Food, Nutrition and Climate. This item is unavailable.Food, Nutrition and Climate

Most people are aware of the influence of climate on the lives and prospects of human populations. The annual harvests of cereals, particularly in the northern hemisphere, with their shortages and variable surpluses; are a reminder of the delicate balance of global food pro­duction. This book is a collection of authoritative and comprehensive review papers by eminent scientists, presented at a symposium designed to bring together diverse scientific expertise to consider the impact of climate on man, his physical environment, and food production. Climate manifests itself in many ways: on the soils we exploit, the crops we grow, their yield and nutritive value, the diseases of plants and animals, and, consequently, on the objec­tives of plant breeders. The effects of climate influence the suitability of animal species, their reproductive success, and many other components of performance in different environ­ments, as well as marine life and the opportunities for fish cultivation; all are central to the production of animal food protein for man. Nor has man himself been overlooked and the book has interesting papers on heat exchange and human needs for nutrients, clothing, and shelter. Two papers addressed two issues of major concern: the impact of man on climate and the question of where the world's food should be grown. In regard to the latter, the proposition that production should be where the consumers are is examined. The subject as a whole is immense, but all aspects mentioned above are competently reviewed, with a bias towards northern regions, probably because of the greater availability of data that can be used to illustrate principles. The book should be mandatory reading for all agricultural technologists, economists, and planners, indeed, for anyone concerned with the production and availability of food.