On Sat, 29 Oct 1994, Brian A. Luke wrote:
> > > The real battle is in making sure that in both places appropriate agricultural
> > > techniques are being used, so that the environment is not damaged. There is
> > > nothing intrinsically wrong with "agribusiness." Agriculture is a business.
>
> To me "agribusiness" means using the land to make money rather than
> to feed people, and it does strike me that there is something
> intrinsically wrong with this.
I would agree with your here Brian.
> > I do
> > not think that bioregionalism means *only* buying local produce. But, I
> > do think that it means being conscious of how all of our purchases impact
> > *people* as well as environments.
>
> Somehow animals have dropped out of that list. Or is ecofeminism
> just about people and environmental systems? Let me try a concrete
> example: suppose a farming system passed the bioregional test,
> that is, the food from it was locally produced in an ecologically
> sound manner by people who are not being oppressed or economically
> exploited. But, this food production system also involves taking
> calves away from their mothers at three days old, keeping them
> tethered and confined in stalls 24 hours a day, and slaughtering them
> at four months of age. Isn't there still a problem here?
>
> This is a serious, not a rhetorical question--do the members of this
> list take ecofeminism to be about the interrelations between
> patriarchy and environmental destruction, or is it about the
> relations between patriarchy, animal oppression and environmental
> destruction?
Good point. I can only speak for myself, but for *me* the issue of
relationships with animals was subsumed under the heading concern about
the environment as well as concern about people. No, I do *not* think
the kind of meat production system you are talking about would ever be
environmentally sound. It is not in tune with natural systems and is
bound to produce "side effects" in the environment which end up being
destructive. Furthermore, I think that such a production system is not
healthy for the *people* who are involved in it. As you say, it is
inherently based on domination and exploitation and people learn what
they live and it transfers to all other realms of their lives. You are
probably correct in pointing out that we should make these connection
specific in our discussion. Thanks -- from me at least -- for the reminder.
Jayne
