Join us on a literary world trip!
Add this book to bookshelf
Grey
Write a new comment Default profile 50px
Grey
Subscribe to read the full book or read the first pages for free!
All characters reduced
Sustainable Food Systems - The Role of the City - cover

We are sorry! The publisher (or author) gave us the instruction to take down this book from our catalog. But please don't worry, you still have more than 500,000 other books you can enjoy!

Sustainable Food Systems - The Role of the City

Robert Biel

Publisher: UCL Press

  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Summary

Faced with a global threat to food security, it is perfectly possible that society will respond, not by a dystopian disintegration, but rather by reasserting co-operative traditions. This book, by a leading expert in urban agriculture, offers a genuine solution to today’s global food crisis. By contributing more to feeding themselves, cities can allow breathing space for the rural sector to convert to more organic sustainable approaches. 
Biel’s approach connects with current debates about agroecology and food sovereignty, asks key questions, and proposes lines of future research. He suggests that today’s food insecurity – manifested in a regime of wildly fluctuating prices – reflects not just temporary stresses in the existing mode of production, but more profoundly the troubled process of generating a new one. He argues that the solution cannot be implemented at a merely technical or political level: the force of change can only be driven by the kind of social movements which are now daring to challenge the existing unsustainable order. 
Drawing on both his academic research and teaching, and 15 years’ experience as a practicing urban farmer, Biel brings a unique interdisciplinary approach to this key global issue, creating a dialogue between the physical and social sciences 
Praise for Sustainable Food Systems: The Role of the City 
‘… this is a very good book which deserves to be read widely by anyone interested in how food sustainability may be enhanced across the globe. As well as appealing to an academic audience, its politically engaged agenda and focus on practical solutions means that it will also appeal to the practitioner community working in the development and humanitarian fields, especially in urban areas. Biel’s admirable insistence that the book is open-access (p. 3) means that it is indeed likely to be read widely and make a significant contribution to scholarly debates in this area, as well as, hopefully, contributing to what the author sees as the paradigm shift required in systems of food production world-wide. Whether this occurs and leads to positive change for the millions of people whose livelihoods are currently threatened by structural inequalities of production and consumption remains to be seen, but Biel’s book starkly illustrates the urgency required in this endeavour.’ Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 
 
'a thought-provoking discussion of the history of agriculture with an examination of the current  sociopolitical challenges of agriculture and the need for radical change to achieve sustainability. … More than anything, the  book highlights how complex the current food system is and asks the reader to consider why this system is in place and how it can be changed for the better.'Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems 
 
'Robert Biel's fascinating book on this topic is a breath of fresh air, taking, as it does, a strong and convincing political ecology argument into conversation with more scientific debates around food security in a way which manages to be both critical and constructive at the same time.'Journal of Political Ecology 
'We highly recommend Robert Biel’s Sustainable Food Systems. It is an in-depth discussion of the theoretical foundations of sustainability, in particular with relation to food production, drawing on the metasciences of dialectics, complexity and self-organization theory, utilizing the concept of entropy.'Journal of Labor and Society 
‘a critical and constructive contribution to current discourses on food system issues.'International Journal of Urban and Regional Research 
‘an excellent resource for anyone interested in what unsustainable and sustainable food systems look like and the biological, socioeconomic and political complexities that support them. It is relevant reading for students, academics and practitioners as well as policymakers. Whilst it is possible to dip into its chapters independently, the greatest benefit is derived from reading the book as a whole.’Environment & Urbanization 
'This is an impressive book, weaving a convincing narrative about the potential future food system that could overcome many of the tensions in today’s food regime. Whilst a ‘short’ book, it covers a remarkable range of topics, drawing on physics, biology, history, anthropology and geography, all underpinned by a Marxist philosophy.'Agriculture and Human Values
Available since: 12/05/2016.

Other books that might interest you

  • What Business Are You In? - cover

    What Business Are You In?

    Ted Levitt

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    What Business Are You In?This Harvard Business Review (HBR) article focuses on Ted Levitt’s classic question, What Business Are You In? and what are you doing about it?He provides the classic example of why the Canadian railroads succeeded in the mid-20th century while the American ones faltered. The Canadians identified their business as transportation unlike the Americans who narrowly focused on being railroads. Therefore, the Canadians expanded into air and bus travel, as well as hotels and resorts for people to stay at on their trips. The Americans stayed focused on their railroads, missed these other opportunities, and saw much of their base business wither away.This audiobook includes six best selling articles by HBS professor Ted Levitt: Marketing Myopia, After the Sale is Over, Marketing Success through Differentiation of Anything, Production Line Approach to Service, The Globalization Approach to Markets, and Creativity is not Enough.  Keywords: Ted Levitt, Peter Drucker, Proctor & Gamble, P & G, HBS, HBR, Harvard Business Review, Harvard Business School, Marketing, Positioning, Brands, service, sale, differentiation, production line, global, globalization, creativity, railroads, transportation, hotels.
    Show book
  • Democratizing Artificial Intelligence To Benefit Everyone - Shaping a Better Future in the Smart Technology Era - cover

    Democratizing Artificial...

    Jacques Ludik

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    In "Democratizing Artificial Intelligence to Benefit Everyone", Dr Jacques Ludik takes us not only on a holistic sense-making journey and lays a foundation to synthesize a more balanced view and better understanding of AI, its applications, its benefits, its risks, its limitations, its progress, and its likely future paths, but also taps into his wealth of experience, knowledge, and sense-making ability as a smart technology entrepreneur with a PhD in AI, founder of multiple AI companies and three decades of experience in AI and its applications world-wide. The book helps us to more accurately understand where we are heading given the current dynamics on a global and national economic and political level as well as across ideologies and industries. Specific solutions are also shared to address AI’s potential negative impacts, designing AI for social good and beneficial outcomes, building human-compatible AI that is ethical and trustworthy, addressing bias and discrimination, and the skills and competencies needed for a human-centric AI-driven workplace. Dr Ludik is specifically arguing for a more decentralized beneficial human-centric future where AI and its benefits can be democratized to as many people as possible. He specifically examines what it means to be human and living meaningfully in the 21st century and shares some ideas for reshaping our civilization for beneficial outcomes as well as various potential outcomes for the future of civilization. Dr Jacques Ludik also proposes a Massive Transformative Purpose for Humanity and associated goals that complement the United Nations’ 2030 vision and sustainable development goals to help shape a beneficial human-centric future in a decentralized hyperconnected world. As a practical step, he also invites people to participate in the development, deployment and use of a decentralized, human-centric, and user-controlled AI-driven super platform called Sapiens.
    Show book
  • Speed Learning: How To Improve Your Ability To Learn - cover

    Speed Learning: How To Improve...

    IntroBooks Team

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Speed learning is a set of learning strategies that aim to achieve higher learning levels without unacceptably reducing understanding or retention. It is closely connected with speed reading but involves other learning techniques such as evaluation, listening, discussion, questioning and reflective analysis. The traditional approach is to use methods or a series of procedures that have been proven to provide a more effective roadmap to achieving the same objective. Some of the methods have persisted since ancient times, such as Mnemonics, while others have been the consequence of more recent scientific work such as Forgetting Curves.  
    Speed listening is a sub-classification of speed learning where students try to increase the pace at which they can listen while maintaining complete understanding. It allows students to absorb more details while listening in a shorter span of time. It is most widely used when using text-to-speech applications such as Speechify, audiobook services such as Audible, or Apple iTunes Podcast apps, etc. Entrepreneur Cliff Weitzman and speed learner Max Deutsch have made their marks to be credited with redeeming this learning type.
    Show book
  • Lies of Money - cover

    Lies of Money

    Dr. Lisa Cooney

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Lies of Money is dedicated to all of you out there struggling with money. To all of you feeling like the debt or financial worry you are in is a big black hole that you will never climb out of or get beyond. You can have the living you desire. You can create the money, cash, currencies, investments, and vacations you like. Choose You. Commit to You.
    Show book
  • Finding Your Element - How to Discover Your Talents and Passions and Transform Your Life - cover

    Finding Your Element - How to...

    Lou Aronica, Ken Robinson Ph.D.

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Sir Ken Robinson's groundbreaking book The Element introduced listeners to a new concept of self-fulfillment through the convergence of natural talents and personal passions. The Element has inspired people all over the world and has created for Robinson an intensely devoted following. Now comes the long-awaited companion, the practical guide that helps people find their own Element. Among the questions that this new book answers are:• How do I find out what my talents and passions are?• What if I love something I'm not good at?• What if I'm good at something I don't love?• What if I can't make a living from my Element?• How do I do help my children find their Element?Finding Your Element comes at a critical time, as concerns about the economy, education, and the environment continue to grow. The need to connect to our personal talents and passions has never been greater. As Robinson writes in his introduction, wherever you are, whatever you do, and no matter how old you are, if you're searching for your Element, this book is for you.
    Show book
  • MINIMALISM DECLUTTERING AND MINIMALIST BUDGET - The #1 Beginner's Guide for A Minimalist Way of Living Declutter Your Home and Achieve Financial Freedom - cover

    MINIMALISM DECLUTTERING AND...

    David Clarke

    • 0
    • 0
    • 0
    Is your house strewn with useless clutter you thought would make you happy, but never did? Do you need to let go of meaningless possessions and money-wasting habits, but you just don’t know how to start? Then you need to keep reading...Recent studies have shown that clutter can be bad for our mental health. Not only can it hurt our bank accounts, but it can trigger stress, diminish focus, and make us less capable of processing information efficiently. The minimalist approach, however, is a known remedy for mental and material clutter, lauded for its ability to ignite greater life satisfaction and create bigger savings.This bundle includes:Minimalism & Decluttering: Goodbye Things, Hello FreedomMinimalist Budget: Achieve Financial Freedom, Smart Money Management Strategies to Budget Your Money Effectively. In this audiobook, you’ll discover:Fifteen easy steps to bigger savings and a higher income NOW. (These expert-known financial plans will send the numbers on your paychecks and bank balance skyrocketing!)Essential decluttering tips for every beginner minimalist.Quick-start action tips to free yourself from compulsive spending tendencies.Eleven must-know techniques to pull yourself out of the black hole of debt.The subtle warning signs telling you to declutter NOW. (Recognize the symptoms of an overcluttered life and the exact formula to jumpstart a stress-free new beginning immediately!)And much, much more…Even if you’re a big hoarder and you’re sinking under the weight of your enormous debt, the extensive research behind this guide will show you the exact formula to gain control over your spending, boost your income, eliminate debt, eradicate stressful clutter, and fatten your savings account.If you want to access these ground-breaking strategies and finally achieve freedom from the shackles of clutter, then you should listen to this audiobook!
    Show book