Ecofeminism and the Limits of Radical Ecology

The author uses participant observation in France, Italy, and Spain to show that 'back to nature' movements often value physical endurance and 'hard life' virility over domestic labour. This creates a hierarchy where women are marginalised, particularly during motherhood or when seeking external employment, effectively turning a 'back to the land' movement into a 'back to the house' experience for many women.

• Neo-peasant communities in Europe, while aiming for an alternative to capitalistic agro-industrial expansion through self-sufficiency and degrowth, often reproduce male-dominated power systems and sexist relations.
• A 'work ethic' based on the glorification of a 'hard life' and physical endurance creates a social hierarchy that values visible, productive agricultural work over domestic tasks.
• Women in these collectives are marginalised because agricultural tools are designed for male bodies and because they are often pressured to over-invest in invisible domestic labour to compensate for periods of reduced physical productivity, such as during pregnancy and motherhood.
• The author argues that for radical ecological initiatives to be genuinely emancipatory, they must move beyond isolated self-sufficiency to challenge all forms of domination and establish democratic mechanisms that amplify marginalised voices.

APA

Sallustio, M. (2025). Ecofeminism and the Limits of Radical Ecology. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/ecofeminism-and-the-limits-of-radical-ecology/

Chicago

Sallustio, Madeleine. Ecofeminism and the Limits of Radical Ecology. Green European Journal, 2025. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/ecofeminism-and-the-limits-of-radical-ecology/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Sallustio |first1=Madeleine |title=Ecofeminism and the Limits of Radical Ecology |publisher=Green European Journal |date=20 March 2025 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/ecofeminism-and-the-limits-of-radical-ecology/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{sallustio2025ecofeminism, author = {Sallustio, Madeleine}, title = {{Ecofeminism and the Limits of Radical Ecology}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2025}, month = mar, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/ecofeminism-and-the-limits-of-radical-ecology/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }