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A half century of Holistic Management: what does the evidence reveal?

Author

Listed:
  • Hannah Gosnell

    (Oregon State University)

  • Kerry Grimm

    (Northern Arizona University)

  • Bruce E. Goldstein

    (University of Colorado Boulder)

Abstract

Holistic Management (HM) is a decision-making framework based on triple bottom line thinking and a proactive approach to managing complexity. Primarily associated with an approach to managing livestock, it has spurred long running and still unresolved debates in rangeland ecology and management. Less studied are the social, cultural, and psychological aspects of HM, which may hold the key to successful ecological outcomes. In this article, we describe the main tenets of HM as conceived by wildlife biologist Allan Savory and address the longstanding and unresolved controversy over its legitimacy. We then provide a meta-analysis that not only provides an up-to-date review of the multidisciplinary evidence and ongoing arguments about HM, but also provides a novel explanation for the controversy—that it is grounded in epistemic differences between disciplines associated with agricultural science that rule out any chance of resolution. We conclude that the way to resolve the controversy over HM is to research, in partnership with ranchers, rangeland social-ecological systems in more holistic, integrated ways. This can account for the full range of human experience, co-produce new knowledge, and contribute to social-ecological transformation.

Suggested Citation

  • Hannah Gosnell & Kerry Grimm & Bruce E. Goldstein, 2020. "A half century of Holistic Management: what does the evidence reveal?," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 37(3), pages 849-867, September.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:agrhuv:v:37:y:2020:i:3:d:10.1007_s10460-020-10016-w
    DOI: 10.1007/s10460-020-10016-w
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Carolyn Mann & Kate Sherren, 2018. "Holistic Management and Adaptive Grazing: A Trainers’ View," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(6), pages 1-19, June.
    2. Sutie Xu & Sindhu Jagadamma & Jason Rowntree, 2018. "Response of Grazing Land Soil Health to Management Strategies: A Summary Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-26, December.
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    5. Roncoli, Carla & Jost, Christine & Perez, Carlos & Moore, Keith & Ballo, Adama & Cisse, Salmana & Ouattara, Karim, 2007. "Carbon sequestration from common property resources: Lessons from community-based sustainable pasture management in north-central Mali," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 94(1), pages 97-109, April.
    6. John J. Kineman & Krupanidhi Srirama & Jennifer Wilby & Bruce Evan Goldstein & Claire Chase & Lee Frankel-Goldwater & Jeremiah Osborne-Gowey & Julie Risien & Sarah Schweizer, 2017. "Transforming with a Soft Touch: Comparing Four Learning Networks," Systems Research and Behavioral Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 34(5), pages 537-543, September.
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    9. Stéphane McLachlan & Melisa Yestrau, 2009. "From the ground up: holistic management and grassroots rural adaptation to bovine spongiform encephalopathy across western Canada," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 299-316, April.
    10. Ferguson, Bruce G. & Diemont, Stewart A.W. & Alfaro-Arguello, Rigoberto & Martin, Jay F. & Nahed-Toral, José & Álvarez-Solís, David & Pinto-Ruíz, René, 2013. "Sustainability of holistic and conventional cattle ranching in the seasonally dry tropics of Chiapas, Mexico," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 38-48.
    11. Julia Nerbonne & Ralph Lentz, 2003. "Rooted in grass: Challenging patterns of knowledge exchange as a means of fostering social change in a southeast Minnesota farm community," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 20(1), pages 65-78, March.
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    Cited by:

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