Theorizes the disruptions precipitated by corporate agricultural biotechnology in Mexican cultural politics.

Handbook of Maize: Its Biology centers on the past, present and future of maize as a model for plant science research and crop improvement. The book includes brief, focused chapters from the foremost maize experts and features a succinct collection of informative images representing the maize germplasm collection.

This is an authoritative book that acts as a guide to understanding maize kernel development. Written by a team of experts, it covers topics spanning pre- and post-fertilization events, embryo and endosperm development, grain filling and maturation, and factors influencing crop yield. It explores the significance of maize and other cereal grains, existing hypotheses and research, and important gaps in our knowledge and how we might fill them. This is a valuable resource for researchers of maize and other cereals, and anyone working on basic or applied science in the fields of seed development, plant genetics, and crop physiology.

Chapter 1: We didn’t Start the FireChapter 2: Food under Fossil Capitalism Chapter 3: Framing the Future of Food Chapter 4: Changing our Water Ways Chapter 5: The Getting of Nutritional Wisdom Chapter 6: Resilience through Resistance

The dynamic that currently underlies global social change is the product of forces that are not of a single type or origin. As a consequence, that change is experienced as a process that uproots individuals but gives no guidance for the future, that destroys but does not reconstruct, that prescribes action but provides no reassurance. The radical uncertainty it engenders is an understandable source of anxiety: the rich countries are increasingly worried about competition from low-wage economies, while the wretched of the earth suspect their precarious existences will come under even greater pressure. Within each nation, the constantly growing gap between winners and losers exacerbates these fears. The Great Disruption is at its height. This book is an examination and interpretation of the enormous complex of social changes which, for want of a better word, we term globalization.

Phosphate is an essential mineral to all plants, and its availability in soils is an increasing challenge for agriculture. Phosphate is abundant in soils but its biological availability is often low due to the complexes that it forms with soil minerals and compounds. The biological availability of Phosphate is further reduced in acidic soils, which represent approximately 40% of earth’s arable agricultural lands. Agricultural systems compensate Phosphate deficiency with fertilizers coming from the mining of rock phosphate, which is estimated to exhaust within the next 50 years. For these reasons, Phosphate limitations in natural and agricultural ecosystems is going to become a global problem, and we urgently need to better understand how plants respond to Phosphate deficiency.

The third edition of this long-serving successful reference work is a 'must-have' reference for anyone needing or desiring an understanding of the structure, chemistry, properties, production and uses of starches and their derivatives.* Includes specific information on corn, wheat, potato, rice, and new chapters on rye, oat and barley (including waxy barley) starches * Covers the isolation processes, properties, functionalities, and uses of the most commonly used starches. * Explores the genetics, biochemistry, and physical structure of starches * Presents current and emerging application trends for starch

Global emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and environmental concerns, have challenged the readiness of societies and forced them to operate in more innovative ways. In response, the world has witnessed new technologies emerge and researchers continually finding better solutions to cope with these situations. It is crucial that these innovations are investigated so that we may better the world during times of crisis. Impact of Disruptive Technologies on the Socio-Economic Development of Emerging Countries provides relevant case studies, innovative disruptive applications, and the latest empirical research findings in the digital technology space. Additionally, it provides accounts of the design, development, and usage of digital solutions that have an impact on addressing societal problems in emerging economies. Covering topics such as e-social work, social media addiction, and adaptive testing, this premier reference source is an essential resource for government officials, entrepreneurs, politicians, business leaders, students and educators of higher education, sociologists, librarians, researchers, and academicians.

Big data and artificial intelligence (AI) are at the forefront of technological advances that represent a potential transformational mega-trend—a new multipolar and innovative disruption. These technologies, and their associated management paradigm, are already rapidly impacting many industries and occupations, but in some sectors, the change is just beginning. Innovating ahead of emerging technologies is the new imperative for any organization that aspires to succeed in the next decade. Faced with the power of this AI movement, it is imperative to understand the dynamics and new codes required by the disruption and to adapt accordingly. AI and Big Data’s Potential for Disruptive Innovation provides emerging research exploring the theoretical and practical aspects of successfully implementing new and innovative technologies in a variety of sectors including business, transportation, and healthcare. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as semantic mapping, ethics in AI, and big data governance, this book is ideally designed for IT specialists, industry professionals, managers, executives, researchers, scientists, and engineers seeking current research on the production of new and innovative mechanization and its disruptions.

Abstract This chapter defines food security as the condition reached when a nation’s population has access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to meet its dietary needs and food preferences. It stresses China’s importance to global food security because of its population size. The chapter introduces the contents of the volume and then treats briefly food security in ancient and dynastic (211 bc–1912) China. It examines environmental stressors, such as population growth, natural disasters, and insect pests as well as imperial responses (for example, irrigation, flood control, storage and transportation systems). The chapter also briefly int- duces the Republican era (1912–1949) and compares environmental stressors and government responses then to those of the imperial period. Keywords Food system • Food security • Food production regions • Environmental stressors (Population growth • Natural disasters • Insect pests and Plant diseases • Deforestation • Climate change) • Irrigation systems • Flood control • Grand Canal 1. 1 The Problem of Food Security and Environmental Change Food is the material basis to human survival, and in each nation-state, providing a system for the development, production, and distribution of food and its security is a primary national objective. Many forces have influenced the food security of peoples since ancient times, with particular challenges from natural disasters (floods, famines, drought, and pestilence) and growing populations globally.