Reconnecting People, Land and Nature
Routledge – 2002 – 276 pages
'Refreshingly fluent narrative, brimming full of stories and metaphors' Tim O'Riordan, University of East Anglia, UK 'A great balance between storytelling and analysis which points to the critical need for gaining control over resources' Jacqueline Ashby, CIAT, Colombia 'Full of supporting evidence and clear arguments' Norman Uphoff, Cornell University, US 'A wonderful book, put together with such vision and passion' Mark Ritchie, Institute of Agriculture and Trade Policy, US 'A superb volume. This is a valuable monograph that all policy-makers, scholars and farmers must read to understand their roles and responsibilities' Vo-Tong Xuan, Angiang University, Vietnam 'Beautifully written. The implications of the book's ideas are deep and extensive' Julia Guivant, University of Florianopolis, Brazil Something is wrong with our agricultural and food systems. Despite great progress in increasing productivity in recent decades, hundreds of millions of people remain hungry and malnourished, and further millions suffer for eating too much food or the wrong sort. Agri-Culture envisages the expansion of a new form of food production and consumption founded on more ecological principles and in harmony with the cultures, knowledges and collective capacities of the producers themselves. It draws on many stories of successful agricultural transformation in developing and industrialized countries, but with a warning that true prosperity will depend on the radical reform of the institutions and policies that control global food futures, and fundamental changes in the way we think. The time has come for the next agricultural revolution.
'A coherent challenge to the agrochemical orthodoxy.' BBC Wildlife 'A compelling read.' Permaculture Magazine 'This book isn't 'food for thought' it's a veritable banquet!' Scientists for Global Responsibility Newsletter 'This excellent book sets out the responsibilities for all farmers, consumers, agri-businessmen, politicians… in pursuing the path of sustainable agriculture.' New Agriculturist Online 'Filled with successful examples from around the world, Agri-Culture calls for a radical reform of the institutions and policies that control our food.' The Ecologist 'There is much in this book which is of compelling interest to anyone who wants to understand what is happening to farming and farmers.' Jersey Evening Post 'His chapter on 'The Genetics Controversy' is the best balanced and most easily understood that I have ever seen and I would recommend the book for this alone.' Bulletin of the British Ecological Society 'A wealth of detailed references.' Resurgence 'Agri-culture is particularly strong on weaving stories and case studies among the facts to make a case.' The Times Higher Supplement 'Pretty has made a deliberate attempt to make this more of an essay than a text book, in order to popularise the issues more widely. The text is engaging and easy to read without becoming 'fluffy'.' Seedling 'As with all Jules Pretty's books, the presentation is very thorough, referencing impressive and end notes informative.' EAAP News 'A passionate analysis of what Pretty sees as being wrong with our agricultural and food systems.' Environmental Politics
Preface to a Revolution * Landscapes Lost and Found * Monoscapes * Reality Cheques * Food for All * Only Reconnect * Genetic Dislocations * Ecological Literacy * Crossing the Internal Frontiers * Notes * References * Index
Jules Pretty is Professor of Environment and Society at the University of Essex. His other books include The Living Land, Regenerating Agriculture and Unwelcome Harvest.