Gareth Edwards-Jones

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the multi-year impact of biochar on crop performance and soil quality with specific emphasis on carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling over a 3 y period.

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the mechanistic basis of soil respiration response to biochar and showed that biochar repressed native organic matter (SOM) breakdown, counteracting the release of CO2 from the biochar.

TL;DR: The UK Government's Foresight Global Food and Farming Futures project as mentioned in this paper aims to improve dialogue and understanding between agricultural research and policy by identifying the 100 most important questions for global agriculture.

Abstract: Despite considerable effort to understand and represent decision making by farmers, there has been little attempt to integrate socio-economic, psychological and farming variables within a comprehensive framework. This paper attempts to do this in the context of two types of farming behaviour - business and environmental -for a sample of over 200 Scottish farmers. Using variables covering their attitudes, objectives and behaviours relevant to many aspects of farming, we proposed mediating variables models of business-oriented and environmentally-oriented farming behaviours. Structural equation modelling was used to test the adequacy of the proposed models. The results of the study emphasise the importance of psychological factors in the decision making of farmers.

TL;DR: In this article, the authors conclude that food miles are a poor indicator of the environmental and ethical impacts of food production, and that only through combining spatially explicit life cycle assessment with analysis of social issues can the benefits of local food be assessed.