Amelia Hong

Date of Award

5-14-2025

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Department

Environmental Studies

Advisor(s)

John Van Buren

Abstract

This paper addresses the role of land in the United States by examining it as both a commodity and a spiritual being. The emphasis on profit and productivity in the United States agricultural industry insists that land be viewed as a commodity, skewing and influencing citizens’ relationships with nature. Agribusiness, or commercial farming, is a leading source of desertification and land degradation in the United States. This paper seeks to understand the necessity of a breadth of spiritual and philosophical knowledge when writing environmental policy, especially regarding commercial agriculture. Chapter One provides quantitative information on the effects of uncontrolled Agribusiness in the US on land degradation. Chapter Two explains the historical account of the development of agriculture in the US. This includes the policies enacted and the philosophical writings and ideas that inspired US agriculture, focusing on the development of industry and capitalism in England. Chapter Three uses a philosophical and ethical framework to examine the role that land and farming play in the lives of US citizens, explaining several environmental philosophy movements such as Deep Ecology and Constructionism. Chapter Four examines differing theological perspectives on the role of land and nature. This chapter discusses the relationship between humans and land according to Abrahamic, Eastern, and Indigenous religions. Finally, building on the discussions and insights from earlier chapters, Chapter Five proposes policy recommendations for controlling the agribusiness industry and curtailing the adverse environmental effects through a political and spiritual lens.

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