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Poverty and Agricultural Policies: We Ain't Winnin' Because the Old Dominant Idea Has a Way of Reasserting Itself

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Abstract

Soil fertility has been the basis of all past civilizations. The current agricultural system supplements declining soil fertility with petroleum, which is being rapidly depleted. This system reflects the deeply entrenched Baconian-Cartesian mindset. It impoverishes farmers and damages their health, while enriching agribusiness. It is an economic failure, surviving only on massive government subsidies. An evolutionary-ecological worldview can direct us to sustainable agriculture capable of providing adequate resources for all.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Land Institute, Salina, KS, 67401

    Wes Jackson

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  1. Wes Jackson
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Jackson, W. Poverty and Agricultural Policies: We Ain't Winnin' Because the Old Dominant Idea Has a Way of Reasserting Itself. Population and Environment 24, 55–67 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020129826824

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1020129826824

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