting research at the Isaac Newton Group of Telescopes (Spain). His PhD is from the University of Auckland (New Zealand), where he developed remote sensing techniques for the harnessing of wind energy. Before joining Leiden University Paul worked at the Royal Society of New Zealand, providing expert scientific advice to the New Zealand Government on environmental sustainability and other topics. He has worked in industry, NGOs, and academia. His current work focuses on the environmental impact of human consumption, including energy, food, and water. Paul is passionate about science outreach and his recent research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and Nature Energy, has appeared in The New York Times, the BBC, and Scientific American.

Thijs Bosker is an Associate Professor in Environmental Science at Leiden University. He obtained a BSc and MSc in Plant Science at Wageningen University (the Netherlands), specializing in sustainable agriculture. Next, he worked for an NGO where he focused on reducing pesticide emissions to the environment. In 2005 he moved to Canada to complete a PhD in aquatic toxicology at the University of New Brunswick. He continued as a postdoctoral fellow at the Canadian Rivers Institute, became an Assistant Professor at the University of Connecticut (USA), before moving to Leiden University. In his current research he uses laboratory and field techniques to study impacts of contaminants on ecosystem health. He has worked on a variety of environmental issues, with a special focus on the combined impacts of contaminants and environmental stressors on reproduction and development of organisms. At Leiden University he coordinates the BSc programme Earth, Energy and Sustainability.

David Ehrhardt is an Assistant Professor in International Development at Leiden University. With a D.Phil in Development Studies from the University of Oxford, David subsequently worked as a post-doctoral Research Officer in Oxford's Department of International Development. In his current research, he uses qualitative and quantitative research methods to understand the efficacy and development of "hybrid" governance in Nigeria as well as comparatively. In the past, his research has explored ethnic and religious conflict and cooperation; the development of political authority beyond the state; and the ways in which inequality and governance interact in the formation of group identities and violent conflict. At Leiden, David coordinates a BSc programme in governance, economics, and development.

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Special Features

  • Covers the full range of disciplines underpinning food sustainability helping students understand the many facets of real-world issues.
  • Case studies throughout demonstrate the real-life application of concepts introduced in the main text.
  • In-text learning features encourage students to engage, reflect, and think critically about key concepts.
  • In-depth box program introduces complex topics, such as derivations or specific terminology, without disrupting the flow of the main body of the text.
  • Food Controversy panel in each chapter encourages students to view discussion topics from different perspectives and to appreciate that there may not be one "right answer" to debates and issues.
  • Connect the Dots feature helps students recognize the links among the range of disciplines discussed across chapters in order to see the field of food sustainability as a whole.