Agriculture: A Very Short Introduction

Very Short Introductions #473

by Paul Brassley, Richard Soffe

Agriculture, one of the oldest human occupations, is practised all over the world, using techniques ranging from the profoundly traditional to the most scientifically advanced. Without it we would starve. Yet how many of us understand what is happening in the fields that we see as we drive through the countryside? How often do we think about the origins of the food in our trolley?In this Very Short Introduction Paul Brassley and Richard Soffe explain what farmers do and why they do it. Beginning with the most basic resource, the soil, they show why it is important, and how farmers can increase its productivity, before turning to the plants and animals that grow on it, and tracing the connections between their biology and the various ways in which farmers work with them. The authors conclude by looking at some of the controversial issues facing contemporary its sustainability; its impact on wildlife and landscape; issues of animal welfare; and the affect of climate change and the development of genetically modified organisms on farmers.ABOUT THE The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Genres: Nonfiction, Science, Agriculture, History, Economics, Anthropology, World History

152 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 28, 2016

Reviews

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.9/5, For the sake of structure, how true this book is to being a true “very short introduction”, this book deserves a 5. I would re-read it even, so in more ways than one it deserves a 5. The clarity, the directness, the lack of obfuscation, the straight-up telling you what’s going to be discussed in each section and chapter..it’s all excellent for introducing someone to a topic. I appreciated the questions sometimes asked and the various possible answers provided. The book did not sugar-coat anything yet at the same time, gave information without a supreme bias. I found it great. I haven’t read many of the AVSI’s, but I’ve found this one to be one of the best I Have read. Even if I was forced to say so only because of the format(which I’m not becuase the topic was generally interesting to me too).
An unfortunate fact is that the book is…I think ten years old at this point. Which actually is not too bad, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they provided a new edition at some point, for the series has done so with other books in it. However, this book is #473 in the series, so I imagine it’ll take a while if they choose to update even older books in the series first. Farming is not “the world’s oldest profession”-that’s probably foraging- but the agricultural revolution, the general transition from hunting-gathering to farming is probably one of the single most impactful occurrences in all of human history. You don’t get much history in this book. This book will not tell you about the agricultural revolution, or John Deere, or any major inventions or innovations or major farming events/disasters like the Irish potato famine. This book doesn’t intend to do that. It intends to introduce you to what agriculture is, different aspects of it such as inputs and outputs(needs for it, products of it),why people do it, how it’s done, how it can be different depending on areas, and what the future may hold for it. And for that reason, this book is a success. It does exactly what it says it intends to do.

[Bernie Gourley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another in my favorite series of brief guides to various topics and disciplines, Oxford University Press’s “A Very Short Introduction” books. These books typically take around 100 pages to cover the fundamentals of a given subject. The series offers a quick overview in a no-frills fashion. This book is no. 473, providing an overview of agriculture.

The book is divided into six chapters, and has an Introduction in the front and a “Further Reading” section at the rear. The first chapter is about crop farming and it discusses the major issues of concern, including: the best soils, essential nutrients, fertilizer, as well as discussing what kinds of problems are faced in crop cultivation. Chapter 2 explores the other major division of farming, raising animals. In it, one learns about basic issues of feeding, breeding, housing, and providing medical treatment.

The third chapter investigates the topic of agricultural markets and trade. Here the reader is reminded of their basic economics education, and how market forces result in the topsy-turviness of farming in which a bumper-crop year can be bad while a drought year not so bad. (i.e. Huge harvests mean unit prices drop and surpluses may be lost to waste, whereas shortages result in high unit prices.) The authors also discuss the issue of global trade which is unique for agricultural products because almost every country makes some portion of their own food (excepting nations like Singapore and Vatican City), they are resources no country can afford to be cut off from, and they are perishable on varying time scales.

The fourth chapter is about the inputs used in agriculture such as land, labor, and machinery and equipment. This chapter discusses these topics more generally than they are touched upon in the first couple chapters. The penultimate chapter compares modern and traditional forms of agriculture. As the author points out, this division could mean very different things depending upon what two periods one is comparing. However, it is a worthwhile topic to consider with respect to its relevance to sustainability and the effect on the environment.

The last chapter is nominally about the future of farming, but it considers a number of current issues such as GMO (genetically modified crops) and the effects of climate change. The chapter explores what changes will need to be made as the population approaches 9 billion. It doesn’t go into issues like urban farming, petri-dish grown meat, or insects as the future of protein as much as I’d have thought, but does raise some interesting questions.

There are many graphics, from photos to tables, used to more conveniently and concisely convey information.

I would recommend this for those looking to get an overview of how farming works. Like most books in this series, it is optimized to being concise, not to being interesting – so if one wants fun facts and narrative creative non-fiction this isn’t so much the book for you. But if you want the gist of agriculture fast, this will do nicely.

[Tomas Tokar · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book is exactly what the title say it is - a very short introduction to agriculture (perhaps no so short). Reading the book you will get good overview of fundamentals of the farming practices, food economy, government policies and a little outlook on future of agriculture.

I appreciate that when it comes to topics with political undertone, authors give space to polemics allowing readers to form their own opinion.

This is the first book in the very short introduction series that I had a chance to read. I am now looking forward to other books from the series.

[Nikki Metztli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good introduction to agriculture for someone with little knowledge of the subject. They took a very practical, materialist view of what, why, and how we produce "raw materials for the food industry", and what impacts this production. I also appreciated the emphasis on the politics and economics driving agriculture, how this affects underdeveloped countries, and the role agriculture plays in climate change.

[Helbob · Rating 4 out of 5]

The easiest and most readable of the short introductions I’ve read so far (which admittedly is only 3 now). Has inspired me to read some more books on agriculture, particularly ones discussing the obstacles the world might face in feeding an expanding population and shrinking available and suitable agricultural land.

[Abby Stopka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good introduction to agriculture

[Ezequiel Martínez Vázquez · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una buena introducción para los profanos. Buenas melange de conceptos y cifras para situar al lector en la realidad de la agricultura global moderna.

[Nicolene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gained a lot of information from this. Found myself doing more research based on what I read in the book. I love that it has all of its sources at the back as it gives me ideas for further reading following it.

[Forrest Chai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was looking for something more hands on...

[Noor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love oxfords “a very short introduction to” series because why do I now know everything there is to know about peasant farmers

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good stuff. The short section on GMOs alone makes this book worth reading. I feel adequately informed on the very basics of modern agriculture now.

[Vikas Datta · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incisive and lucid..

[Mykyta Kuzmenko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Отличная книга о растеневодстве, животноводстве, торговле сельськохозяйственными товарами, а также вопросах экологии. Хорошая подборка литературы для более глубокого изучения в конце.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid and informative introduction to one of mankind's oldest activities.