
The State of Conservation
Rural America and the Conservation-Industrial Complex Since 1920
Joshua Nygren(Author)
The University of North Carolina Press
Published on 31. January 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
320 pages
978-1-4696-8049-1 (ISBN)
Description
Throughout the twentieth century, natural resource conservation emerged as a vital force in US politics, laying the groundwork for present-day ""sustainability."" Merging environmental, agricultural, and political history, Joshua Nygren traces the political economy and ecology of agricultural conservation through the lens of the ""conservation-industrial complex."" This evolving public-private network-which united the US Department of Agriculture, Congress, local and national organizations, and the agricultural industry-guided soil and water conservation for much of the century. Contrary to the classic tales of US environmental politics and the rise and fall of the New Deal Order, Nygren emphasizes continuity. He demonstrates how the conservation policies, programs, and partnerships of the 1930s and 1940s persisted through the age of environmentalism, and their defining traits anticipated those typically associated with late-twentieth century political culture.
The conservation-industrial complex promoted a development-oriented brand of conservation that aided the rise of large-scale, capital-intensive agriculture which continues today. It reshaped the physical and political landscapes of the country, leading to impressive victories and spectacular failures by privileging some environments, degrading others, and intensifying farm depopulation. In the name of environmental protection, agricultural conservation made rural America less equal.
The conservation-industrial complex promoted a development-oriented brand of conservation that aided the rise of large-scale, capital-intensive agriculture which continues today. It reshaped the physical and political landscapes of the country, leading to impressive victories and spectacular failures by privileging some environments, degrading others, and intensifying farm depopulation. In the name of environmental protection, agricultural conservation made rural America less equal.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Chapel Hill
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
25 halftones, 2 maps, 2 tables
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
554 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4696-8049-1 (9781469680491)
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Joshua Nygren
The State of Conservation
Rural America and the Conservation-Industrial Complex since 1920
E-Book
01/2025
The University of North Carolina Press
€27.49
Available for download
Person
Joshua Nygren is associate professor of history at the University of Central Missouri.