Subtle Agroecologies

This intriguing new book boldly presents ‘subtle agroecologies’ as a new field within the discipline of agro-ecology. Beautifully conceived and presented with colour illustrations and detailed biographies, the book is organised into four sections. It brings together 43 authors from 12 countries, spanning the natural and social sciences in addition to the arts and humanities. The book masterfully achieves its first goal of providing a foundation for subtle agroecologies by introducing the discipline, explaining its relevance and potential contribution to the field of agro-ecology. It is perhaps too early to tell whether it has achieved its other goal of providing inspiration for research into the invisible dimension of agriculture. There is no doubt, however, that it opens up a wealth of new areas for debate and practice that are of deep import for agriculture in a world of climate change and biodiversity loss. Subtle Agroecologies offers a timely, readable and academically rigorous cornerstone. We urgently need to disseminate, examine and act upon the perspectives set out in this book with a view to changing our whole relationship with Nature from one of control to one of real collaboration.

- Petra Bakewell-Stone for Resurgence & Ecologist magazine, Issue 331, Mar/Apr 2022, Making Change

Subtle Agroecologies is a masterpiece which takes us into critical examination of aspects of the worlds of farming and food production that are usually hidden from view. With chapters inspired by classical philosophy, indigenous practice, ecological thought and the new physics, it opens up vital new areas for debate and practice, which are of deep significance for agriculture in a world of climate change. Essential reading for anyone concerned with new perspectives on the health of our planet.

- Dr Nicholas Campion, Associate Professor in Cosmology and Culture, Director, Sophia Centre for the Study of Cosmology in Culture and Programme Director, MA Ecology and Spirituality, University of Wales, UK

Subtle Agroecologies raises very crucial and timely questions for the scientific community, as well as for agroecological practitioners… a careful recognition of the discipline of subtle Agroecologies is important not only for its practitioners, but also for the agroecological and sustainability sciences action-research communities as a whole. We are fortunate that the authors found some space to write this challenging but wonderful and highly recommended book.

-- Dr Cyrille Rigolet, French National Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), in Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, Volume 46, Issue 2 (2022)

In his novel, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, Douglas Adams gives his hero the line "Let us think the unthinkable, let us do the undoable, let us prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all." Some will consider the subject matter of this book unthinkable, undoable and possibly ineffable. Others, that the hidden half of nature has been too long in the shadows and that such an academically rigorous, reasoned and readable exposition is timely. The knowledge, insights and experiences set out in this book are profoundly important but in the face of the existential challenges to our planet and its societies there is an urgency for them to be disseminated, discussed and acted upon.

- Lawrence Woodward, O.B.E., Director, Whole Health Agriculture, Co-founder and former Director, The Organic Research Centre, UK

This intriguing new book boldly presents ‘subtle agroecologies’ as a new field within the discipline of agro-ecology. Beautifully conceived and presented with colour illustrations and detailed biographies, the book is organised into four sections. It brings together 43 authors from 12 countries, spanning the natural and social sciences in addition to the arts and humanities. The book masterfully achieves its first goal of providing a foundation for subtle agroecologies by introducing the discipline, explaining its relevance and potential contribution to the field of agro-ecology. It is perhaps too early to tell whether it has achieved its other goal of providing inspiration for research into the invisible dimension of agriculture. There is no doubt, however, that it opens up a wealth of new areas for debate and practice that are of deep import for agriculture in a world of climate change and biodiversity loss. Subtle Agroecologies offers a timely, readable and academically rigorous cornerstone. We urgently need to disseminate, examine and act upon the perspectives set out in this book with a view to changing our whole relationship with Nature from one of control to one of real collaboration.

- Petra Bakewell-Stone for Resurgence & Ecologist magazine, Issue 331, Mar/Apr 2022, Making Change

Subtle Agroecologies is a masterpiece which takes us into critical examination of aspects of the worlds of farming and food production that are usually hidden from view. With chapters inspired by classical philosophy, indigenous practice, ecological thought and the new physics, it opens up vital new areas for debate and practice, which are of deep significance for agriculture in a world of climate change. Essential reading for anyone concerned with new perspectives on the health of our planet.

- Dr Nicholas Campion, Associate Professor in Cosmology and Culture, Director, Sophia Centre for the Study of Cosmology in Culture and Programme Director, MA Ecology and Spirituality, University of Wales, UK

Subtle Agroecologies raises very crucial and timely questions for the scientific community, as well as for agroecological practitioners… a careful recognition of the discipline of subtle Agroecologies is important not only for its practitioners, but also for the agroecological and sustainability sciences action-research communities as a whole. We are fortunate that the authors found some space to write this challenging but wonderful and highly recommended book.

-- Dr Cyrille Rigolet, French National Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), in Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, Volume 46, Issue 2 (2022)

In his novel, Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency, Douglas Adams gives his hero the line "Let us think the unthinkable, let us do the undoable, let us prepare to grapple with the ineffable itself, and see if we may not eff it after all." Some will consider the subject matter of this book unthinkable, undoable and possibly ineffable. Others, that the hidden half of nature has been too long in the shadows and that such an academically rigorous, reasoned and readable exposition is timely. The knowledge, insights and experiences set out in this book are profoundly important but in the face of the existential challenges to our planet and its societies there is an urgency for them to be disseminated, discussed and acted upon.

- Lawrence Woodward, O.B.E., Director, Whole Health Agriculture, Co-founder and former Director, The Organic Research Centre, UK