Corrado Topi

This collection features six peer-reviewed reviews on the economics of key agricultural practices. The first chapter assesses the economic impact of horticultural crops and integrated pest management programmes. The chapter highlights the importance of considering agricultural system design and the utilisation of novel control tactics. The second chapter considers the economic consequences of novel integrated weed management (IWM) strategies, as well as the different approaches used to assess the economics of IWM strategies. The third chapter reviews developments in methods to assess the economic value of agricultural biodiversity. The chapter also outlines the limitations of these methods and proposes a possible, novel way forward. The fourth chapter provides an overview of the economic barriers faced by smallholder farmers, including land, labour, capital and inputs, and their impact on farm profitability. The fifth chapter reviews the economics of soil health, focussing on the adoption of soil health management practices by farmers and the effectiveness of incentives. The final chapter examines the use of economic research as a tool to determine the profitability and adoption potential for a number of precision agriculture technologies.

Solvents are ubiquitous throughout the chemical industry and are found in many consumer products. As a result, interest in solvents and their environmental impact has been steadily increasing. However, in order to achieve maximum integration of new green solvents into the relevant chemical sectors, clarification of the social, economic, and environmental implications of solvent substitution are needed. This book explores the solvent life cycle, highlighting the challenges faced at various points, from production, through the supply-chain and downstream use to end-of-life treatment. It also discusses the potential benefits that a green chemistry and bio-based economy approach could bring. The current state-of-the-art of green solvents is evaluated along these lines, in addition to reviewing their applications with an appreciation of sustainability criteria. Providing a critical assessment on emerging solvents and featuring case studies and perspectives from different sectors, this is an important reference for academics and industrialists working with solvents, as well as policy-makers involved in bio-based initiatives.