Abstract
For the past 10,000 years agriculture has allowed the human population to grow, expand, and create civilizations that historians look back upon with awe. However, the recent industrialization of agriculture has had severe effects on nature, our society, and the farmer himself. Wes Jackson and his fellow researchers at the Land Institute in Salina, Kansas have been developing for the past 30 years a form of sustainable agriculture that they hope will revolutionize the way humans produce food. Through the cultivation and harvesting of perennial polycultures, this form of food production allows humans to work with nature as opposed to the industrial method that works against it. Initially, one may come to the conclusion that natural systems agriculture is simply a pipe dream of a former university professor. However, my research reveals that the study of natural systems agriculture at the Land Institute has received substantial monetary support from government funded agencies along with respect and usage of their research throughout the field of sustainable agriculture. Ultimately, it becomes apparent that the work done at the Land Institute has created a whole new field of agricultural research and, along with it, the hope for a more sustainable future.
Recommended Citation
Knapp, Darren
(2011)
"Wes Jackson and the Land Institute: Relevancy within Sustainable Agriculture,"
Proceedings of GREAT Day: Vol. 2010, Article 27.
Available at:
https://knightscholar.geneseo.edu/proceedings-of-great-day/vol2010/iss1/27