- Holistic management
A term that describes
systems thinking approach to managing land resources that buildsbiodiversity , improves production, generates financial strength, and improves thequality of life for those who use it. Coined byAllan Savory , and later trademarked by Holistic Management International, the method can be applied to organizations, businesses, communities, or individuals in need of making decisions.Beginnings
The idea of Holistic Management began in the 1960’s when Allan Savory, then a young wildlife biologist in his native
Southern Rhodesia , wished to solve the riddle of desertification. After successive careers as a farmer, game rancher, management consultant, a member of Parliament and leader of the opposition party in the midst of a civil war, Savory concluded that the spread of deserts, the loss of wildlife, and the human impoverishment that always resulted were related to the way people made decisions, whether or not those people lived or worked on the land.Exiled as a result of his opposition to the ruling Rhodesian party, Savory immigrated to the United States where he co-founded Holistic Management International with his wife, Jody Butterfield, in 1984. HMI, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, works with people around the world to heal damaged land and increase the productivity of working lands by applying the Holistic Management principles.
The Holistic Management Framework
At its core, the Holistic Management Framework uses a concept known as a holisticgoal to guide decision making. The holisticgoal ties people's desired way of life, based on what they value most deeply (materially and spiritually), to the ecosystems and resources that that support their vision. All actions and decisions are tested to determine whether or not they will help reach the established holisticgoal. Testing and management guidelines, planning procedures and a feedback loop assure constant monitoring of the success of decisions.
The Holistic Management Framework also considers the key role that animals play in renewing the land, and recognizes the nature and importance of four basic ecosystem processes: the
water cycle , the mineral cycle, the energy cycle, and community dynamics (the relationship between organisms in an ecosystem). The Framework identifies eight tools for managing these ecosystem processes: human creativity, technology, rest, fire, grazing, animal impact, living organisms, and money and labor.Holistic Management in Print
In 1999, Savory published, with his wife, "Holistic Management: A New Framework for Decision-Making" (Island Press). The book describes Savory’s effort to find workable solutions which ordinary people could implement to overcome many of the problems besetting communities and businesses today.
ee also
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Resource management
*Sustainable agriculture References
External Links
[http://www.holisticmanagement.org Holistic Management International] [http://www.hmitexas.org/ Holistic Management International/Texas] [http://www.holisticmanagement.org.au/ Holistic Management International/Australia Limited] [http://www.managingwholes.com/ Managing Wholes] [http://www.ranchoinmaculada.com/homeenglish.html La Inmaculada de los Aguirre] [http://www.holisticdecisions.com/index.html Semilla Besada]
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