Product Description

'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.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #190782 in Books
• Published on: 2002-09-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 264 pages

Review
'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

VO-TONG XUAN, Angiang University, Vietnam
‘A superb volume. This is a valuable monograph that all policy makers, scholars and farmers must read to understand their roles and responsibilities’

MARK RITCHIE, Institute of Agriculture and Trade Policy, USA
‘A wonderful manuscript, put together with such vision and passion’

Customer Reviews

Plus...
I really didn't do this book any justice with my review above. I didn't mention clearly enough that this book is one of facts as well as reasonable ideas. An immense amount of research and knowledge has gone into this work. It is highly informative, covering many subjects including chapters on food, organic farming, genetic modification, externalities (both money and environment/health-wise) of modern agricultural systems, loss of crucial biodiversity and habitat, many examples of sustainable farming systems in the real world working to increase farmer's yeilds (and explaining how) - you get the picture!

There is also a large notes and references section so you can look things up.

Listen up!
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I wish i was less excited about this book so i could write a coherent and informative review, but it is that good!

If you are interested in sustainable practices, modern agriculture, our culture, the environment or our planets future i strongly recommend you give this book a go. You will find it amazingly easy and enjoyable to read from cover to cover as well as useful as a reference book with clear subtitles. There are so many interesting facts and ideas and brilliant ways of looking at things in here it is mindblowing, Jules has done tons of research. I have read literally hundreds of books (i still can't spell) and Agri-Culture is my new firm favourite (after any Martin Amis novel... i'm not sponsored).

I give this book a million kazillion stars.
Thankyou for your time.

NEW BIT ADDED BELOW!!!!!
somebody didn't find this review helpful, im not a book reviewer but i will do my best to improve this review: this book is passionately written by a professor at the university of essex about the effects of industrial agriculture (monoscapes, chemicals, gm etc) on the environment first and foremost, but also the deep implications that our careless and polluting behavior and belief that we are above nature has on us as beings (on many levels, physically, psychologically, spiritually). if we try to disconnect ourselves our entire culture and lifestyle falls apart. we are and always will be linked no matter how advanced our technology gets and anything we throw out comes back to us in more ways than just killing the birds in our garden. does that help any?? this book really is a lovely, exciting read and not only is it quite gentle and poetic Jules must have done hours of research for practically every line, but then that is his job...

Really impressive
This book is impressively discerning ! Urge everyone to read it... it gives us a very different perspective of environmental, cultural, social and economic facts of what we're used to see. Very well written with clear presentation of facts and stories.