Includes bibliographical references and index.

1. Introduction -- 2. The biology of agriculture -- 3. Climate and crops -- 4. Soils and the farmer -- 5. Slopes, altitude and agriculture -- 6. The demand for agricultural products -- 7. The economic behaviour of farmers -- 8. The modernization of agriculture -- 9. The state and the farmer -- 10. Markets and transport -- 11. Agriculture in peri-urban regions -- 12. Population, labour supply and agriculture -- 13. Farm size and landownership -- 14. The diffusion of agricultural innovations -- 15. The cultural framework of farming -- 16. Agriculture and the environment -- 17. Conclusions.

Employing nearly one half of the world's workforce, agriculture is clearly of great economic and social importance. An incredible variety of methods is used globally; the Western world has the latest scientific and industrial advancements at its disposal, yet in some parts of the Third World a living is made using tools that have hardly changed in two thousand years.

David Grigg provides a comprehensive introduction to agriculture in both the First and Third Worlds, describing both human and environmental issues. Covering the physical environment, economic behaviour and demands, institutional, social and cultural influences, and the impact of farming upon the environment, the book explores the wide range of factors which influence how agriculture and agricultural practice differ from place to place.

For this new edition, the text, statistics, artwork and bibliography have been entirely updated and revised. In addition, two new chapters have been incorporated, on modernization and on the environment.