Energy Use in Agriculture?

Lelani Arris (larris@igc.apc.org)
Mon, 13 Dec 1993 18:35:54 -0800


Hi -

I am writing an article about the energy inputs to conventional
versus sustainable agriculture, and am looking for good sources of
information, particularly any I can access electronically or
via phone, as I am far from any library.

I am particularly interested in the energy inputs for such things as
fertilizer, herbicide and pesticide production as well as on-farm
irrigation and equipment use, and how these energy inputs are reduced
or increased by sustainable agriculture practices.

For a related sidebar on "eating locally", I am looking for data on
how much energy is involved in the transportation and packaging of
food from producer to consumer. Even figures such as how far our
food travels on average before it reaches us, and what proportion
of the weight of food we buy is actually packaging, and so on, would
be of interest here.

For all of this, I am particularly interested in figures for North
America, but welcome info from all over.

Any help you can provide would be greatly appreciated!

Regards -

Lelani

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Lelani Arris * Project Director
EcoNet: larris * GAIN Sustainable Transport
Internet/Fidonet: larris@igc.apc.org * & Energy Project (STEP)
BITNET: larris%igc.org@stanford * Box 42
Telephone: 604-968-4380 * Dunster, BC V0J 1J0
Fax: 604-968-4390 * Canada
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