The Conversion to Sustainable Agriculture: Principles, Processes, and Practices (Advances in Agroecology)

382 Pages·2009·4.03 MB·English

by  Stephen R. Gliessman

The Conversion to
Sustainable Agriculture
Principles, Processes, and Practices
Advances in Agroecology
Series Editor: Clive A. Edwards
Agroecosystems in a Changing Climate
Paul C.D. Newton, R. Andrew Carran, Grant R. Edwards, and Pascal A. Niklaus
Agroecosystem Sustainability: Developing Practical Strategies
Stephen R. Gliessman
Agroforestry in Sustainable Agricultural Systems
Louise E. Buck, James P. Lassoie, and Erick C.M. Fernandes
Biodiversity in Agroecosystems
Wanda Williams Collins and Calvin O. Qualset
The Conversion to Sustainable Agriculture: Principles, Processes, and Practices
Stephen R. Gliessman and Martha Rosemeyer
Interactions between Agroecosystems and Rural Communities
Cornelia Flora
Landscape Ecology in Agroecosystems Management
Lech Ryszkowski
Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Agroecosystems
Mario Giampietro
Soil Ecology in Sustainable Agricultural Systems
Lijbert Brussaard and Ronald Ferrera-Cerrato
Soil Organic Matter in Sustainable Agriculture
Fred Magdoff and Ray R. Weil
Soil Tillage in Agroecosystems
Adel El Titi
Structure and Function in Agroecosystem Design and Management
Masae Shiyomi and Hiroshi Koizumi
Sustainable Agroecosystem Management: Integrating Ecology, Economics and Society
Patrick J. Bohlen and Gar House
Tropical Agroecosystems
John H. Vandermeer
Advisory Board
Editor-in-Chief
Clive A. Edwards
The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
Editorial Board
Miguel Altieri, University of California, Berkeley, California
Lijbert Brussaard, Agricultural University, Wageningen, The Netherlands
David Coleman, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
D.A. Crossley, Jr., University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
Adel El-Titi, Stuttgart, Germany
Charles A. Francis, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska
Stephen R. Gliessman, University of California, Santa Cruz, California
Thurman Grove, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
Maurizio Paoletti, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
David Pimentel, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Masae Shiyomi, Ibaraki University, Mito, Japan
Sir Colin R.W. Spedding, Berkshire, England
Moham K. Wali, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio
The Conversion to
Sustainable Agriculture
Principles, Processes, and Practices
Edited by
Stephen R. Gliessman
Martha Rosemeyer
Boca Raton London New York
CRC Press is an imprint of the
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Library of Congress Cataloging‑in‑Publication Data
The conversion to sustainable agriculture : principles, processes, and practices / editors:
Stephen R. Gliessman, Martha Rosemeyer.
p. cm. -- (Advances in agroecology)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-8493-1917-4 (hardcover : alk. paper)
1. Sustainable agriculture. 2. Sustainable agriculture--Case studies. I. Gliessman,
Stephen R. II. Rosemeyer, Martha. III. Title. IV. Series: Advances in agroecology.
S494.5.S86C665 2010
630--dc22 2009040253
Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at
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and the CRC Press Web site at
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Contents
Preface......................................................................................................................vii
Contributors ..............................................................................................................ix
SectIon I Basic Principles
Chapter 1 The Framework for Conversion ............................................................3
Stephen R. Gliessman
Chapter 2 What Do We Know about the Conversion Process?
Yields, Economics, Ecological Processes, and Social Issues ............15
Martha E. Rosemeyer
Chapter 3 The History of Organic Agriculture...................................................49
Rachael J. Jamison and John H. Perkins
SectIon II Global Perspectives
Chapter 4 Northern Midwest (U.S.): Farmers’ Views of the Conversion
Process ................................................................................................67
Paul Porter, Lori Scott, and Steve Simmons
Chapter 5 Pacific Northwest (U.S.): Diverse Movements toward
Sustainability Amid a Variety of Challenges .....................................91
Carol Miles, David Granatstein, David Huggins, Steve Jones,
and James Myers
Chapter 6 California (U.S.): The Conversion of Strawberry Production ..........117
Stephen R. Gliessman and Joji Muramoto
Chapter 7 Ontario, Canada: Lessons in Sustainability from Organic
Farmers .............................................................................................133
E. Ann Clark and Jennifer Sumner
v
vi Contents
Chapter 8 Mexico: Perspectives on Organic Production ..................................165
María del Rocío Romero Lima
Chapter 9 Mexico: Traditional Agriculture as a Foundation for
Sustainability ....................................................................................179
Alba González Jácome
Chapter 10 Cuba: A National-Level Experiment in Conversion ........................205
Fernando R. Funes-Monzote
Chapter 11 The European Union: Key Roles for Institutional Support and
Economic Factors .............................................................................239
Gloria I. Guzmán and Antonio M. Alonso
Chapter 12 Japan: Finding Opportunities in the Current Crisis .........................273
Joji Muramoto, Kazumasa Hidaka, and Takuya Mineta
Chapter 13 The Middle East: Adapting Food Production to Local
Biophysical Realities ........................................................................303
Alireza Koocheki
Chapter 14 Australia: Farmers Responding to the Need for Conversion ...........317
David Dumaresq and Saan Ecker
SectIon III the Way Forward
Chapter 15 Transforming the Global Food System ............................................345
Stephen R. Gliessman
Index ......................................................................................................................353
Preface
This book project began many years ago when the second editor, while still a
graduate student, was asked by the first editor to carry out a literature search on
the conversion process from conventional to alternative agroecosystems. During
the course of this research, funded at that time by the Noyce Foundation, Martha
Rosemeyer encountered Stuart Hill’s three-level classification system for conver-
sion. Using agroecology as a methodological tool for both researching and pro-
moting the conversion process, and with growing awareness that any change in
agriculture also implies social transformations, we eventually added a fourth level
to Hill’s taxonomy. We described the four levels of conversion in Agroecology:
The Ecology of Sustainable Food Systems (CRC Press, 1997), but it remained
to explore more deeply what conversion meant and to learn how it was actually
proceeding around the world. With continuing support from the Ruth and Alfred
Heller Chair in Agroecology at University of California–Santa Cruz (UCSC), we
conceived of this project and pushed the book forward.
Eric Engles carried out his editing magic on all parts of the book, and ultimately
was the person who really extracted the work from all of us. Master indexing was
done by Michael Brackney. John Sulzycki, at CRC/Taylor & Francis, with all of his
commitment to agroecology, created the space for this project in the first place. And
finally, we sincerely appreciate and acknowledge the hard work of all the chapter
authors in promoting the conversion process around the world, and thank them for
their patience in bringing the book to completion.
vii

Contributors
Antonio M. Alonso David Granatstein
Centro de Investigación y Formación de Center for Sustaining Agriculture and
Agricultura Ecológica y Desarrollo Natural Resources
Rural Washington State University
Santa Fe (Granada), Spain Wenatchee, Washington
E. Ann Clark Gloria I. Guzmán
Plant Agriculture Centro de Investigación y Formación de
University of Guelph Agricultura Ecológica y Desarrollo
Guelph, Ontario, Canada Rural
Santa Fe (Granada), Spain
David Dumaresq
The Fenner School of Environment and
Kazumasa Hidaka
Society
Agroecology Rural Community
The Australian National University
Management
Canberra, ACT, Australia
College of Agriculture
Ehime University
Saan Ecker
Tarumi, Matsuyama, Japan
The Fenner School of Environment and
Society
David Huggins
The Australian National University
U.S. Department of Agriculture–
Canberra, ACT, Australia
Agricultural Research Service
(USDA-ARS)
Fernando R. Funes-Monzote
Washington State University
Estación Experimental “Indio Hatuey”
Pullman, Washington
Universidad de Matanzas
Central España Republicana, Perico,
Matanzas, Cuba Rachael J. Jamison
Washington State Department of
Stephen R. Gliessman Ecology
Department of Environmental Studies Lacey, Washington
University of California, Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, California Steve Jones
Mount Vernon Northwestern Research
Alba González Jácome and Extension Center
Universidad Iberoamericana AC Washington State University
Santa Fe, Mexico City, Mexico Mount Vernon, Washington
ix