A Holistic Approach to the Development of Sustainable Agriculture: Application of the ecosystem health model, Xiubin Wang, Wenna Liu and Wenliang Wu (2009)

Extract

[...] To do so, an investigation was made in six countries to analyze agricultural practices, health interactions and ecosystem health affecting, in addition, players and planning systems must be studied. Numerous literature stated a different view of agro-ecosystem health using three dimensions, social, economic and ecosystems; three systems function: healthy social system, healthy economic system, and healthy ecosystems and two perspectives: system function and system goals. Various research has been developed in many physical aspects, structural system functioning, thermodynamics index, but omit temporal and spatial studies. [...]

[...] This framework is interconnected from the bottom to the top, the final goal of sustainable development and representatives of model regional agro-ecosystem health as shown in Figure 1. Figure 2 shows the detailed description of the framework; all the agricultural package and ecosystem subunits constitute the sound structure, these functions are tangible or intangible and largely dependent on environmental quality, food production and living conditions. This exchange of chain flows conducted to a quality of sustainable development system of the structure. [...]

[...] Choosing sustainable agriculture is the best approach when it would generate long-term profit, improve ecosystem health on the whole agricultural system. Secondly, human health is strongly dependent on the quality of organic agricultural products and the quality of environmental supply (air, fresh water, soil, and landscape). Such as polluted water, soil degradation due to this reason, human health became a trend to avoid ecological degradation. A holistic approach: the ecosystem health model Various theories have been studied but it seemed to meet difficulties, so it would be necessary to develop a simple and transparent framework to assess problems which affected sustainable development. [...]

[...] Response layer indicators: represent the function of ecosystem service Annual change in land productivity. Level. Soil fertility. Farm product commodity ratio. Cost-benefit ratio. Life expectancy: environmental, social, economic conditions. Amoeba reading of agro-ecosystem health Amoeba reading is another applied method which provides comprehensive evaluation of system performance through various factors. The Figure 3 illustrates amoeba reading illustrates various agricultural system health indicators in different development stages. The graphic representation shows six years and 12 health periods of Huantai County. This figure also shows a comparison of the six profiles and illustrates the results of changes in various factors in the agricultural system. [...]

[...] A Holistic Approach to the Development of Sustainable Agriculture: Application of the ecosystem health model, Xiubin Wang, Wenna Liu and Wenliang Wu (2009) Introduction The boom of demographics has led scientists and government leaders to reform agriculture policy, which is more sustainable and improves food security and social development. This reform has transformed the practice of intensive agriculture, using mechanization and fertilizers that have been damaging natural resources and polluting groundwater. This bad method reduces biodiversity and modifies nature and landscape at national level. [...]