Fossil fuels and livestock grazing are often targeted as major culprits behind climate change and desertification. But Allan Savory, cofounder of the Savory Institute, begs to differ. The bigger problem, he warns, is our mismanagement of resources. Livestock grazing is not the problem; it's how we graze livestock. If we don't change the way we approach land management, irreparable harm from climate change could continue long after we replace fossil fuels with environmentally benign energy sources.
Holistic management is a systems-thinking approach for managing resources developed by Savory decades ago after observing the devastation of desertification in his native Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). Properly managed livestock are key to restoring the world's grassland soils, the major sink for atmospheric carbon, and minimizing the most damaging impacts on humans and the natural world. This book updates Savory's paradigm-changing vision for reversing desertification, stemming the loss of biodiversity, eliminating fundamental causes of human impoverishment throughout the world, and climate change. Reorganized chapters make it easier for readers to understand the framework for Holistic Management and the four key insights that underlie it. New color photographs showcase before-and-after examples of land restored by livestock.
This long-anticipated new edition is written for new generations of ranchers, farmers, eco- and social entrepreneurs, and development professionals working to address global environmental and social degradation. It offers new hope that a sustainable future for humankind and the world we depend on is within reach.
Preface Acknowledgments Part 1: Introduction 1 Managing Holistically Part 2: Four Key Insights 2 Introduction: The Power of Paradigms 3 Nature Functions in Wholes and Patterns 4 Viewing Environments a Whole New Way 5 The Predator-Prey Connection to Land Health 6 Timing is Everything 7 A New Management Framework Part 3: The Holistic Context 8 Defining the Whole: What Are You Managing? 9 Creating the Context for Your Management Part 4: The Ecosystem That Sustains Us All 10 Introduction: The Four Fundamental Processes That Drive Our Ecosystem 11 Water Cycle: The Circulation of Civilization's Life Blood 12 Mineral Cycle: The Circulation of Life-Sustaining Nutrients 13 Community Dynamics: The Ever-Changing Patterns in the Development of Living Communities 14 Energy Flow: The Flow of Fuel That Animates All Life Part 5: The Tools We Use to Manage Our Ecosystem 15 Introduction: From Stone-Age Spears to Genetic Engineering 16 Money and Labor: One or Both of These Tools Is Always Required 17 Human Creativity: Key to Using All Tools Effectively 18 Technology: The First and Most Used Tool 19 Fire: An Ancient Tool Tied to Ancient Beliefs 20 Rest: The Most Misunderstood Tool 21 Living Organisms: Biological Tools for Solving Management Challenges 22 Animal Impact: A Tool for Regenerating Soils and Shaping Landscapes 23 Grazing: A Tool for Enhancing Plant and Animal Health and Productivity Part 6: Holistic Decision Making 24 Introduction: Selecting Appropriate Actions 25 Cause and Effect: Stop the Blows to Your Head Before You Take the Aspirin 26 Weak Link: The Strength of a Chain Is That of Its Weakest Link 27 Marginal Reaction: Getting the Biggest Bang for Your Buck 28 Gross Profit Analysis: Bringing in the Most Money for the Least Additional Cost 29 Energy/Money, Source and Use: Using the Most Appropriate Forms in the Most Constructive Way 30 Sustainability: Generating Lasting Wealth 31 Gut Feel: Finalizing Your Decision Part 7: Guidelines for Using the Management Tools 32 Introduction: Lessons Learned in Practice 33 Time: When to Expose and Re-expose Plants and Soils to Animals 34 Stock Density and Herd Effect: Using Animals to Enliven Soils and Enhance Landscapes 35 Cropping: Practices That More Closely Mimic Nature 36 Burning: When and How to Burn, and What to Do Before and After 37 Population Management: Look to Age Structure Rather than Numbers, Communities Rather than Single Species Part 8: Procedures and Processes Unique to Holistic Management 38 Introduction: Departing From the Conventional 39 Holistic Financial Planning: Generating Lasting Wealth 40 Holistic Land Planning: Designing the Ideal Layout of Facilities for a Grazing Operation 41 Holistic Planned Grazing: Getting Animals to the Right Place, at the Right Time, and with the Right Behavior 42 Creating Sound Policies 43 Orienting Research to Management Needs Part 9: Completing the Feedback Loop 44 Monitoring and Controlling Your Plans to Keep Management Proactive Part 10: Conclusion 45 A Commonsense Revolution to Restore our Environment
About Savory Global Glossary Notes
"Exceptionally well written, impressively informed and informative, thoroughly 'reader-friendly' in organization and presentation, Holistic Management: A Commonsense Revolution to Restore Our Environment will prove to be a practical and invaluable informational resource for ranchers, farmers, eco-and social entrepreneurs, and development professionals working to address global environmental and social degradation."