Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 1.1
World fruit and
vegetable production in 2009.
(Source: Anon
2012
)
Production (millions
tonnes)
Fruit
Vegetables
Total
China
118
683
801
India
71
152
223
Nigeria
10
85
95
USA
29
61
90
Brazil
37
43
80
Indonesia
17
35
52
Russian Federation
3
48
51
Turkey
15
32
47
Thailand
9
34
43
world's horticultural export trade since it is the largest fruit and vegetable producer.
In 2010 the United States farm gate value of fruits, nuts, and vegetables was valued
at $ US 33.4 billion, representing almost one-half of the United States' crop farm
gate value (Ingram
2012
). That value excluded those commodities such as building
materials, fibre, perfumes, dyes, and medicinal and pharmaceutical products. Nei-
ther was the value of production associated with community gardens (Twiss et al.
2003
), green roof gardens (Kidd
2005
; Kassim
2011
), hydroponics, mini-farming
and ranching (Simovic
1998
) included. Kassim (
2011
) reported that the technologi-
cal spin-offs from hydroponics and aquaculture now make the Republic of Singa-
pore a world leader in rooftop production of fresh vegetables, fruit and flowers;
certain types of seafood in specially designed containers; as well as making this city
a greener, cleaner cityscape that contributes less to global warming.
The range and diversity of food products and commodities associated with horti-
cultural production have become particularly important for improved human nutri-
tion and in health, and play important roles in establishing the economic security
and stability of many countries (Ingram
2012
; Anon
2013c
). In 2009 total world
production of fruits and vegetables were calculated at 2.4 billion tonnes (Anon
2012
) with Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Russian Federation, Thailand,
Turkey and USA, accounting for 51 % of the world's fruit and 65 % of the world's
vegetable crops. Asia accounted for only 23 % of the world's fruit production in
1983, by 2005 this had risen to 76 % of the world's fruits and 82 % of the world's
vegetables (Lee
2007
).
In 2008 the value of environmental horticulture to North America, Latin Ameri-
ca, Europe, the former Soviet Union, Asia and Oceania, the Middle East and Africa
was worth almost $ US 290.0 billion, or approximately 1 % of Gross Domestic
Product (Haydu et al.
2008
), or worth some $ US 175.26 billion in total revenue
(Hall et al.
2006
; Hall and Hodges
2011
). Additional research is required in deter-
mining the value of environmental horticulture projects such as is found in many
green open space initiatives like parks and garden tours, eco-tourism and event
management. Recognition of the value of greening to the environment has come
about only recently in response to global warming (Dixon et al.
2014b
) and rising
urban populations (Figs.
1.3
and
1.4
).
