Beyond the Dilemma Facing China's Agriculture - Toward a Chinese Constructive Postmodern Agriculture

The accomplishments in Chinese agriculture have been impressive during the past 30 years of growth in the Chinese economy. But the costs have been extremely high as well, including: excessive pollution, topsoil erosion, a loss of fertility, unhealthy food, an increasing gap between the rich and the poor, a destruction of local communities and a loss of vitality in rural life. Who should be responsible for these problems? Should China’s agriculture return to the past or should it continue on the current path toward modernization? Is there any alternative to the current form of modern agriculture? Specifically, is there a third way for China to pursue agricultural development? Our thesis is that China should explore a Constructive Postmodern Agriculture as a means of resolving its current dilemma. Constructive Postmodern Agriculture is a creative integration of Western thinking and Chinese wisdom. It is constructive in that it seeks to work with nature rather than against it. It is postmodern in the sense that it takes the best of modern farming practices and combines them with the best of traditional practices as well as contemporary sustainable agriculture. A Constructive Postmodern Agriculture could provide healthy food for current and future generations by preserving the fertility of the soil and the well-being of nature to ensure economic sustainability. It also could provide economic support and cultural meaning for farmers and their local communities. Chinese interest in Constructive Postmodern Agriculture has been increasing recently and some recent experiments in postmodern agriculture in China have shown that the Constructive Postmodern Agriculture is feasible as well as promising. Future agricultural development of China will affect food markets throughout the world. Thus, the choice between modern and constructive postmodern agriculture should be a matter of global concern