Towards a Paleolithic Existence
(from Green Anarchy #10)"The plow has probably done more harm -- in the long run -- than the sword..."
As with some of your readers, I too have become seduced with the hope of civilization's collapse. John Zerzan and others have clearly provided a powerful critique of our present situation. Of the many paths toward our hopes of a better world, this article speaks of a revolution in our everyday lives.
After working in agriculture for a good portion of my life, I agree with Zerzan's critique of it (at least I get to be outside!). It is inherently unsustainable. Don't believe the hype, sustainable agriculture rarely ever exists. It is practically impossible to remove a large amount of biomass (food) from a space year after year without replenishing the soil. Conventional forms don't worry about soil health and feed the plants chemically. This destroys the soil and fosters further chemical dependence. Organic farms replenish the soil and feed their plants by applying organic material. Their products are usually superior in quality. But the question remains as to where the organic material used to replenish comes from. More often than not, factory farm or trawler left-overs are used on certified organic farms (sorry vegans). Factory farm animals are usually fed chemically grown grain because there just isn't enough animal products to go around. Most organic farms are unsustainable in the long term because they import their nutrients/biomass from elsewhere. They are just one link in the funneling of our soil resources down the toilet. Not to mention all the fuel spent doing it.
Although it is hard to grow demanding crops without chemical or heavy animal fertilizers, there are sustainable examples to be had. Gardening or small scale farming can use home made composts and composted humanure. The Chinese developed a sustainable civilization by integrating human waste back into the system. Masanobu Fukuoka claims to achieve higher than average yields without outside inputs.
But even if all the world was growing food in this idyllic manner, it would totally fail to meet my criteria of being ecologically sound, among other things. How many salmon can swim though an exposed stream next to a carrot patch? How many eagles live in a strawberry field? Seen any bobcats in the collards recently (besides eating chickens)? You cannot purchase a solution to this. Basically, if you're buying conventional food (organic or not), you are directly supporting the eradication and suppression of the wild. I should remind the reader that if he or she must consume domesticated food, a vegetable based diet is less destructive than a meat based one and a dumpster based diet beats all.
A hunter-gatherer food system, on the other hand, is completely compatible with the environment and can, in some areas, provide an abundance of food. For this to be an option in a native ecosystem, property lines cannot exist, as travel between vastly different regions is necessary. Another drawback is the amount of people it could support. I highly doubt that the current population (built on future resources) could return to this existence.
I've wondered if there was a way to produce as much food per square foot as conventional agriculture and yet meet the ecological criteria of a hunter-gatherer food system. I looked for nexus points between the two worlds.
For the purposes of this article, I will call it the modified gatherer food system. Aspects of it are found in agroforestry and permaculture. Agroforestry, while solving many of the ecological problems of agriculture, still exists in a surplus/capitalist world. Permaculture integrates the system theories into its larger all-encompassing lifestylism.
One principle of it is its reliance on wild plants. I believe that humanity has failed in its attempts to improve on nature through breeding. Breeding has usually been for increased size (water content), transportation issues (shelf life), and better taste (sugar content). What we have lost in exchange for these things is nutrition. Recent studies have shown anti-oxidant activity to be far higher in wild fruits and a couple of dandelion leaves can beat a head of lettuce nutritionally. So it is important to also realize that producing more calories out of a given space is not the only criteria for a food system's superiority. Feral plants and reseeding annuals can reproduce by themselves, completely eliminating the labor of saving seeds. They can hold their own alongside natives (not always a good thing). Once established, perennial trees and shrubs require little care. Once gathered or purchased, they intersect very little with capital. The knowledge of edible weeds and native plants allow the landless a free food source. A knowledge of edible landscape plants can turn even an urban area into a forager's delight. Wild plants require less specialization to grow and can be a challenge to a highly cultured pallet. They therefore are highly resistant to commodification (i.e., it is hard to make a living growing them).
Another principle of the modified gatherer food system is multi-story production. This involves mimicking a forest by using plants of all different sizes (trees, shrubs, perennials, and bulbs). Since private property limits movement, one should draw from the wide variety of edible/useful plants available for their zone. There are literally thousands of edible species of plants in the world. One potential of having so many bred cultivars available (in civilization) is the ability to obtain genetic diversity and then learn which plants work best with your site, helping you to exit civilization. All this diversity in size and type of plants should produce what will appear to the layman as a chaotic jumble. Organized instructions and calendars will be of little use now. Some books will reveal detailed processing info, but most of what you now learn pertains specifically to your space and therefore remains uncharted. With the sophisticated knowledge needed to fully utilize everything and the lack of straight lines, this system is also highly resistant to slave labor and mechanization.
These are very shortened principles of a system designed to be resistant to the worst ravages of capitalism (although some aspects of it can be recuperated). This system is also compatible with the environment and virtually everyone can participate in it to some degree. A main barrier to its implementation is its incompatibility with industrial capitalism, but the habits of our everyday lives and our cultural programming reproduce the present. Food produced in it is unlike the domesticated fare we're used to. Plus, let's face it, hunter/gatherers were opportunists and our culture of excess produces many opportunities to be a bottom feeder with little effort.
For those interested in pursuing these ideas and more, books or classes on wild edibles, native plants, permaculture, and edible landscaping can provide much. Recognizing the many useful plants can seem overwhelming at first, but our minds are designed for it. Brand recognition in the grocery and drug store is this ability, but mutated. Lastly, this article is not meant to discourage anyone involved in the plant community. Annual gardening on a small scale is more efficient than centralized production. Organic farming is superior to chemical agriculture in many ways. Farming is a thankless job that pays little but allows for mental freedom and a daily relationship with the earth. Please send critiques and correspondence to Feral Farm, P.O. Box 92, Rockport, WA 98283.
As a plant person, I'd like to express solidarity with those involved in direct action, including but not limited to property destruction, and thank them for providing me with entertainment as well as my day to day inspiration.