Defending the Social Licence of Farming: Issues, Challenges and New Directions for Agriculture. Edited by J. Williams and P. V. Martin. Collingwood, Australia: CSIRO Publishing (2011), pp. 206, AU$49.95. ISBN 978-0-643-10159-3.

Abstract

We live in interesting times! There is a global realisation of the need for greater and sustainable food production-from a shrinking arable area. This comes after a long period of agricultural decline, particularly in Europe and more seriously a very significant decline in agricultural research. The days of the Green Revolution are over and we have nothing to replace it. The only hope is for improved crop production through improved genetics. Traditional methods of breeding have performed well in the past but are clearly struggling with new challenges. The new molecular technologies of genetics and genomics hold the key to future productivity. These technologies are alien to many involved in traditional breeding, and for them this book will be a revelation. Written by acknowledged experts in their fields, this book provides a window into the future with well-written and very readable accounts of the origins of the brassica oil crops, followed by a series of chapters outlining the latest technologies of genomics and their uses. Each chapter is more or less self-contained and can be read in isolation-there is therefore some understandable duplication in their introductions. The subjects are well referenced and this book will provide an excellent introduction to modern breeding. More importantly, the book clearly outlines the use and capabilities of these technologies. For any young breeder and any older ones looking for a new lease in life, this book will become an essential reading.