The Unsettling of America

Berry argues that the disintegration of rural communities links closely to the rise of industrial agriculture. Berry mourns the decline of small farms and the erosion of rural culture, both of which he sees as essential to maintaining a healthy relationship with the land. He argues that as agriculture became more industrialized, it displaced small farmers, leading to the collapse of rural economies and the deterioration of community values.

Berry contrasts the traditional farming communities of his youth with the modern rural landscape, which industrialization has transformed. He describes how, in earlier times, farms were diverse and family-operated, while neighbors worked together and exchanged resources. This way of life fostered a sense of belonging and mutual dependence, which helped sustain both the land and the people. However, after the introduction of large-scale mechanized farming, this cooperative spirit began to fade: “Once the people in a place are dependent on machines, then their community must depend upon what […] machines depend on—money, ‘purchased inputs,’ and the large-scale solutions that favor the powerful” (53). The industrial model of agriculture, which prioritizes efficiency and production over community welfare, has systematically stripped rural communities of their autonomy and economic stability.

The consolidation of small farms into large corporate entities has also led to a significant loss of population in rural areas. As agribusinesses absorb farms, fewer people are needed to work the land, and many former farmers have been forced to migrate to cities in search of employment. Berry describes this phenomenon as a tragic form of displacement, arguing that “the modern displacement of farmers is directly analogous to the historical displacement of the Native Americans […] dispossessed by the same ambition for greater power and wealth” (48). This migration not only leads to the loss of rural knowledge and skills but also erodes the social fabric of rural areas, leaving behind isolated, underpopulated communities without the resources or people necessary to sustain them.

Compounding the disintegration of rural communities are the cultural consequences of industrial agriculture. Berry argues that as small farms disappear, so does the knowledge and value system that guided traditional farming practices. The industrial approach prioritizes specialization and technical expertise, often at the expense of the wisdom and connection to place that once characterized rural communities. Berry laments that “specialization, by itself, creates a deformed and unbalanced way of life because it fragments the world and the self” (41). As people become increasingly specialized in their work, they lose their sense of responsibility to the broader community, resulting in a fragmented society in which individuals are disconnected from the land and from each other.

Through this theme, Berry underscores the broader cultural implications of the decline of rural communities, highlighting how the loss of small-scale farming impacts not just the environment but also the social and moral fabric of society. He calls for a revival of community-oriented agricultural practices that prioritize the well-being of people and the land, suggesting that only by restoring rural communities can humanity hope to create a sustainable and ethical future.

Berry presents a thorough exploration of the ethical responsibilities of farmers, policymakers, and society at large toward the land. He argues that modern industrial agriculture, driven by a profit-maximizing and exploitative mindset, fails to recognize or fulfill these ethical responsibilities. Instead, it degrades the land, strips it of its vitality, and treats it merely as a resource for extraction. This ethical shortcoming is central to Berry’s critique of contemporary farming practices, and he illustrates it through a comparison between exploiters and nurturers: two types of farmers representing opposing moral paradigms.

Berry introduces the “exploiter” as emblematic of the values of industrial agriculture. Exploiters see the land purely in economic terms, as something to be dominated and used for maximum output. They prioritize efficiency, productivity, and profitability at any cost, which often leads to soil degradation, pollution, and the depletion of natural resources: “The industrialization of agriculture is founded squarely upon an attitude that is the opposite of stewardship, an attitude that regards the land as a resource to be mined rather than nurtured” (43). This approach, he argues, disregards the inherent value of the land and ignores the long-term consequences of its misuse.

In contrast to the exploiter, Berry presents the “nurturer,” a farmer who embodies different values and ethical commitments. What motivates nurturers is not profit but a sense of duty to care for the land, to cultivate it sustainably, and to pass it on, enriched, to future generations. The nurturer, according to Berry, understands the interconnectedness of all life and seeks to work in harmony with natural systems: “The idea of kindly use, respecting the land’s own capacity, implies that human beings are to be not its exploiters but its nurturers, attentive to its specific needs” (65). Nurturers recognize that the health of the soil, the community, and oneself are all interdependent, and their approach to farming reflects a commitment to this broader ethical framework.

Berry extends the discussion of ethics to society’s relationship with agriculture, emphasizing the collective moral responsibility to support sustainable farming practices. He critiques the economic and political systems that favor industrial agriculture, pointing out that these systems devalue small farmers and treat them as disposable. Berry’s critique of policies that drive small farmers off their land reflects his belief in the importance of equitable land distribution and the ethical necessity of preserving rural communities. He highlights that the decisions of distant policymakers and corporate entities directly impact the land, often leading to its neglect and degradation. Ethical responsibility, Berry suggests, lies in protecting and empowering those who live and work directly with the land because they are the true stewards capable of nurturing it.

Moreover, Berry ties the ethics of land use to broader cultural values, criticizing modern society’s detachment from the land and its reliance on consumerism. By treating food production as an industrial process and distancing people from the sources of their sustenance, society has fostered an exploitative rather than nurturing relationship with the natural world: “To live in a place is to accept that just as you are part of the land, the land is also part of you. It must be cherished, respected, and guarded—not simply consumed” (108). He calls for a cultural shift that values the health of the land as essential to the well-being of humanity.