Sir Albert Howard was a British functionary in Colonial India. He was also an agronomist and was delighted to learn the farming practices of the Indians. For good reason, he is called "the father of composting" and he attempted but failed to bring organic farming to Britain. One of his observations about Rome was that due to the latifundia system of slave-based farming, the wheat grown was essentially 'weak' compared to the wheat grown by individual farmers. Thus, Rome's decline was at least in part due to bread that lacked nutrition.
Modern American agriculture is too similar to ancient Rome as small holdings have been accumulated into giant acreage farms, owned by corporations and worked, not by slaves, but by petrochemical-run machines and nurtured by petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides—we just replace slave-power with the burning of fossil fuels, then no longer make compost but spread petrochemicals on our fields. Few doubt that our food stuff has become weak. If Sir Albert were alive today, he would predict the imminent end of such a civilization.
Could you say more about how specifically Howard believed the latifundia impacted Rome's grain supply? Was it simply the same principles of monocrop agriculture you cited here?
What an interesting parallel, thank you for this comment!
It seemed mainly to be how with latifundias and slave-based farming, agricultural practices were poor. In time, the soil became depleted and thus could no longer grow good food. That is also a reminder because our so-called fertilizers actually deplete the soil.
I came across Sir Albert while perusing the books at Stanford's Department of Agriculture Library. It caught my eye, so I read it, but that was in 1964, more than 60 years ago! I believe the volume I read was AN AGRICULTURAL TESTAMENT,
Sir Albert Howard was a British functionary in Colonial India. He was also an agronomist and was delighted to learn the farming practices of the Indians. For good reason, he is called "the father of composting" and he attempted but failed to bring organic farming to Britain. One of his observations about Rome was that due to the latifundia system of slave-based farming, the wheat grown was essentially 'weak' compared to the wheat grown by individual farmers. Thus, Rome's decline was at least in part due to bread that lacked nutrition.
Modern American agriculture is too similar to ancient Rome as small holdings have been accumulated into giant acreage farms, owned by corporations and worked, not by slaves, but by petrochemical-run machines and nurtured by petrochemical fertilizers and pesticides—we just replace slave-power with the burning of fossil fuels, then no longer make compost but spread petrochemicals on our fields. Few doubt that our food stuff has become weak. If Sir Albert were alive today, he would predict the imminent end of such a civilization.
That IS fascinating, Tedder!
Could you say more about how specifically Howard believed the latifundia impacted Rome's grain supply? Was it simply the same principles of monocrop agriculture you cited here?
What an interesting parallel, thank you for this comment!
It seemed mainly to be how with latifundias and slave-based farming, agricultural practices were poor. In time, the soil became depleted and thus could no longer grow good food. That is also a reminder because our so-called fertilizers actually deplete the soil.
I came across Sir Albert while perusing the books at Stanford's Department of Agriculture Library. It caught my eye, so I read it, but that was in 1964, more than 60 years ago! I believe the volume I read was AN AGRICULTURAL TESTAMENT,
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2225725.An_Agricultural_Testament
Brilliant; thank you, Tedder!
By the way, I really enjoyed your recommendation of Witches, Midwives, and Nurses by Ehrenreich & English.