Nwaegies Only

Mission

NWAEG is an international organization which analyzes the problems of contemporary agriculture and ecology in order to develop and implement alternatives. We base our work on the premise that the recurrent problems of the human condition, including hunger, poverty, disease, and war, result from power differences between classes. 

Since solutions to agricultural problems are neither wholly technical nor wholly social, we attempt to integrate both technical and social approaches in our research and its applications. We seek to go beyond reforms that do not address the unequal distribution of wealth and power in the world, and we reject approaches to science that pretend to be politically neutral. 

As progressives who recognize the political and ideological nature of science and technology, we strive consciously to direct our work in alliance with the oppressed. As an organization, we also strive to overcome hierarchy, elitism, sexism, and racism. We have an anti-imperialist and humanitarian vision, and are not aligned with any political party.

Background

NWAEG is and informal group of friends who share the desire to orient our academic work in agriculture and ecology to serve progressive political goals. The group was at least partly an outgrowth of Science for the People, a politically radical group of scientists and engineers, active in the 1970's. As participant/observers in modern science, NWAEG continues the work of Science for the People in its critique of the social organization, theories, and research priorities of science as a knowledge industry. Through our personal experience and intellectual work we recognize the dual nature of science - an institution that both deepens and distorts our understanding of nature, creates means for improving the lives of humanity as well as means and justifications for opression and for short sighted exploitation of nature.

NWAEG has taken on various projects in the past 15 years, the most active of which was a program of support in science and agriculture for Nicaragua, during the Sandinista government. During that decade, over twenty members of the group lived for extended periods in Nicaragua and worked with Nicaraguan farmers, technicians, and academics in the struggle to promote a sustainable agriculture. We built infrastructure in the form of laboratories (a soils lab, a plant protection lab, and an integrated pest management facility), sent supplies and equipment, helped to develop human resources, and generally promoted ideas of an ecologically sustainable and socially just agriculture.

As reflected in our statement of purpose, a key characteristic of the group is reflective and critical analysis of the political character of the academic work we do. As such we engage in debate and analysis on a continuing basis, through informal contact in the field, through e-mail, by means of positions papers, and most importantly at a yearly meeting. Membership in the group is established by agreement with our general goals and desire to be a member.

NWAEG Coordinating Committee

East Doug Boucher Email: dboucher@hood.eduDepartment of Biology Hood College 401 Rosemont Avenue Frederick, MD 21701-8575 Phone: 301-696-3662	Midwest Catherine Badgley Email: cbadgley@umich.edu University of Michigan Dept. of Geological Sciences 2534 CC Little Bdlg 1100 North University Ave Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1005 Phone: 734-763-6448 Fax: 734-763-4690
West Kirsten Schwind Email: kschwind@foodfirst.org Program Director Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy 398 60th Street, Oakland, CA 94618 Phone: (510) 654-4400 (ext. 227) Fax: (510) 654-4551 Visit our website: http://www.foodfirst.org	South/Mexico Helda Morales E-mail: hmorales@sclc.ecosur.mx Dept. de Agroecologia El Colegio de la Frontera Sur Carr. Panamericana y Periferico Sur S/N C.P. 29290 San Cristobal de Las Casas Chiapas, Mexico tel: +52-967-6749000x9415 Fax: +52-967-6782322
At Large John Soluri E-Mail: jsoluri@andrew.cmu.edu Department of History Carnegie Mellon University Baker Hall 240 Pittsburgh, PA 15213 Office: Baker Hall 363 Phone: 412-268-7122 Fax: 412-268-1019	Maps courtesy of www.theodora.com/maps used with permission.

Mailing List

Add your name to the NWAEG e-mail list. Send an e-mail to Iñigo Granzow inyigo@umich.edu.

Please mention in your email your state or the NWAEG region/chapter that you are in.
You can also contact him in the Vandermeer Lab: 734/764-1446 or write to Biology Dept., University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109.

Submissions to Website

Please send in contributions or comments to Gillian Locascio, simplygillian@gmail.com.

Options For Contributing

Or, do all the design and editing yourself.
If you want to ask me about how to send your document
or how to format it, contact me and we'll work out the details.
Hope one of these options works for you.
Let me know if there is anything else I can do.

©2005 NWAEG. All Rights Reserved.
Photo Credits
Man in Corn Field: Aliciapatterson.org/
Indian Corn & Riverbed: Agriculture Research Service, USDA
Hand: Julie Grossman
Map of Central America: Maps.com