Researchers and policy planners are in search of a solution to address the twin challenges of maximizing agricultural production while maintaining/ improving ecosystem sustainability. Enhancing farm productivity is needed in certain regions of the world to satisfy local food consumption and farmers' needs. Linear economy-based-input intensive conventional agriculture (CAPS) has increased production output but has not made agriculture more sustainable. Henceforth, a farming system that aims to reduce the adverse impact on the environment, as well as enhance agricultural productivity by reducing environmental footprint and improving soil health and economic wellbeing is needed in the present day. Integrated organic farming systems (IOFS) involve residue recycling, bio-intensive cropping, high-tech horticulture, mushroom, dairy, poultry, fishery, apiary, etc can improve the ecosystem health and augment the income and livelihood security of the growers. Worldwide, IOFS are gaining popularity due to improved ecosystem services and improving farm productivity and livelihood security. Hence, IOFS- a circular economy-based (reuse-recycle-repair) agricultural production system can be alternatives to energy-intensive inputs based on CAPS. Hence, there is an urgent need to select suitable IOFS models with proper resource optimization for productivity maximization and better ecosystem sustainability. Undoubtedly IOFS reduces energy use from synthetic agrochemicals but food production in IOFS is highly dependent on fossil fuel energy that must be addressed urgently. Despite the enormous positive outlooks, there are several challenges in the adoption of IOFS models. The IOFS is a multiproduct-oriented production system that needs multi specialties and marketing. Capacity building and infrastructure development are also great challenges in adopting IOFS. Moreover, the development of IOFS models is highly individualistic, and location-specific production systems need proper resource optimization and characterization. Hence, the development of site-specific IOFS models to maintain food quality with productivity improvement is a genuine issue to the researchers, which needs to be addressed. Papers (original research/review/letter to the editors) spanning across the discipline related to the IOFS development in sustainable ways are encouraged for inclusion in this research topic. Papers should explicitly cover ecosystem restoration, farm productivity, and profitability and could have a specific focus on the following areas: -the IOFS models for enhancing productivity and environmental quality through an integrated management approach aiming at the maximization of use efficiencies -the management of biomass waste to restore the soil fertility, and ecosystem services the effect of integrated management practices on greenhouse gas emissions and energy use -Critical approaches for climate-smart food production systems

Continued population growth, rapidly changing consumption patterns and the impacts of climate change and environmental degradation are driving limited resources of food, energy, water and materials towards critical thresholds worldwide. These pressures are likely to be substantial across Africa, where countries will have to find innovative ways to boost crop and livestock production to avoid becoming more reliant on imports and food aid. Sustainable agricultural intensification - producing more output from the same area of land while reducing the negative environmental impacts - represents a solution for millions of African farmers. This volume presents the lessons learned from 40 sustainable agricultural intensification programmes in 20 countries across Africa, commissioned as part of the UK Government's Foresight project. Through detailed case studies, the authors of each chapter examine how to develop productive and sustainable agricultural systems and how to scale up these systems to reach many more millions of people in the future. Themes covered include crop improvements, agroforestry and soil conservation, conservation agriculture, integrated pest management, horticulture, livestock and fodder crops, aquaculture, and novel policies and partnerships.

The book offers a rich toolkit of relevant, adoptable ecosystem-based practices that can help the world's 500 million smallholder farm families achieve higher productivity, profitability and resource-use efficiency while enhancing natural capital.

A joint FAO and World Bank study which shows how the farming systems approach can be used to identify priorities for the reduction of hunger and poverty in the main farming systems of the six major developing regions of the world.

Sustainable agriculture is a key concept for scientists, researchers, and agricultural engineers alike. This book focuses on the FAM- project (FAM Munich Research Network on Agroecosystems) of the 1990s as a means to assessing, forecasting, and evaluating changes in the agroecosystems that are necessary for agricultural sustainability. The management of two separate management systems: an organic and an integrated farming system are described to provide an interdisciplinary approach Changes of matter fluxes in soils, changes of trace gas fluxes from soils, precision farming in a small scale heterogen landscape, influence of management changes on flora and fauna, as well as the development of agroecosystem models, the assessment of soil variability and the changes in nutrient status are important aspects of this book.* Contains detailed results and insight of a long-time project on agricultural sustainability* Provides an interdisciplinary approach for comprehensive understanding by scientists and researchers of soil, plants, agriculture, and environment * Includes an international perspective

Safety and Practice for Organic Food covers current food safety issues and trends. It provides detailed information on all organic and pasture practices including produce-only, farm-animal-only or integrated crop-livestock farming, as well as the impact of these practices on food safety and foodborne infections. The book explores food products that organic, integrated and traditional farming systems are contributing to consumers. As the demand for organic food products grows faster than ever, this book discusses current and improved practices for safer products. Moreover, the book explores progressive directions, such as the application of next-generation sequencing and genomics to aid in the understanding of the microbial ecology of the agro-environment and how farmer education can contribute to sustainable and safe food. Safety and Practice for Organic Food is a unique source of organic agricultural practices and food production for researchers, academics and professionals at agriculture-based universities and colleges who are involved in food science, animal sciences including poultry science, food safety, food microbiology, plant science and agricultural extension. This book is also an excellent source of information for regulators and federal government officials (USDA, FDA, EPA) and the food processing industry. - Discusses limitations in pre-harvest and post-harvest level practices with specific information on risk and bio-security of existing organic production systems - Explores policies and guidelines for organic food production and future directions for safer and more sustainable management - Presents microbial and other biological hazards at pre-harvest and post-harvest levels

Advances in Organic Farming: Agronomic Soil Management Practices focuses on the integrated interactions between soil-plant-microbe-environment elements in a functioning ecosystem. It explains sustainable nutrient management under organic farming and agriculture, with chapters focusing on the role of nutrient management in sustaining global ecosystems, the remediation of polluted soils, conservation practices, degradation of pollutants, biofertilizers and biopesticides, critical biogeochemical cycles, potential responses for current and impending environmental change, and other critical factors. Organic farming is both challenging and exciting, as its practice of "feeding the soil, not the plant provides opportunity to better understand why some growing methods are preferred over others. In the simplest terms, organic growing is based on maintaining a living soil with a diverse population of micro and macro soil organisms. Organic matter (OM) is maintained in the soil through the addition of compost, animal manure, green manures and the avoidance of excess mechanization. - Presents a comprehensive overview of recent advances and new developments in the field OF research within a relevant theoretical framework - Highlights the scope of the inexpensive and improved management practices - Focuses on the role of nutrient management in sustaining the ecosystems

Organic agriculture is defined as an environmentally and socially sensitive food supply system. This publication considers the contribution of organic agriculture to ecological health, international markets and local food security. It contains a number of case studies of the practical experiences of small farmers throughout the world (including India, Iran, Thailand, Uganda and Brazil) who have adopted fully integrated food systems, and analyses the prospects for a wider adoption of organic agriculture. The book also discusses the weakness of institutional support for nurturing existing knowledge and exchange in organic agriculture.