Gary Kleppel: The emergent agriculture: farming, sustainability, and the return of the local economy

Emergent Agriculture: Farming, Sustainability, and the Return of the Local Economy is about a transitioning paradigm in agriculture and the shift from large-scale, conventional agricultural and other agribusiness practices to small-scale, local production of food. A professor of biology and ecology at the State University of New York at Albany and a practicing ‘‘steward of the land’’ at his home on Longfield Farm, 15 miles to the west, Kleppel draws from personal stories and anecdotes as the foundation of his book. From there, he supplements these narratives using scientific inquiry and the large body of literature on agriculture to show that current agricultural practices in the United States are harmful environmentally, economically, and socially. He further argues for the transition to localbased food production in order to ensure a more sustainable, healthy future of both the planet and humankind. The book consists of 14 essays broken up into four sections. These sections are ‘‘Farming: an Emergent Paradigm’’, ‘‘Sustainability’’, The Local Economy’’ and ‘‘Conclusion: the Emergent Agriculture’’. Chapters 1–3 provide a concise history of the system of industrial agricultural in the United States as well as pioneering views on the transition and emergence of a new way of farming for sustenance that focuses on small-scale farms and community-oriented food production. In today’s agricultural system, there is no easy way for consumers to distinguish or interpret information about meat and produce with regards to the location grown, the farmer who produced it, the meaning of labels, and the process of production. Kleppel argues that there is a paradox of agriculture in which the romanticized images of farms and farmers do not correspond to the jaded reality of what the agricultural system of production has actually become: Toxic, inhumane, and non-sustainable. Chapters 4–8 focus on concepts of sustainability, including the importance of economic and biological diversity, the abrasive relationship between climate change and fossil fuels (the nation’s largest source of energy), and the propensity of humankind to adapt and adjust to pressures of climate change in order to produce food to survive. Kleppel argues that an important way for a farmer to ensure the capacity to produce food in a manner that is healthy and ethical for both people and the environment is to be a ‘‘steward of the land’’. A steward of the land must maintain an understanding of the natural world, ecologically and biologically, and its relationship with the systems of agriculture. A steward of the land must also espouse transparency with the public, most notably consumers, to preserve an ethical foundation for agriculture. Chapters 9–13 highlight the economy and emphasize the important role consumers play in the transition from industrial methods of agriculture to the emergent, more socially and ethically just methods of agriculture. When considering what food to purchase, there is a growing awareness among consumers in favor of sustainable modes of production, ethical animal husbandry, avoidable degradation of land and water, and the overall safety of food. Kleppel argues that a key component of the new, emerging agriculture is the ability to provide and verify information about farming and food to customers. He also places emphasis on the importance of community-oriented food markets like community supported agriculture (CSAs). Chapter 14 concludes that change for a more sustainable and diverse mode of food production is already underway. & Andrea Raygor adraygor@iastate.edu