5/31/01

Contacts:
Cornelia Flora, Sociology, (515) 294-1329
Barbara McManus, Communications Service, (515) 294-0707

NEW BOOK: SUSTAINABILITY BENEFITS RURAL COMMUNITIES

AMES, Iowa - A Native American tribe cares for its forestland in Nebraska. A Minnesota community works together to save its lakes. A banana company in Panama transforms landscapes and livelihoods. These are a few case studies included in a new book, Interactions Between Agroecosystems and Rural Communities, edited and co-authored by Cornelia Flora, Iowa State University rural sociologist.

The book examines the effects of agricultural production on people and the environment. The authors analyze how to maintain sustainability both economically and environmentally. They also discuss the importance of understanding alternative ways of working with communities to improve sustainability.

"The lesson from this book is that thinking long-term about agriculture's impacts on ecosystems is more sustainable economically and builds healthier communities," Flora said.

An agroecosystem is any biological system that produces products for human use. Flora said such systems include raising livestock, forestry, crop production and fisheries.

The book outlines both successes and failures in maintaining sustainable systems. Flora said an irrigated system in Mexico failed, leaving behind salinized soils and economic problems.

"Focusing on just the economic part of food production can have bad impacts," Flora said. "Working as a community is critical to ensure that doing something sustainable pays off economically."

The book will be used in teaching the sustainable agriculture master's program at ISU. Flora and three other ISU researchers are featured in the book. Those authors include Lita Rule, forestry; Joe Colletti, forestry, and Lorna Michael Butler, ISU Henry A. Wallace Endowed Chair for Sustainable Agriculture.

Interactions Between Agroecosystems and Rural Communities is available from CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fla., (800) 272-7737, http://www.crcpress.com.

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