ABSTRACT
J. Baird Callicott's criticism of reductionism in agricultural science can also be linked to Wendell Berry's agrarian holism. Critics of agriculture and agricultural research often question the effort to improve productivity and efficiency in farm production with respect to impacts upon environmental quality and the animals involved in dairy, beef, and poultry operations. Criticism of yield-enhancing agricultural research can be based upon the belief that alleged efficiencies are false when long-term resource costs are included in a factor analysis. The implicit ethical basis for agricultural research in the United States Department of Agriculture/land-grant system is utilitarian in that it defines the value of research in terms of its capacity to balance costs and benefits associated with agricultural production. The most complete statement of the philosophical position that supports the stronger conclusions of "animal rights activists" is found in Tom Regan's book, The Case for Animal Rights.
