Search for an Agricultural Ethic

All is not well in our food system. This assumption, thatcorrective action is needed, mandates the development ofalternatives to the present food system. I labelthis quest "thesearch for an agricultural ethic". Part One of this book examinesthe current leading alternative model: ecological agriculture.Ecological agriculture is built on first principles drawn from thestudy of wild ecosystems, hence it misconstrues the nature ofagriculture and unduly constrains its potential. Part Two of thisbook searches for a second, more satisfactory, model of alternativeagriculture - one based on agrarian philosophy. The first agrarianprinciple is the tripartite division of the environment: the notionthat working landscapes are different from either builtenvironments or wild places. The second principle, that farming isa fit occupation for humans, is based on the idea that in workinglandscapes, humans are neither conquerors nor plain citizens.Farming is a unique partnership between humans and nature in whichboth the farm and the farmer are improved. The challenge is todevelop a suite of agricultural policies that will allow thisunique relationship to flourish.