Between the 1950s and 2018, the population of homo sapiens increased three-fold, from 2.5 billion to over 7.5 billion (Roser). In less than a hundred years, we managed to eradicate smallpox, improve our drainage systems and electrify cities throughout the night- a feat that no other known species has done before. Yet, we still manage to struggle with poverty, climate change and hunger. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), between 2005 and 2015, the number of undernourished people decreased from 947 million people to 785 million, a reduction of about 17%. However, the same organization indicated that since 2015, the number of undernourished people has risen to levels recorded back in 2010. As the world population continues to grow and the amount of undernourished people steadily rise, the development of a sustainable agriculture system will determine the fate of future generations.
A sustainable agriculture system is pertinent to Guam’s economical and agricultural success. According to Bullmore, one of Guam’s main imports is food. This is troubling because an island heavily dependent on food imports would be negatively affected by any decrease in production. About two years ago, Guam went through a romaine lettuce famine (Weiss). This was because of an outbreak of E. coli in the mainland. Throughout the whole period, the open-fridge aisles were noticeably empty of romaine lettuce.
After watching the documentary, Living the Change: Inspiring stories for a sustainable future, last lab, I realized that the solution to increasing demands of energy may not be solved by technology. In fact, the documentary highlights mitigation of energy consumption and a return to the natural world. Examples from New Zealanders included, community gardening, trade-sharing, composting and forest-planting. Their reliance on technology was blurred between nonexistent and almost unnecessary. Some may view their lifestyles as boring or even unbearable, but I would argue that living together with the natural world was always our calling. One important philosophy taught from the documentary was the idea of interbeing, a belief that we are all connected with everything. With our growing struggles, I believe it is time to rethink our priorities and reconsider our calling.
Because one of the fundamental aspects for a successful society is a reliable agriculture system, lessening our reliance on food imports is necessary to achieve that. I plan to test this by encouraging a community garden in my neighborhood. My first step is to earn approval from the Homeowners Association. I plan to draft a proposal by this week and submit it once I’m finished. Then, I will use the grass strip beside my house as a primary example. The grass strip will serve as the placement for a vertical garden, and in the garden, I’ll grow cucumbers and peppers. The reason for growing on the grass strip is to increase awareness and encourage others to transform their grass strip into a sustainable garden. I dream of a sustainable agriculture system where each house has a garden, and we trade fruits and vegetables instead of buying from the grocery store.
Works Cited
Bullmore, A. (2016). Asia & Pacific: The Economic and Political Report (Vol. Thirty-first
edition). Cambridge, England: World of Information.
FAO, IFAD, UNICEF, WFP and WHO. (2019). The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the
World 2019.Safeguarding against economic slowdowns and downturns. Rome, FAO.
Roser, M. (2019, June 18). Our World in Data: Two centuries of rapid global population growth
will come to an end.
Weiss, J. S. (2018, November 21). Guam public health: Avoid romaine lettuce, Duncan Hines
cake mixes recalled.
