The Ecological Basis of Alternative Agriculture

ABSTRACf The critique of modem agriculture has spawned a host of alternatives, collec­ tively known as the alternative agriculture moveme nt. Its critics have been fierce, its proponents zealous. Making sense of the movement is similar to maki ng sense of the origi nal critique-always eclectic, sometimes contradic­ tory, too often romantic, now and then nonsen sical, and occasionally brilliant. This review discusses definitions of the alternati ve agriculture movement, substitutes for pest control, soil management, integration of all aspects of the farming operation, and the problem of conversion of one form to another.