The Food Problem

In the movie "Symphony of Soil", sustainable organic farming was touted as the one and only solution to mitigate and repair the damage from large scale industrial farming. There were a number of examples that showed how organic farming repaired environments that had been previously damage by monoculture industrial farming and the techniques that they employed in order to it. While I believe that organic farming is a great solution, I don't believe that economically it is viable for farming all over the world.
With the population of this planet growing exponentially year by year, we have to look critically at how we produce food in order to be able to provide food for everyone while still respecting the environment. In this aspect I believe that a number of the practices showed in the film is essential and that is abolishing monoculture agriculture that depletes the nutrients in soils after a number of years that makes in impossible to sustainably grow crops in the future. Especially now that climate change is creating more droughts across the globe we need to do everything in our power to not contribute to these drought conditions and one is by not using monoculture crop methods. If we continue to use these methods we could see conditions akin to the dustbowl of the 1930's in the United States, across the globe. These conditions would not only make it impossible for the people in these regions to produce food but also be the building steps to economic crises.
The last point that I want to make is that I believe that everyone should have a little knowledge about how to produce their own food. Even taking little steps like having a single tomato plant in a pot in your background can make people be more aware of how their food is produced. Along with the awareness, a respect for the hardworking people in the agricultural sector of of labor force will come. Without these people, we would not be able to live the quality of life that we are living right now and to them we should be eternally grateful.

How to Reach Sustainability

How to reach Sustainability

Today most farmers don’t have a sustainable way of producing food that can protect the environment. Most today use chemicals, or GMO’s that are very harsh to the soil and the surrounding environment. It effects everything.

            I believe that one of the key elements to reach agricultural sustainability is farming organic. No GMO’s, pesticides, or chemicals to help plants grow. In the movie “Symphony of the Soil” it discussed the importance of compost and using the natural resources around you to help sustain a healthy environment. For example in the movie we met a man from India who is a farmer and he uses everything he has on his farm to create compost and recycle it back into the earth. By using dung, plants and dirt he made compost. I believe that this can make a sustainable environment.

            Another way to reach agricultural sustainability I believe is by organic farming. A lot of GMO’s that are made are very harsh. They’re made to withstand animals, climate change, and survive with less water. This is great but then its not great. More than not most GMO’s are so harsh that after planting them over and over again the soil and dirt that it grew in is dead. It takes the water out of the soil and renders it useless. I believe that organic farming is a huge key to keep a healthy environment.  Everyone deserves to be treated with love and care and we are not treating our earth right by feeding it so many chemicals. Not only will organic farming treat our earth better but the food we produce and eat will be treating our bodies better as well.

            It is important to have synergy between our famers and the land. Treating the surrounding environment is critical because the way the world and everyone is treating the dirt and soil is horrible. We are already seeing the affects. Drying out the dirt and all the nutrients in the soil is not treating our earth right. We need to make changes in the way we buy food and by supporting the people who grow food the right way.

Creating a habit of Organic

The documentary "Symphony of the Soil" is a documentary that talks about soil and the importance of soil all over the world. They focused a lot on the connection between soil, water, and air. Those three components help each other out greatly and all over the world, the equation between these components are different meaning that the soil is different in different places around the world giving it the ability to grow certain plants and crops.

The film also focuses on the idea of farming this land and different problems that come from farming conventionally. Putting chemicals into the land to make the crops grow better helps in short term production to give the farmer a larger amount of money in their pocket. However, the chemicals add up creating long term buildup and problems that the soil will pay for in the future. The United States relies on conventional farming because this is the only solution that they see providing enough food to feed everyone. Americans are people who live through habit. We dont like to change our ways of doing things if it means more risks. One of the changes is organic farming. I am a huge advocate of organic farming because my family is very involved in it. My grandparents have multiple acreas of organic garden.

Organic farming has many advantages to the soil and atmosphere around it. Not having to till the land as much keeps erosion from happening, creating composte to put in the soil in replacement to the chemical furtilizaters, and putting healthier chemical free food into the people who consume it. Disadvantages to organic farming are the time and energy it takes to maintain it; It takes a little more work to produce, a little more time to produce, but the finishing product is worth it. The problem consumers have is that it is more expensive. Americans are very quick to pick out whatever is cheapest at the supermarket so organic foods dont receive the demand they should be. The habit hasnt been created yet.

In conclusion, I believe that organic farming could become a bigger deal in the world if the education is spread, the demand raises up enough to have more and more producers. The more producers, the cheaper it can become. Organic farming is a slow moving improvement that will improve the land, water, and atmosphere surrounding it. If the knowledge is spread on how to become an organic farmer, I believe it can create very positive improvements on the environment all over the world. The more people that do it, the more the habit will be created.

What else are we missing?

The film “Symphony of Soil” brings a few big topics to light. In the documentary the ideas of sustainable agriculture are discussed as well as our current agricultural problems we have been facing. Although some of our agricultural problems, such as droughts, are the result of climate change in general, there are more specific problems that have conventional farming written all over it. Things like erosion, compacted soil, exhausting undergrounds aquifers nitrogen and phosphorus saturated soil and water ways are some of the environmental issues we are effacing, issues that the film discusses, are all caused by conventional farming techniques. 

The documentary shows us that the things we deem as conventional farming are not the only way of doing things. People were finding ways to preserve water by growing other plants around their crops to prevent runoff. They were also composting and using the newly made, nutrient rich soil as a type of fertilizer that didn’t poison the soil or the crop. Rotating crops is also important as different plants take different amounts of each nutrient. Planting a cover crop such as clover is also important in the off season. All of this just shows us that organic farming, although more tedious and expensive, is achievable and can mitigate or even eliminate the negative aspects that conventional farming exhibit.

While the film just barely brushes on these topics and doesn’t get very technical, for the sake of the viewer, I think they are touching on an issue that is far reaching in almost every industry and field out there. I firmly believe that the way we are built, that is to say the way our minds work, is that when something becomes a norm for us or our culture we define it as the the supreme or even only way of doing something. We don’t often consider other techniques because the current ones have seemed to work (emphasis on the word seemed). Although globalization has changed this a great deal there are some things that aren’t being challenged enough. I believe industry hs driven agriculture to a breaking point where it is not sustainable anymore, but people think it is the only way of doing because conventional farming was once innovative, yielded huge crops amounts and saved money. So now that people rely on this technique for a living, it will be hard to turn to an alternative as it is seen as inadequate in one way or another. Hopefully this changes soon.

This makes me wonder, what else do we not question?

Can organic farming feed the world?

Can organic farming feed the world? As mostly with interesting questions there is apparently no unambigous answer to this one but an ongoing dispute whether this is pure idealism or a realistic alternative.

"Symphony of the soil" is a documentary which offers the viewer a better understanding of the miscellaneous properties and functions of all kind of different soils and furthermore portrays various farmers who have converted their way of agriculture away from artificially produced fertilizer. This can be achieved by harvesting the fields in a more sustainable way and giving back the essential nutrients in the form of compost produced organically by the very same products of the farm. It almost sounds to good to be true. So what are the downsides of this approach?
Unfortunately this question is not intesively analyzed within the movie but the viewer has to consult other sources on his own and will encounter some possible obstacles at least. For example organic farming usually requires a longer time period to regain the investments which might be an issue for many small farmers without the required security for future planning. A whole different factor can be the market. Whereas some western countries notice a trend of demand for organic vegetables there are yet many places where this is just not a relevant criteria of sale. Consequently in these markets organic farming has to convince by other properties like price, quantity or maybe taste.

But would it be possible to harmonize industrial mass production with the concepts of organic farming? If so, this could be a great chance to promoting this agricultural approach. But to my knowledge up to date organic farming remains restricted to a smaller scale of production and typically higher prices. This could be just the usual particularity of a niche development being in a transition cycle which has not yet reached its established form. In this sense organic industrial farming would be an interesting possibility. Nevertheless one might worry this could easily lead to nothing more than an industrially produced vegetable in a "green disguise".

Money Can't Buy You Love

Money Can’t Buy You Love

By Katrina Cloutier

Everyone has heard of the saying that money can’t buy you love or that money can’t buy you happiness. Many have been fooled by the illusion that money can get you just that.

         Consumption is a huge problem that is affecting our environment everyday. Today consumption is about maintaining a social status or trying to achieve a social status. Trying to keep up with appearances by spending money all the time on stuff that makes us happy only temporarily then repeating the same step over and over again is ruining lives. It is said that happier people consume less, however today in advertising we are told just the opposite. Big corporations profit the most from over-consumption and maximize on the idea that if we spend more the happier we will be. When we over spend it gives us this false sense of illusion that we are wealthy and by over spending it is proof of our success and everything we have achieved. In actuality we are spending more than what we can afford. We are taught and brainwashed that the action of buying and overspending is more satisfying than the actual use of the product.

         Over-consumption is the key to short-term happiness. We are very excited and joyful when buying a product we can’t afford and don’t actually need however it makes us extremely happy for that small period of time. On the opposite side when people consume less they are happier. Happier people are often found to consume less. Its like a high, you need it over and over again in order to feel happy. While families that have less and consume less are appreciative of what they have. They’re just so thankful to have what little that they have that it makes them happier people in the end. The people who over-consume are spoiled and after awhile don’t see how fortunate they actually are.

         When children grow up with a family that over-consumes that child will end up the same way. Learning at a young age to be thankful for what you have can change a child’s outlook on life. Some things I think parents should do are lead by example and teach their children how fortunate they really are and it will make them happier. Something else individuals can do to be happier is giving to the less fortunate. Seeing someone who has less than you can be very eye opening. It can change a person. Donating and giving away can be a very rewarding experience because it is hands on learning about a different type of life.

         Leading by example cannot only make your family happier but everyone else around you happier too. Encouraging and inspiring others is what matters most. Consuming less and giving more is the key to a balanced and happier life.

         

Consumption = Happiness

Consumption has become more than just an action, it has become a complete lifestyle. People work so they have the ability to consume more. Instead of consuming what you need and finding happiness with what you have, this new lifestyle has become, consume what you need and be unhappy until you can consume what you want. The wants keep getting higher and more expensive, the standards of things people should have has risen. Society has given people standards that only few can afford and rest feel lower when they cant afford the best.

I beleive that consuming has a lot to do with happiness. Everyone is excited when they buy a new vehicle or a new house and new clothes. What is changing is that advertising has put feelings into their commercials, feelings of love, intimacy with others, laughter, family values. With all of those going into commercials, people feel that when they buy these products, they are buying those feelings as well when in reality that just isnt the truth. The average person experiences over 3,000 advertisments in a given day. That is why society is always unsatisfied and alwasy wanting more, because thousands of times a day they are reminded of things that they dont have. Instead of realizing and being happy with the things they do have.

I think less advertisments would have a huge affect on the way people feel. Life would be less of a competition of who has the most things. People would become more satisfied of the things they do have. No reminders of what they think they need. I think consumerism is very important for all economies and everyone needs to consume, but consuming should not be a competition between people because nobody will ever get to the top of the pyramid that way. There will always be something new. Nobody should feel like they need to be at the top.

Consume responsibly for you and stop worrying about the rest of the world.