Chapter 5 Reconciling Two Perspectives

It may be hard to believe that these two perspectives of the same land can actually lead to helpful and impactful change. But holding these two perspectives together at the same time can actually draw us all together and help create common ground that can lead to meaningful change.

Environmentalists and Farmers have shared values expressed under very different constraints.

Understanding these shared values can help us understand land change tensions.

These shared values have actually already led to the implementation of more sustainable practices in industrial agriculture, such as:

• No till

• Cover drops

• Minimizing fertilizers

• Using fewer pesticides to encourage beneficial insects

By recognizing farmers’ more complex stories, we begin to see what farmers care about, and as environmentalists, we can relate to these shared values to help promote more sustainable practices.