Disaster in agriculture: Or foot and mouth mobilities

Law, John (2006). Disaster in agriculture: Or foot and mouth mobilities. Environment and Planning A, 38(2) pp. 227–239.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1068/a37273

Abstract

This paper is an exploration of the dynamics of the outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the United Kingdom in 2001. Following Perrow's analysis of the catastrophic breakdown of technological systems, the author treats the UK agricultural system as a set of flows that are both tightly coupled and complex. This suggests that the stability of the agricultural system is precarious, and that when it is disrupted (as it was with the arrival of the foot and mouth virus) the consequences may be large scale and catastrophic. The foot and mouth outbreak, and more generally, aspects of global agriculture, are thus understood as `normal accidents'.

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About

• Item ORO ID
• 21469
• Item Type
• Journal Item
• ISSN
• 0308-518X
• Keywords
• disaster; agriculture; farming; foot and mouth disease; normal accident theory; sts; science technology and society; actor network theory
• Academic Unit or School
• Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) > Social Sciences and Global Studies > Sociology
  Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) > Social Sciences and Global Studies
  Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS)
• Copyright Holders
• © 2006 Pion
• Depositing User
• John Law