Greentopia: The Agrarian Vision

This chapter sets out some key features of an agriculturally based environmental utopia. In such a world, the production of food and fiber would be wholly consonant with resilient ecosystems, but the idea of a utopia implies more. Specifying the requirements for utopia is an inherently philosophical task, so criteria that emphasize resilient ecosystems may suggest a different utopia than criteria of food security, let alone food sovereignty. Furthermore, a full appreciation of the tensions implied by these different value orientations requires more than simply spelling out the alternative ways to specify the desirable traits of a utopian society. I will illustrate these tensions by drawing upon the contrast between industrial and agrarian philosophies of agriculture, as outlined in my book, The Agrarian Vision. I will then explore how agrarian philosophical commitments would dictate criteria for a green utopia.