A new paper by Harvey S. James, Jr. of the University of Missouri argues that sustainable agriculture advocates should pay more attention to Adam Smith. At the same time, he seems to argue for a less laissez-faire interpretation of Smith than some might expect. It's a somewhat different take than that put forward by J. Bishop Grewell and Clay Landry in their book The Ecological Agrarian. The paper is here; the abstract is below.

There are two competing approaches to sustainability in agriculture. One stresses a strict economic approach in which market forces should be allowed to guide the activities of agricultural producers. The other advocates the need to balance economic with environmental and social objectives, even to the point of reducing profitability. This paper shows how the writings of the 18th century moral philosopher Adam Smith could bridge the debate. First, he is recognized by those advocating the economic approach as an architect of modern economics. Second, his writings are consistent with many aspects of sustainable agriculture. Smith argues that people ought to exercise restraint in their pursuit of self-interest. He also recognizes the need to balance economic with environmental and social considerations. One implication is that advocates of sustainable agriculture might be more effective by actively promoting the work of Adam Smith.