Coming back to the topics of complex systems and its relations to our food security. I think our current understandings of how agriculture functions in parallel with nature quite problematic: many methods and policies are implemented in farming without enough knowledge or consideration to the potential cascading effects that may occur, and thus we often end up choose options that seem “greener” or “sustainable” but cause more damage to the environment in the long run.
For my envisioning, I think it would be a bit deus ex machina to envision a future where we have the science/technology to make our agriculture sustainable. Instead I’d like to focus on how we as individuals understand sustainable agriculture itself. Just like in the beginning of the class when most people voted yes to organic food being better, and later changed their perceptions due to the lecture, I envision a future where more people recognize the pros and cons of different agriculture methods, and thus cause the market to shift towards more sustainable options. The interventions that would be required to cause this spread of knowledge? Lectures like today’s, presentations, workshops, campaigns, advertisements etc. All of which serves to both spread the knowledge about sustainable agriculture, as well as raising awareness about how our choices of actions in farming can cause rippling effects across the ecosystems.
Hi Tom!
Love your unique approach to encouraging sustainable agriculture! Instead of focusing on top-down reform, encouraging change from the consumer level could be a more cost-effective approach.
Is there one topic you would focus on specifically? Or one particular audience? For example, would you encourage rewilding approaches by screening documentaries like The Biggest Little Farm? Would you provide support soil conservationists who educate local farmers about soil, like Ray Archuleta in Kiss the Ground?
I definitely subscribe to the idea that education is the most powerful and advanced tool we have to tackle issues and agriculture is no exception. You bring up good points but I want to ask, do you think the farmers may need more education than the consumer? Thanks for sharing!
I like your points and vision. A future that can really buckle down and use technology to solve these problems, but it's difficult. We need awareness and a drive to change before we try and solve these issues with our effort and time. Campaigns sound great, as there are already many issues with the current practices of industrial farming that we can also address with sustainability.
I resonate with the idea that greater education is required for this topic. In my schooling, learning about food systems was uncommon. There are a lot of misconceptions out there concerning food production and its environmental impacts; for example, many environmentalists believe veganism is the only way, but eating animals can be sustainable if done right.