The Broken Promise of Agricultural Progress

This study draws more general conclusions from an analysis of the agricultural impact of Western agriculture on the plains of New South Wales, from the mid-19th century onwards. The author refers to the slow violence of ecological imperialism associated with the displacement of indigenous tribes and the imposition of an inappropriate agricultural model on the landscape. It is extraordinary to think that no cloven hoof had ever set foot in Australia until the settlers arrived with cattle and sheep. This had an early impact on watering holes and subsequently on the quality of the landscape. Science came up against ecological limits as all the available water was drawn out through boreholes. The various chapters describe aspects of this colonial impact and attempts to mitigate it. In the wider picture, we have reached a stage where agriculture needs to be remodelled along regenerative lines as we recreate the fabric of life along a more sustainable trajectory and our food systems seek to promote overall health rather than profit, using a model of harmony rather than control.