Orange Fever An Environmental History of Florida Citrus

Date of Award

2007

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Johnson, Robert

Keywords

Modern Industrial Agriculture, Ecological Impacts of Florida Citrus, Perceptual Environment, Florida Orange, Citrus Industry, Frozen Concentrate Orange Juice (FCOJ)

Area of Concentration

Environmental Studies

Abstract

Modern agriculture is based on industrial principles and is not a sustainable practice. The characteristics of modern agriculture cause it to be vulnerable to environmental conditions and dependent on chemical inputs, which in turn give rise to ecological problems within and around the agroecosystem. Because commercial citrus production is rooted in the same logic as modern industrial agriculture, its current application is neither wise nor sustainable. Using the Florida citrus industry, this thesis takes an historical perspective in examining the complexities of modern industrial agriculture. The citrus industry demonstrates a vulnerability to environmental factors, such as climate and pests, and also impacts the local environment by contributing to water quality problems in local aquatic ecosystems and biodiversity loss. Moreover, an historical perspective of the development and ecological costs of the Florida citrus industry also illustrates an evolving relationship between people and the natural world.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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