Smallholders, Householders: Farm Families and the Ecology of Intensive, Sustainable Agriculture

by Robert Netting

Contrasting the prevailing theories of the evolution of agriculture, the author argues that the practice of smallholding is more efficient and less environmentally degrading than that of industrial agriculture which depends heavily on fossil fuel, chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides. He presents a convincing case for his argument with examples taken from Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas, and demonstrates that there are fundamental commonalities among smallholder cultures. "Smallholders, Householders" is a detailed and innovative analysis of the agricultural efficiency and conservation of resources practiced around the world by smallholders.

Genres: Anthropology, Economics

447 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1993

Reviews

[Katherine Stevick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend. I especially loved how he put the theoretical section at the end, after a wealth of case studies and comparative analysis--it allowed me to see more vividly the ways in which the various theories he surveys (Boserup, Malthus, Marx, and Chayanov) do and don't fit empirical realities of smallholder agriculture. I also liked how he held these theoretical perspectives in conversation with each other, drew out complementarities and clarified contradictions. I would like to ask this man so many questions! But to my great sadness, he died two years before I was born, at the early age of 60.

[Mumallah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Undoes basically every assumption you had about small-scale and large-scale agriculture (ex. labor-intensive small-scale agriculture can be more efficient than large-scale, extensive agriculture, etc.). Read it.