ABSTRACT

The Spirit of the Soil challenges environmentalists to think more deeply and creatively about agriculture. Paul B. Thompson identifies four `worldviews' which tackle agricultural ethics according to different philosophical priorities; productionism, stewardship, economics and holism. He examines current issues such as the use of pesticides and biotechnology from these ethical perspectives. This book achieves an open-ended account of sustainability designed to minimise hubris and help us to recapture the spirit of the soil.

chapter 1|20 pages

THE ETHICS OF SOIL

chapter 2|26 pages

THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRITICS OF AGRICULTURE

chapter 3|25 pages

THE PRODUCTIONIST PARADIGM

chapter 5|24 pages

CALCULATING THE TRUE COST OF FOOD

chapter 6|29 pages

THE HOLISTIC ALTERNATIVE

chapter 7|26 pages

SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE