Measuring and auditing on-farm energy use

Abstract

Food systems have been divided into several categories; cropping, livestock and fisheries, food processing, packaging, trade, and households. Agricultural operations include all farming operations that occur after the land is cleared and developed, such as tillage, planting, fertilizing, pest controlling, harvesting, post-harvesting, and transportation at the farm level and until the product leaves the farm gate. Energy is one of the important elements in modern agriculture. Without energy, farming is impossible; especially, as modern agriculture depends totally on energy use and fossil resources. Energy consumption in agriculture has been increasing in response to the limited supply of arable land, increasing population, technological changes, and a desire for higher standards of living. It seems that there is a correlation between energy consumption in agriculture and the global rise of urbanization. Furthermore, energy has an important and unique role in economic and social development, especially in developing countries.