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Saying No to a Farm-Free Future
- The Case for an Ecological Food System and Against Manufactured Foods
- Narrated by: Chris Smaje
- Length: 5 hrs and 11 mins
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Saying No to a Farm-Free Future
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Summary
A defense of agroecological, small-scale farming and a robust critique of an industrialized future.
As a breakdown of the climate, state power and globalized markets pushes us toward an epochal transition, Chris Smaje offers us a hopeful vision of a relocalized, self-sufficient world.—David Bollier
One of the few voices to challenge The Guardian's George Monbiot on the future of food and farming (and the restoration of nature) is academic, farmer and author of A Small Farm Future Chris Smaje. In Saying NO to a Farm-Free Future, Smaje presents his defense of small-scale farming and a robust critique of Monbiot’s vision for an urban and industrialized future.
Responding to Monbiot’s portrayal of an urban, high-energy, industrially manufactured food future as the answer to our current crises, and its unchallenged acceptance within the environmental discourse, Smaje was compelled to challenge Monbiot’s evidence and conclusions. At the same time, Smaje presents his powerful counterargument–a low-carbon agrarian localism that puts power in the hands of local communities, not high-tech corporates.
In the ongoing fight for our food future, this book will help you to understand the difference between a congenial, ecological living and a dystopian, factory-centered existence. A must-hear!
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What listeners say about Saying No to a Farm-Free Future
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jammin042
- 02-01-24
Good rebutal of Monibot and other ecomodernists
Good rebutal of Monibot and other ecomodernists and their odd technical fixes to the problems technology, and modern economic practices are creating. The only thing I felt annoying was the narrator's inability to prounounce the 't' in words.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Abysseus
- 03-03-24
Good arguments against eco-modernism
Having read Regenesis and being impressed by Monbiot's often eloquent, enlightening and compelling arguments, I was nevertheless bugged by it: invoking Kant's categorical imperative on the subject of food seems quite extreme and impossible in a world of so many landscapes, biogeographic challenges and cuisines that have evolved as a result. It was all a bit top down for my taste and I was hungry for more thoughts on the matter.
In this book addressing the flaws of Regenesis, the author highlights many more of the points that don't quite add up, that seem unlikely and are frankly disempowering in a future where human existence has to be more benign for the planet and our fellow beings. It puts Monbiot's proposals into historical context and effectively calls them into question.
In short:
The drastic reduction of fossil fuels should be our ultimate focus for survival. Do this and the cascade effect will ultimately be the end of "conventional", intensive and ecologically catastrophic agriculture anyway. Why? Because this type of farming is actually a byproduct of fossil fuel consumption gone mad.
High tech eco-modernism isn't a feasible or fair option for saving humanity. Agrarian localism is because it's stood the test of time and already does deliver in other areas of the world. It also depends less on the eco-modernist fantasy of big, high tech, high investment, energy hungry solutions that save us. They won't. There is no silver bullet and no one's coming to save us.
Regenesis' villainization of farmers is unfair and attributes blame with a somewhat cruel, untimely and inaccurate simplicity. His arguments ultimately turn farmers into scapegoats for environmental ills that have in actual fact been caused and continue to be driven by rampant neoliberalism and unrelenting fossil fuel use. Industrialists looking to sustain the status quo must be rubbing their hands with glee at Monbiot's glib tarring of farmers and enthusiastic endorsement of manufactured food; it ultimately tells people to wait for "them" to fix the problem and until then it's business as usual.
It's anti-ruralist and seeks to further alienate and severe people from access to the land. It disregards the fact that people and the right kind of agriculture have contributed to and sustain a rich mosaic of habitats and biodiversity in many landscapes. It divorces humans from nature even further and robs us of contributing to our own survival in a lower energy future.
Read this book and arm yourself against eco-modernism!
Downsides of this book? Not quite as expansive, well written and digestible as Regenesis, but Smaje no doubt has good reasons for this. It's concise and succinct, and does the job.
I would have liked a more in depth exploration and detailing of Smaje's suggested alternative: Agrarian Localism, I'm new to it and was left hungry for more.
On a cautionary note: I am always a bit queasy about the suggestions of non-indigenous people "becoming indigenous": why is this necessary? It smacks of fashy excuses to not decolonize. Gives me the ick. Humanity can move forward without succumbing to ignorance and injustice.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- redthefox1
- 02-07-23
Someone had to write this.
Throughly good.
Thank you Chris for taking the time to do this. So many are grateful.
Highly recommend folks have a listen.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Jon
- 16-09-23
Interesting Book About Agroecological Solutions
I enjoyed the book and the topics it covered/discussed. I agree with many of the points made such as a reduction in fossil fuel reliance, chemical inputs and industrial agriculture.
There are also things I disagree with, such as the anti-tech sentiment on some issues and greening brownfield sites which have incredible ecological importance.
Overall a really good book that tries to make you think, doesn't provide any answers as the be all and end all solution.
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