Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Figure 1.3
University of California IPM Advisor Lucia Varela (to the right of the table)
explains the finer points of insect identification to growers using microscopes at
a Sonoma County Grape Grower Association IPM field day. Farm Advisor
Rhonda Smith (far right) discusses pest management with a winegrape grower.
Putting Ecology into Action
Most of
Silent Spring
narrated the apocalyptic implications of haz-
ardous, invisible, carcinogenic biocides, but Carson concluded it with a
story of hope. She described how a few entrepreneurial scientists devel-
oped ecologically informed pest-management strategies. This chapter
describes the impact Carson's work had on both political and scientific
institutions shaping conventional agriculture, and how they, in turn laid
the foundation for agroecological partnerships, such as the three above.
Throughout this work I use the word “institution” to mean both
patterns of social behavior as well as human organizations necessary to
support them.
