The endeavor of this
essay is to connect the system of mass-production agriculture (what is often
called “Big Ag”) with political, social, and economic systems. Hence, the
environmental problems produced by mass-production agriculture can be
comprehended as cultural problems. I further connect the environmental problems
with myths that fund cultural identity. “Myth” is not simply conflated with
“fiction” but is understood as how cultures create meaning from social and
material circumstance. I go on to
argue that myths can become damaging and regressive as they outlive their
context. Specifically, the myths of farming created a cultural meaning that has
done significant damage to ecological progress (progress across systems). Myths
concerning the meaning of a farming community have been strongly supported by
closely related “traditional values” which are no longer precisely relevant to
actual cultural circumstance. I then argue that the stale myths lead away from
a democratic process to an authoritarian process. The essay strongly suggests
solutions to these problems with what I call “ecological literacy.” The state
of Iowa USA is used as a paradigm of mass-production agriculture, but Iowa is
then connected to national and global environmental problems. Finally, the
argument goes, the humanities must support the sciences in addressing systemic
environmental problems.
