The Centrality of Agriculture: Between Humankind and the Rest of Nature

313 Pages·1996·19.327 MB·English

by  Colin A. M. Duncan

The Centrality of Agriculture
Between Humankind and the Rest of Nature
Bridging the gap between political economy and ecology, The Centrality
of Agriculture is a critical review of the history of capitalism and
socialism in relation to agriculture. Colin Duncan argues that the
important role of agriculture has been overlooked during the last two
centuries: it must be restored to a central place in society.
Using ecological, historical, humanist, institutionalist, and Marxist
methodologies, Duncan argues that the entire project of developing the
theory of political economy has been seriously sidetracked by
industrialism. Using England as a case study he shows that the rela-
tionship between modernity and agriculture need not be so uncom-
fortable and suggests ways in which the original socialist project can
be rejuvenated to make it both more feasible and more attractive.
Duncan concludes that no sustainable human future can be
conceived unless and until the centrality of agriculture is properly
recognized and new economic institutions are developed that will
encourage people to take care of their landscapes.
COLIN A.M. DUNCAN is an environmental historian living in Kingston,
Ontario. He taught modern British history at Queen's University for
many years.
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The Centrality of
Agriculture
Between Humankind and
the Rest of Nature
COLIN A.M. DUNCAN
McGill-Queen's University Press
Montreal & Kingston • Buffalo • London
McGill-Queen's University Press 1996
ISBN 0-7735-1363-9
Legal deposit second quarter 1996
Bibliotheque nationale du Quebec
Printed in the United States on acid-free paper
This book has been published with the help
of a grant from the Social Science Federation
of Canada, using funds provided by the Social
Sciences and Humanities Research Council of
Canada. Funding has also been received from the
School of Graduate Studies and Research and the
Department of History of Queen's University.
McGill-Queen's University Press is grateful
to the Canada Council for support of its
publishing program.
Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data
Duncan, Colin A.M. (Colin Adrien MacKinley), 1954-
The centraliry of agriculture: between humankind
and the rest of nature
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-7735-1363-9
I. Agriculture - Economic aspects. 2. Agriculture -
Environmental aspects. 3. Agriculture - Social aspects.
I. Title.
HD1925.85 1996 338.I'oI c95-900947-7
This book is dedicated to my parents (1915-93)
whose complementary outlooks structured my own
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Contents
Tables and Photographs / xi
Preface / xiii
Acknowledgments / xvii
I (INTRODUCTORY) AGRICULTURE AS THE PROBLEM:
REPLACING THE ECONOMY IN NATURE AND IN
SOCIETY / 3
Section I (Preliminary)
The Missing Environmental Dimension in Social
Criticism / 3
Locke and Marx on Our Effect on Nature / 5
Trying to Digest the Possibility of Our Utter Destruction / 10
Section 2 (Ecological and Historical)
The Environmental Implications of Agriculture and the
Preindustrial Phase of Their History / 13
The Ecology of Agriculture / 14
Preindustrial Environmental History / 18
Section 3 (Ecological and Contemporary)
The Environmental Implications of Industry and Our
Living Environment's Capacity for Response / 24
Distinguishing Among Capitalism, Modernity, and
Industrialism / 24
viii Contents
The Environmental Essence of Industry 729
The General Theory of Waste Processing / 31
The Water Cycle and Soil / 33
The General Significance of Biogeochemical Cycles / 37
Section 4 (Practical and Future-Oriented)
Towards Agriculture as Our Environmental Monitor and
the Centrepiece of a New Form of Polity / 39
Different Levels of Community / 41
Distinguishing Technically among Use-Values / 43
Local Protection of Land by Ecologically Sound Agricul-
ture / 45
Socialism on a Complex Basis / 48
2 (PABULAR) AGRICULTURE PRIVILEGED AND BENIGN:
ENGLISH CAPITALISM IN ITS LIGHT-INDUSTRIAL
PRIME / 50
Section i (Sociotheoretical)
The Relevance of the English Case for Understanding the
Place of Agriculture in Modern Society / 50
The Theory of Purely Capitalist Society / 51
Agriculture in the English Case / 53
The Historical Origins of English Agrarian Peculiarity / 55
Specific Roles of the Landowning Class in England / 57
Section 2 (Agronomic and Ecological)
Classical English Farming Practices and Land
Stewardship / 63
The Unconscious Ecological Sophistication of "High
Farming" / 64
Land Stewardship in a Modern but Preindustrial Society / 69
Political Economy's Comprehension of Agricultural
Improvements / 71
Section 3 (Legal and Institutional)
The Dynastic Device of Strict Settlement / 75
Dynastic Ambitions Serving the Land / 75
The Rates of Return on Capital and on Wealth / 78
Section 4 (Interpretive)
The Place of Agriculture in the Economy of Capitalist
England / 80
ix Contents
The Position of Landowners in the Economy / 81
Agriculture as Accelerator then Decelerator of Indus-
trialization / 83
The World Economy Turns on its Creator / 87
3 (CONTEMPORARY) AGRICULTURE DISPLACED AND
DISARRAYED: THE INDUSTRIALIZING (WORLD)
ECONOMY AS THE ONLY PERCEIVED CONTEXT FOR
HUMAN ACTIVITY IN THIS CENTURY / 90
Section I (Historico-ideological)
Free Trade and the Attack on the Landed Interest in
England / 90
Classical Political Economy and English Politics / 92
The Effect of Corn Law Repeal on English Agriculture / 95
Section 2 (Historico-economic)
The Rise and Fall of an Ordered World Market in
Agricultural Produce and Their Manifold Effects / 99
The Agricultural Explanation of the Great Depression / 99
The Revival of Unsophisticated Farming in the "New
World" / 102
The Agrarian Situation in Europe / 103
International Economic Events and Agriculture between the
Wars / 103
The State of World Agriculture since World War II / 110
Section 3 (Technical)
"Solving" Agriculture's Problems by Deliberately
Subsuming It under Industry / 114
Mechanization and Chemicalization Distinguished / 116
Chemical Fertilizers / 117
Chemical Pesticides / 120
Antiecology the Implicit Philosophy of Contemporary
Agriculture / 122
Section 4 (Critical)
Agriculture and the Socialist Tradition / 126
Eduard David on Socialism and Agriculture / 130
Kozo Uno on Agriculture and Socialism / 132
4 (UTOPIAN) AGRICULTURAL BIOCONTEXTS FOR
FUTURE PERSONS: POSSIBLE FORMS FOR COM-
MUNITIES SECURELY PLACED IN NATURE / 141