Deep Agroecology and the Homeric Epics: Global Cultural Reforms for a Natural-Systems Agriculture (Earthscan Food and Agriculture)

Drawing on the Homeric epics, this multidisciplinary work reveals the cultural transformations which need to take place in order to transition from today’s modern extractive agricultural system to a sustainable natural‐systems agriculture. In order to provide an imaginative foundation on which to build such a cultural transformation, the author draws on the oldest and most pervasive pair of literary works in the Western canon: the __Iliad__ and the __Odyssey__. He uses themes from those foundational literary works to critique the concept of state sovereignty and to explain how innovative federalism structures around the world already show momentum building toward changes in global environmental governance. The book proposes a dramatic expansion on those innovations, to create eco‐states responsible for agroecological management. Drawing from many years of experience in international institutions, the author proposes a system of coordination by which an international agroecology‐focused organization would simultaneously (i) avoid the shortcomings of the world’s current family of powerful global institutions and (ii) help create and implement a reformed system of local landscape‐based agriculture wholly consistent with ecological principles. Acknowledging the difficulty of achieving reforms such as these, the author suggests that a new cultural‐conceptual narrative can be constructed drawing on values set forth 2,700 years ago in the Homeric epics. He explains how these values can be reimagined to drive forward our efforts in addressing today’s the climate and agricultural crises in ways that reflect, not reject, the natural processes and relationships that make the Earth a living planet. This book will be of great interest to students, academics and policymakers addressing issues of agrarian values, environmental and agricultural law, environmental restoration, agroecology, and global institutional reform. Drawing on the Homeric epics, this multidisciplinary work reveals the cultural transformations which need to take place in order to transition from todayâ••s modern extractive agricultural system to a sustainable natural-systems agriculture.In order to p Cover 1 Half Title 2 Series Information 3 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Table of contents 6 Illustrations 9 About the author 10 Foreword 12 Preface and acknowledgements 14 Glossary of selected Greek terms 17 1 Orientation: the challenge and the project 18 A. About this book – third in a series 18 B. Cultural reform and “deep agroecology” 19 C. Using the Homeric epics 28 D. Structure and theme 30 Notes 32 2 The Iliad, the Odyssey, agriculture, and climate change 34 A. Culture: use it or lose it 34 B. Iliad: a summary-reminder 36 C. Odyssey: a summary-reminder 39 D. The crisis of agriculture 42 E. The climate crisis 46 Notes 48 3 Achilles: mênis, kleos, and aristeia 52 A. The rage of Achilles 52 B. The “embassy to Achilles” 54 C. Rejecting a warrior system of values? 56 D. The shame of Achilles 57 E. Achilles in our day 59 Notes 62 4 Agroecological husbandry: new roots for agriculture 65 A. Perennial roots 66 B. Why only now? 67 C. Changing agriculture – conceptual considerations 69 D. Practical considerations – progress and prospects 73 E. Insights from the Iliad – how to transform agriculture 77 Notes 84 5 Homo sapiens nobilis: trustees for the athanatoi 89 A. Athanatoi and thnêtoi – pros and cons 90 B. Humans, nobility, and responsibility 91 C. The public trust doctrine and the common heritage of mankind principle 93 D. Keystone species? ... Ecospheric trustees? 95 Notes 98 6 Eco-states and anthro-states: new roots for sovereignty 101 A. Beyond the Hobbesian view 102 B. Competing and complementing loyalties 104 C. Biomes, ecoregions, and eco-states – new world maps for sovereignty 108 D. Eco-state #8 and Eco-state #12 - Is bioregionalism personal? 111 Notes 114 7 Odysseus: mêtis, nostos, and polútropos 116 A. Odysseus as polútropos and displaying mêtis 117 B. Humanity as polútropos and displaying mêtis 122 C. Eco-nostos 125 D. Will Penelope wait? 126 Notes 129 8 Gaia, gods, governance, and xenia: creating a new epic 131 A. What is an epic? 131 B. Gaia, gods, and xenia 134 C. Did the League of Nations fail? 138 D. A novel global institution and its participants 139 Notes 147 9 Detour: Beyond the Greeks, beyond the West 150 A. Reasons to look elsewhere for a motivating narrative 150 B. Mesopotamia and the Epic of Gilgamesh 151 C. China’s new “ecological civilization” and its traditional roots 155 D. End of detour: a peculiar Homeric richness and a Western cultural obligation 163 Notes 168 10 Moira: What is the (agroecological) fate of our godlike species? 171 A. Moira explained 172 B. Power to burn and power to build 173 C. Adopting deep agroecology: our longest day of battle 174 D. Realizing humanity’s moira: our final journey home 180 Notes 183 Appendices 186 Appendix #1: A “bare-bones brief” – Global cultural reform for a natural-systems agriculture: building on the Homeric epics to de 188 Appendix #2: A “blended literature review” – The larger landscape of intellectual and professional writings on the Homeric epics 196 Selected bibliography 212 Index 214 "Drawing on the Homeric epics, this multidisciplinary work reveals the cultural transformations which need to take place in order to transition from today's modern extractive agricultural system to a sustainable natural-systems agriculture. In order to provide an imaginative foundation on which to build such a cultural transformation, the author draws on the oldest and most pervasive pair of literary works in the Western canon: the Iliad and the Odyssey. He uses themes from those foundational literary works to critique the concept of state sovereignty and to explain how innovative federalism structures around the world already show momentum building toward changes in global environmental governance. The book proposes a dramatic expansion on those innovations, to create eco-states responsible for agroecological management. Drawing from many years of experience in international institutions, the author proposes a system of coordination by which an international agroecology-focused organization would simultaneously (i) avoid the shortcomings of the world's current family of powerful global institutions and (ii) help create and implement a reformed system of local landscape-based agriculture wholly consistent with ecological principles. Acknowledging the difficulty of achieving reforms such as these, the author suggests that a new cultural-conceptual narrative can be constructed drawing on values set forth 2,700 years ago in the Homeric epics. He explains how these values can be reimagined to drive forward our efforts in addressing today's the climate and agricultural crises in ways that reflect, not reject, the natural processes and relationships that make the Earth a living planet. This book will be of great interest to students, academics and policymakers addressing issues of agrarian values, environmental and agricultural law, environmental restoration, agroecology and global institutional reform"-- Provided by publisher Drawing on the Homeric epics, this multidisciplinary work focuses on the cultural transformations which need to take place in order to transition from today’s a modern extractive agriculture to a sustainable natural‐systems agriculture.