Achieving zero hunger and food security is a top priority in the United Nations Development Goals (UNDGs). In an era characterized by high population growth and increasing pressure on agricultural systems, efficiency in the use of natural resources has become central to sustainable agricultural practices. Fundamentally speaking, eco-efficiency is about maximizing agricultural outputs, in terms of quantity and quality, using less land, water, nutrients, energy, labor, or capital. The concept of eco-efficiency involves both the ecological and economic aspects of sustainable agriculture. It is therefore essential to understand the interaction of ecosystem constituents within the extensive agricultural landscape, as well as farmers’ economic needs.
This book examines the latest eco-efficient practices used in agro-systems. Drawing upon research and examples from around the world, it offers an up-to-date overview, together with insights into directly applicable approaches for poly-cropping systems and landscape-scale management to improve the stability of agricultural production systems, helping achieve food security. The book will be of interest to educators, researchers, climate change scientists, capacity builders and policymakers alike. It can also be used as additional reading material for undergraduate and graduate courses on agriculture, forestry, soil science, and the environmental sciences.
Dr. Sandeep Kumar is currently working as a scientist (Agronomy) at the Division of Crop Production, ICAR-Indian Institute of Pulse Research, Kanpur (UP), India. He obtained his Ph.D. from Choudhary Charan Singh Haryana Agricultural University, Hisar, India. His main research interest is in agricultural production for environmental sustainability. He has published four books and 30 papers in leading national and international peer-reviewed journals and has contributed to 18 book chapters. He has received numerous national awards, including Young Scientist, Best Research Scholar, and Best Master’s Thesis awards.
Dr. Ram Swaroop Meena is an agronomist and Assistant Professor at the Department of Agronomy, I.Ag. Scs., BHU, Varanasi (UP). Awarded a Raman Research Fellowship by the MHRD, GOI, he completed his postdoctoral research on soil carbon sequestration under Prof. Rattan Lal, Director, C-MASC, Columbus, USA. Dr. Meena has published more than 100 research and review papers, 50 book chapters and 17 books. He has worked as an expert for the NCERT, MHRD, GOI. With more than 10 years of research and teaching experience, he is currently working on three externally funded projects (DST, MHRD, ICAR).
Manoj Kumar Jhariya is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Farm Forestry, Sant Gahira Guru Vishwavidyalaya (Formerly Sarguja University) Ambikapur (Chhattisgarh), India, and the author or co-author of more than 60 scientific papers, 30 book chapters and seven books. Dr. Jhariya acquired his B.Sc. (Agriculture), M.Sc. and Ph.D. (both in Forestry) degrees from Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India. Dr. Jhariya was awarded a UGC-RGNF Fellowship, New Delhi, India, and received a Chhattisgarh Young Scientist Award from Chhattisgarh Council of Science and Technology in 2013. He is an editorial board member for several journals and a life member of numerous societies.
