Tried to reply to @GeorgeMonbiots The Guardian article on grazing systems but was too late. I penned this comment while flying yesterday after I read the article & many of its references only to find that they were no longer accepting comments: ...G’day and thanks for your article Mr. Monbiot, I was a speaker and very interested attendee at the @SavoryInstitute conference (#SavoryConf) over the weekend. We represented the Australian-based non-profit, @Regrarians Ltd. which we (my wife & eldest daughter) are Directors of & which I founded. We are an independent organisation that actively seeks the most effective tools available to serve our primary directive: the regeneration of the biosphere’s ecosystem processes. The work of Regrarians Ltd. around the world broadly recommends that all people use the Holistic Management Frameworks for Decision Making as developed by ecologist Allan Savory and his colleagues over the last few decades. We agree with Mr. Savory that the only tools available to humans are 1. Rest 2. Technology & 3. Fire and that the use of any/combination of these should be tested beforehand via an array of ‘testing decisions’ as outlined in the aforementioned framework. This includes the the creation of a ‘Holistic Context’ of the humans/enterprise involved and the detailed analysis of the ecosystem process (i.e. water & mineral cycles + community dynamics) of a given site/situation ahead of planning any specific treatment (s). These of course have incredibly variable permutations as every human’s/enterprise’s #HolisticContext will be completely different. We also suggest a ‘softly, slowly’ approach where un-trialled treatments are suggested and that these be assiduously monitored to determine their social, financial and ecological efficacy and outcomes. This was not always our way and we have Holistic Management to thank for that. What’s not clear from this article and the comments submitted is if people, including Mr. Monbiot, have not gone beyond the Savory Institute’s website or Mr. Savory’s @TED talk for info. Certainly Mr. Monbiot did cite a selection of research reports & other blogs however I am concerned that this literature review did not extend as far as it could and accordingly I’d invite readers to do their own research and read the various texts out there on Holistic Management. For balance printing a full transcript of the interview with Mr. Savory would be illuminating as one could establish the complete context of the questioning. Further to this any reading of Mr. Savory’s books (and others in this space) would perhaps bring a context to some of his comments. If I could now direct my attention to grazing systems. Whilst there is conflicting research outcomes when it comes to various grazing systems, what is often confused is what the actual grazing methodology is being applied as there are a great number and if they are not following the very distinctive ‘Holistic Planned Grazing’ methodology, then I feel its unfair to discount Mr. Savory’s (and many others) broad recommendation that the highly planned reintroduction or management of herbivores on dry or so-called ‘brittle’ (i.e.. climate zones where evaporation exceeds precipitation) grasslands and savannahs is inappropriate. Again for balance this needs to be absolutely clear. Many of the comments so far clearly don’t discern between any of these methodologies and indeed are broadly ignorant of the differences. Unfortunately I would suggest that many of the scientific research papers cited evidently do not consider the differences either and this is clear from their titling. Notwithstanding it is important, vital in fact, that we have all of our cards on the table and for this fact the emergence of ‘citizen science’ which is scientifically valid, longitudinal and captured using highly integrative & holistic monitoring methodologies are now emerging and their ‘open to view’ outcomes will also illuminate both traditional science and the public as to the efficacy (or not) of a whole range of land management systems on a myriad of landscapes and climate zones. This is what is being called for from within the ‘Regenerative Agriculture’ industry and also by policy makers who are interested in applying a whole number of methodologies. Finally it is worth noting that the Holistic Management framework that is both repeatedly funded by and continually supported by a number of governments and their departments (particularly those charged with land management) around the world for decades. Their continued support is based on the positive feedback of the adoption of HM frameworks and some of the land management treatments that many producers have used. Thank you, Darren J. Doherty, Director, Regrarians Ltd. Regrarians.org
Posted on: Thu, 07 Aug 2014 21:50:27 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015