Managing tropical ecosystems

Implementation

In the humid tropics, traditional agriculture is based on natural resource management, and agricultural ideology reflects a concern for managing natural processes. Natural processes are valuable resources. Natural resource management is not an activity separable from how people make a living. While natural resource management is generally taken to mean the focused management of particular naturally occurring useful items such as wild game, water, soil, minerals, and timber producing trees, tropical peoples focus on processes not items; items are seen to be the result of processes. Agricultural structures, agricultural 'scripts', and the agricultural knowledge of individuals reflect an ideological stance that natural processes are agricultural resources.

Counter-claim

Focusing on managing tropical ecosystems is a misguided and unnecessary strategy. These environments have thrived for millions of years without human intervention and will naturally maintain balance if simply left alone. Resources spent on management efforts are better directed elsewhere, such as urban development or technological innovation. The belief that human management is needed here is both arrogant and wasteful, diverting critical attention from far more urgent global challenges.