Product Description

The Soil and Health was published in 1945, just before agricultural corporations surged to global proportions. Sir Albert Howard's work is a major inspiration to the growing organic and sustainable farming movement and a thought-provoking reminder of a road not taken in developing mainstream agriculture during the past half-century.

The central tenet of Howard's philosophy is that healthy soil, vegetation, animals, and humans are connected and that undernourishment of soil is the source of modern agricultural and health problems. In Howard's estimation, heavy reliance on chemical fertilizers will ultimately lead to widespread disease and destruction of vibrant communities. As the environmental and social consequences of industrial farming are being hotly debated, The Soil and Health remains vital to understanding what is at stake in the battle between chemical and organic farming.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #123074 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

Review
"Sixty years after its initial publication, what does The Soil and Health have to teach us? Plenty, it turns out... He launched a broad and fundamental critique of industrial agriculture that still resonates--and indeed applies to much of what passes for "organic" agriculture today." -- Grist

"This is one of the great classics of the organic farming movement." -- Wes Jackson, author of Becoming Native to This Place

Review

"This is one of the great classics of the organic farming movement. This legacy ought to be better remembered and understood.-- Wes Jackson, author of Becoming Native to This Place" -- Wes Jackson, author of Becoming Native to This Place

""Howard realized decades ago that chemical fertilizers and synthetic herbicides and pesticides deplete the soil, which leads to public health problems, including disease and environmental destruction... Thankfully, the University Press of Kentucky has recently reprinted Howard's 'The Soil and Health.' Originally published in 1945, the book largely inspired out modern-day organic movement. The time has come to re-think Howard's words, especially in light of recent research showing what's in organically grown food might matter as much as the missing synthetic pesticide and herbicide residues." -- Melinda Hemmelgarn, Columbia (MO) Daily Tribune" -- Melinda Hemmelgarn, Columbia (MO) Daily Tribune

From the Publisher
WITH A NEW INTRODUCTION BY WENDELL BERRY

Customer Reviews

Great Early Book on Organic Agriculture
The Soil and Health is a wonderful book that is equal parts agricultural science and environmental advocacy, with just a dash of kooky Nature worship thrown in. Howard was a conventionally trained agricultural scientist in the late 19th and early to mid 20th century who was employed by the British government to bring modern industrial agriculture, based on chemical fertilizers, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides to Britain's tropical colonies. Soon, though, he realized the value of more traditional agricultural practices from India and China, especially in keeping the microbial, fungal and invertebrate life in the soil healthy.

If you believe in the value of organic agriculture, it is somewhat sad to see how little has changed since 1945. Howard confidently predicts in his book that organic methods based on compost would soon sweep the globe. Things have changed some, though. We can now buy "organic" labeled products in most markets in America, and I believe that more people have an appreciation for the importance of treating the earth well. This book does an excellent job of establishing and reinforcing that appreciation.

Why does soil matter? Read this first
Jared Diamond and others have written about how civilizations have destroyed themselves by exploiting their soils. Sir Albert Howard said the same thing, but he said it 100 years ago. Howard was the father of the modern organic, holistic farming movement. This book is incredibly readable and will change how you think about food, soil, and the fate of civilization.