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International Mid-Term Conference Italian Association of Agricultural Engineering

The challenge of research in agriculture and forestry today is to cope the rapidly growing food demand (to be doubled in 2050) with the environmental impacts related to agricultural expansion. We are seeing an agricultural intensification in richer nations and a growing land clearing in poorer nations; this joint process will increase environmental pressure in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, land and water resources, energy demand. Diversely, additional production – in the whole food chain - should be achieved without further damaging to essential ecosystem services or excessive use of land, water and non-renewable energy resources. The concept of “sustainable intensification” in agriculture means increasing together yields and efficient use of input, by reducing in the same time the negative environmental effects of food production. High quality research in Agricultural Engineering may contribute very significantly to address a more complex set of goals than just increasing yield, by developing new technologies which can be transferred to applications and best practices.

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