The attempt to produce overly prescriptive descriptions of sustainable agriculture
may be of little use, but the general vision one has for such systems should be
explicit. Disagreements between actors and organisations over how a more sustain-
able agriculture can be developed may be the result of, for example, diering opin-
ions regarding local production versus greater trade, or greater regulation versus
greater producer autonomy. If there is a contradiction between the sustainability
ethos of alternative farming, which some may associate with a rejection of con-
sumerism, and the realities of standardised, high-volume modern food markets, then
it needs to be addressed to aid the debate regarding sustainable agriculture.
In addition to the issue of food miles and energy eciency, another aspect of the
debate which requires clari®cation concerns the scale of production possible, or
desirable, in sustainable systems. This concerns the environmental eects of the
trend towards larger farm sizes in Europe and North America, and the consequences
of this trend for food production levels. Some regard larger farm sizes as generally
implying greater environmental costs. A recent survey in the UK3 found that 54% of
conventional, and 80% of organic, horticultural producers thought that the trend
toward larger farm sizes was a bad thing in environmental terms. As a result, people
may view sustainable agriculture in terms of smaller enterprises, hence Duesing's
view of ``small scale, local eating''. Some, like Pretty (1995, p. 12) argue that ``sus-
tainable farming can be compatible with small or large farms''. For others, discus-
sion of sustainability is bound up with ideas of small units, family farms, Ð a
patchwork countryside of small producers producing for local markets.
The attempt to produce overly prescriptive descriptions of sustainable agriculturemay be of little use, but the general vision one has for such systems should beexplicit. Disagreements between actors and organisations over how a more sustain-able agriculture can be developed may be the result of, for example, diering opin-ions regarding local production versus greater trade, or greater regulation versusgreater producer autonomy. If there is a contradiction between the sustainabilityethos of alternative farming, which some may associate with a rejection of con-sumerism, and the realities of standardised, high-volume modern food markets, thenit needs to be addressed to aid the debate regarding sustainable agriculture.In addition to the issue of food miles and energy eciency, another aspect of thedebate which requires clari®cation concerns the scale of production possible, ordesirable, in sustainable systems. This concerns the environmental eects of thetrend towards larger farm sizes in Europe and North America, and the consequencesof this trend for food production levels. Some regard larger farm sizes as generallyimplying greater environmental costs. A recent survey in the UK3 found that 54% ofconventional, and 80% of organic, horticultural producers thought that the trendtoward larger farm sizes was a bad thing in environmental terms. As a result, peoplemay view sustainable agriculture in terms of smaller enterprises, hence Duesing'sview of ``small scale, local eating''. Some, like Pretty (1995, p. 12) argue that ``sus-
tainable farming can be compatible with small or large farms''. For others, discus-
sion of sustainability is bound up with ideas of small units, family farms, Ð a
patchwork countryside of small producers producing for local markets.
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