Convenor, Human Ecology Program

David studied physics and maths at the University of Melbourne before moving to philosophy and social theory at the University of Queensland graduating in 1973. He then spent six years in the Philosophy Department in the Research School of Social Sciences at ANU working on environmental philosophy, ethics, philosophy of science and social theory. During this time he also took up organic agriculture and the practical application of sustainable production systems. During the 1980s he had a range of part-time teaching positions in the Human Sciences program at ANU while also developing and operating commercial organic farms. In 1986 he completed the first international short course on Agroecology, at the University of California, Berkeley and Santa Cruz campuses. From 1987-90 he was a member of the National Executive of the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture, Australia. In 1987 he took up a part-time lectureship in the Human Sciences Program to teach agroecology and sustainable systems. In 1991 he took up a full-time academic position in the Human Ecology Program. He has been Program convenor since 1992. He is actively involved with a range of research and extension projects with farmers and with the wider organic agriculture industry.

Professional Activities

My research and teaching is based around three main areas.

Investigating sustainable systems, including whole farm systems and measuring environmental, economic and social impacts, in particular the sustainability of alternative management practices, especially organic farming. Within farming systems I am researching particular agroecological interactions between farming operations, plant growth and soil ecological function. I am completing a 10 year project comparing the sustainability of organic and conventional wheat farming in Australia. Across wider agricultural systems operations I am investigating farmer's ecological behaviour and its relationship to the development of regulatory frameworks for national and international sustainable agriculture.

Within urban systems I am involved in the application of sustainability criteria for planning and construction of human scale communities.

I am developing the role of transdisciplinary studies in environmental research and teaching. This involves collaboration with graduate students in the investigation of the foundations and methods of interdisciplinary science, the development of transdisciplinary methodologies and their application to postnormal science and the development of policy. These studies include the development of human ecology as an approach to understanding social and ecological linkages.

Thirdly I have maintained a strong interest in environmental philosophy, in particular in the ethics of eating including the relationship between ecologically and ethically sound consumption. Other ethical issues of concern include the development of transgenics and the ownership of life.

Selected Publications

Dumaresq, D & Greene, R. 2001 Soil Structure, Fauna and Phosphorus in Sustainable Cropping Systems. RIRDC 01/130. 44p

Derrick, J.W. & Dumaresq, D. 1999 'Soil chemical properties under organic and conventional management in southern new South Wales' Aust. J. Soil Res., 37, 1047-55.

Dumaresq, D., Greene, R. & van Kerkhoff, L. (eds) 1997 Organic Agriculture in Australia. RIRDC 97/14. 220p.

Dumaresq, D. 1997 'Industry Profile' in Dumaresq, D., Greene, R. & van Kerkhoff, L. (eds) 1997 Organic Agriculture in Australia. RIRDC 97/14: 1-4.

Dumaresq, D. & Greene, R. 1997 'Review of the Organic Industry', in Dumaresq, D., Greene, R. & van Kerkhoff, L. (eds) 1997 Organic Agriculture in Australia. RIRDC 97/14: 95-109.