Local food: benefits and failings due to modern agriculture

This paper aims to examine the issue raised by the consumption of locally produced food in all its various aspects, and in particular, addresses how this practice contributes to local and global sustainability. It analyzes the different definitions of local food, the strategies used, the implications of the distance traveled in the transportation of food to the consumer's table food miles, the relationships between local food consumption and sustainability, farming practices that reduce carbon emissions, contribution of urban agriculture to local food, local trading of food produced by rural farmers, as well as a number of relationships between the consumption of local food and human nutrition and health, local food protection and the ability to support local food production for humanitarian actions in disaster situations. The promotion of local food is a complex problem covering environmental issues, the economy and health. Transportation is not the only factor that determines how efficient it is to consume local food. Often, the technologies used for agricultural production are those most responsible for the degree of sustainability in the production and supply of food to the population. Local production does not always mean lower emissions of greenhouse gases. In general, the consumption of local foods, produced in ways adapted to the local environment using technologies with an ecological basis, is something beneficial and salutary for the environment, economy and society in general.

Local food: benefits and failings due to modern agriculture

This paper aims to examine the issue raised by the consumption of locally produced food in all its various aspects, and in particular, addresses how this practice contributes to local and global sustainability. It analyzes the different definitions of local food, the strategies used, the implications of the distance traveled in the transportation of food to the consumer's table food miles, the relationships between local food consumption and sustainability, farming practices that reduce carbon emissions, contribution of urban agriculture to local food, local trading of food produced by rural farmers, as well as a number of relationships between the consumption of local food and human nutrition and health, local food protection and the ability to support local food production for humanitarian actions in disaster situations. The promotion of local food is a complex problem covering environmental issues, the economy and health. Transportation is not the only factor that determines how efficient it is to consume local food. Often, the technologies used for agricultural production are those most responsible for the degree of sustainability in the production and supply of food to the population. Local production does not always mean lower emissions of greenhouse gases. In general, the consumption of local foods, produced in ways adapted to the local environment using technologies with an ecological basis, is something beneficial and salutary for the environment, economy and society in general.(AU)

Influência do espaçamento e da população de plantas de sorgo sacarino em diferentes épocas semeadura / Influence of spacing and plant population for sweet sorghum in different seeding seasons

O trabalho objetivou avaliar a interferência do espaçamento entrelinhas e população de plantas sobre a produção do sorgo sacarino em duas épocas de semeadura, safra e safrinha. Os experimentos foram conduzidos na Embrapa Milho e Sorgo, em Sete Lagoas (MG), em Latossolo Vermelho Distrófico, na safra 2011/2012. Para as duas épocas de semeadura, as parcelas foram compostas por cinco espaçamentos entrelinhas (50; 60; 70; e 80cm e linha dupla 100x50x50cm), e as subparcelas por quatro populações de plantas de sorgo sacarino (80.000, 100.000, 120.000 e 140.000 plantas ha-1). O delineamento utilizado foi em blocos ao acaso (DBC), com três repetições. Utilizou-se a variedade de sorgo sacarino BRS506. O experimento de safra foi implantado em novembro/2011 e de safrinha em março/2012. A época de semeadura no período de safra resultou em maior rendimento de matéria fresca de colmos, matéria fresca de biomassa total, massa de caldo e Brix do sorgo sacarino, independente do arranjo de plantas. O espaçamento de 50cm entrelinhas resultou em maior produção de biomassa total e massa de caldo ha-1, independente da época de semeadura. O espaçamento duplo resultou em valores similares ao espaçamento de 80cm, para as principais variáveis produtivas, independente da época de semeadura. As populações de plantas não influenciaram o rendimento de matéria fresca de colmos e massa de caldo, independente da época de semeadura.(AU)

The research aimed to evaluate the effect of row spacing and plant population on the production of sweet sorghum in sowing season and off-season crop. The experiments were conducted at Embrapa Maize and Sorghum, Sete Lagoas (MG) in an Oxisol in the 2011/2012 season. For two seasons of sowing, the plots were composed of five row spacings (50;60;70 and 80cm and double line 100x50cm), and sub-plots for four plant populations of sweet sorghum (80.000, 100.000, 120.000 and 140.000 plants ha-1). The experimental design was randomized blocks with three replications. It was used the variety of sweet sorghum BRS506. The experiment in the sowing season was implemented in November/2011 and the off-season in March/2012. The sowing season period resulted in higher fresh weight of total biomass, juice mass and Brix of sweet sorghum, regardless of plant arrangement. The row spacing of 50cm resulted in higher total biomass and juice mass ha-1, regardless of the period sowing. The double spacing resulted in values similar to the row spacing of 80cm for the main production variables, regardless of the period sowing. The plant population did not influence the yield of fresh mass of stems and juice mass, regardless of the period sowing.(AU)