Resource Utilization
The notion of “eco-efficiency” can provide a solid basis for developing a conceptual
understanding of rational and effective use of resources in agriculture and a set of tools to move
us toward these objectives.
Eco-efficient agriculture increases productivity while reducing environmental impacts. Eco-
efficient agriculture meets economic, social, and environmental needs of the rural poor by
being profitable, competitive, sustainable, and resilient. It harmonizes the economic,
environmental, and social elements of development, and strives toward solutions that are
competitive and profitable, sustainable, and resilient, and generate benefits for the poor. Eco-
efficient agriculture cannot effectively address the needs of the poor without taking into account
the particular needs of women.
Both high-input intensive agriculture and low-input agriculture need to evolve based on agro-
ecological principles. This will guide in resource use in agricultural sector.
Agroecology represents a transdisciplinary field that includes all the ecological, sociocultural,
technological, economic and political dimensions of food systems, from production to
consumption.
High-input agriculture should aim at becoming more eco-efficient, and low-input agriculture
needs to increase in productivity while retaining high efficiency of input use.
Assignment
Discuss the 13 principles of agroecology, their elements and their implications in
sustainable food systems in Kenya. (10mks)
Recycling, input reduction, soil health, animal health, biodiversity, economic
diversification, social values and diets, fairness, participation, land and natural resource
governance, and connectivity.
, Higher Productivity with Lower Negative Impact
Agricultural productivity must increase if we are to meet the increasing demands of a growing
and more affluent population for food, feed, fiber, and fuels in the context of limited land
available for expansion of agriculture.
Humans have always attempted to raise the efficiency of agroecosystems, aiming to harvest
more per unit of input, mainly water, nutrients, energy, or agrobiodiversity.
Example; Efforts to increase productivity should therefore consider crop breeding (particularly
for maximizing input use efficiency and for host plant resistance for reducing pesticide use), eco-
friendly husbandry, and the sustainable use of natural resources (especially agrobiodiversity),
while enhancing ecosystem services.
Sustainable intensification of agriculture should reduce the need to expand into environmentally
vulnerable areas.
Humans face the challenge of managing trade-offs between immediate needs and maintaining the
capacity of the biosphere to provide goods and services in the long term.
Policy measures are needed that provide incentives for development and adoption of more
diverse, eco-efficient farming; such measures include premium prices for products from eco-
efficient systems, and price supports for the provision of their environmental services.
Assignment
There are numerous approaches for increasing agricultural productivity using eco-efficient
production systems. For example, integrating livestock, crops, and forestry systems can lead
to higher productivity and lower negative impact
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY APPROACHES
Cost-benefit analysis
Definition
Cost benefit Analysis (CBA) is a tool used either to rank projects or to choose the most
appropriate option. The ranking or decision is based on expected economic costs and benefits.
The rule is that a project should be undertaken if lifetime expected benefits exceeds all
The notion of “eco-efficiency” can provide a solid basis for developing a conceptual
understanding of rational and effective use of resources in agriculture and a set of tools to move
us toward these objectives.
Eco-efficient agriculture increases productivity while reducing environmental impacts. Eco-
efficient agriculture meets economic, social, and environmental needs of the rural poor by
being profitable, competitive, sustainable, and resilient. It harmonizes the economic,
environmental, and social elements of development, and strives toward solutions that are
competitive and profitable, sustainable, and resilient, and generate benefits for the poor. Eco-
efficient agriculture cannot effectively address the needs of the poor without taking into account
the particular needs of women.
Both high-input intensive agriculture and low-input agriculture need to evolve based on agro-
ecological principles. This will guide in resource use in agricultural sector.
Agroecology represents a transdisciplinary field that includes all the ecological, sociocultural,
technological, economic and political dimensions of food systems, from production to
consumption.
High-input agriculture should aim at becoming more eco-efficient, and low-input agriculture
needs to increase in productivity while retaining high efficiency of input use.
Assignment
Discuss the 13 principles of agroecology, their elements and their implications in
sustainable food systems in Kenya. (10mks)
Recycling, input reduction, soil health, animal health, biodiversity, economic
diversification, social values and diets, fairness, participation, land and natural resource
governance, and connectivity.
, Higher Productivity with Lower Negative Impact
Agricultural productivity must increase if we are to meet the increasing demands of a growing
and more affluent population for food, feed, fiber, and fuels in the context of limited land
available for expansion of agriculture.
Humans have always attempted to raise the efficiency of agroecosystems, aiming to harvest
more per unit of input, mainly water, nutrients, energy, or agrobiodiversity.
Example; Efforts to increase productivity should therefore consider crop breeding (particularly
for maximizing input use efficiency and for host plant resistance for reducing pesticide use), eco-
friendly husbandry, and the sustainable use of natural resources (especially agrobiodiversity),
while enhancing ecosystem services.
Sustainable intensification of agriculture should reduce the need to expand into environmentally
vulnerable areas.
Humans face the challenge of managing trade-offs between immediate needs and maintaining the
capacity of the biosphere to provide goods and services in the long term.
Policy measures are needed that provide incentives for development and adoption of more
diverse, eco-efficient farming; such measures include premium prices for products from eco-
efficient systems, and price supports for the provision of their environmental services.
Assignment
There are numerous approaches for increasing agricultural productivity using eco-efficient
production systems. For example, integrating livestock, crops, and forestry systems can lead
to higher productivity and lower negative impact
ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY APPROACHES
Cost-benefit analysis
Definition
Cost benefit Analysis (CBA) is a tool used either to rank projects or to choose the most
appropriate option. The ranking or decision is based on expected economic costs and benefits.
The rule is that a project should be undertaken if lifetime expected benefits exceeds all
