As a component time staff in a grocery store during my early on high school days, I witnessed on a regular basis that at the end of every day a large level of cooked goods and perishable foods which had reached their shelf life were carted to the garbage compactor. At the same time at the store's front side entrance there was clearly several aged and homeless people begging for alms in order to buy their daily meals. I wondered at that time as to why the discarded food could not instead be distributed to prospects in dire need than it waiting just exterior. As I sustained with my studies in college or university I became aware that the same scenario was and is still being played from a global size where food does not reach individuals who need it the most; but also for different reasons. While in the circumstance of the hungry outside the grocery store, the action might have been essential to prevent pandemonium and hassle for the staff. However globally, human hunger and hunger is triggered by food shortages resulting from environmental degradation, immediate population growth, questionable technology and current economical models.
Through the Holy Bible, the foundation of my faith, I know that God has given all humans dominion over the planet earth and everything its creatures but for our own selfish goal we have a tendency to interpret the center awarded to us as permission to unbridled mastery over mother nature. We must remember that being given dominion over the earth only makes us custodians of His creation. Gerald Barney, a scientist aptly explained that, "for the first time in the history of Creation, the life support systems of the planet earth are being ruined by real human activities. Throughout history humans have induced locally significant damage to the environment, but nothing you've seen prior have human numbers and actions mixed to threaten the integrity of the whole world. [1]" In light of the shocking truth there is an ever increasing need for the implementation of a just and ecological global food system to prevent mankind from crises, for craving for food and malnutrition are in charge of more fatalities today than any known disease. Every single individual must be dependable members in the reduction of global climate change which includes induced major environmental disasters. Floods and droughts are regarded as the main causes of worldwide food shortages and famines.
Since my youth I had been always taught never to waste food rather than to eat as if there was no tomorrow. I realize the intelligence in that coaching as there isn't only an environmental cost to getting food up for grabs but it addittionally leaves a negative footprint on nature by means of global warming, air pollution, damage of the eco system, degradation of arable land and fresh drinking water resource. Unlike the aboriginal individuals of our land who cured the earth and dynamics as sacred utilizing it strictly for basic living needs, "inside our society as a whole we conceive of the land in conditions of ownership and use. It is a lifeless medium of exchange. [2]" Just how do we cultivate a means of life that does not violate the integrity of creation? Will we use the knowledge, be ready to make use of every work and continue in our perseverance to prevent further harm to the environment and replenish the arable lands that now lay wasted? The answer is in the hands of each and every human being. Just like each member of a family is in charge of the maintenance and coverage of their house, we as a global family must choose the same frame of mind looking after our planetary home, we call Globe.
While environmental degradation will be the indirect result of our actions, we humans are directly in charge of how big is our family members and the global society at large, however controversial the methods hired may be. Can the rate of the world's staple crop creation keep nourishing the hungry upon this earth? Both my parents originated from large families in India and with the humble incomes both units of grandparents gained; they were able to nourish their children. Basic vegetables & fruits were home grown up and staple grain was locally produced or easily available. Hunger and malnutrition, I got told was little in those times. Currently, in the land of my ancestors, having large households is still considered a blessing from God regardless of wide-spread poverty, malnutrition and being hungry; a human being crises that is growing exponentially. "These were successful and prolific; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so the land was filled with them. [3]" The land is reported to be full when the food supply is limited and the surroundings is deteriorating. It is also known that "a full environment is a energetic concept with respect to the application of individual wisdom and knowledge. [4]" The exact same Creator who declares children are an incentive is also displeased when overpopulation causes destruction of His handiwork. Do we have the intelligence and the data to offer proper advice for individual duplication? If so, will we be able to ensure the present global human population and ensure future generations a good amount of what creation provides? If we fail to find positive answers to the issue of overpopulation, the global food lack will create chaos in poor countries further creating these 'failed state governments' to export diseases and refugees. The earth does not contain resources to nourish the starving indefinitely for this will cause global grain scarcity which would raise prices and put food out of reach of even more people.
In our search for the growing demand of food worldwide, we should do all in your power to make agriculture as effective as you possibly can. As students of commerce and economics I am aware that less land is necessary for farming if development is maximized per acre giving more land to be remaining in its crazy and natural status. Biotechnology through genetic engineering of seed products has been a increase to agriculture by increasing the yield of crops, using less drinking water and pesticides, creating less stress on our delicate land and producing grain of a higher nutritional value. However the use of biotechnology is a sharply divided concern since it also gives humans the to assert a patent on life form which is an ethical matter. Are we aiming to 'play God'? Needless to say "the very success of natural technology has bred an attitude which has allowed for the exploitation and domination of the natural world in complete disregard to the social and ecological consequences. [5]" Firms make an effort to maximize profits where in fact the marginal cost of development equals the marginal gain produced from the produce. However, this current economical model, in my opinion, is flawed as it does not are the implicit cost of environmental degradation induced by using pesticides or poor crop rotation that is incurred in the creation of food. Essentially, companies in the food & biotech industry only appear to value maximizing their gains it doesn't matter how it affects the environment or humans that rely upon food for success. It is very disturbing to listen to that food & biotech companies purchase a few of the vegetation from under-developed countries to be able to genetically change the seed and then sell it back again at prices that are at an extremely high premium. A biotech company in the U. S. bought coffee beans from Brazil in order to genetically adjust them so that they would become more weather-resistant to climate changes in Brazil that threatened future plants. However, when it came up time to advertising these genetically changed beans back again to Brazil, this same biotech company marked up the purchase price to the level that Brazil was struggling to afford it. Producing countries shouldn't be subjected to this unethical practice completed by such firms. Therefore, for me, in order to build a sustainable future for people, a fresh 'globe' economic model needs to be developed, one which aligns the overall economy with ethics and the environment.
Will future life and creation be manipulated through biotechnology and selfish monetary considerations? To counter any growth that technology has made to benefit human food security, staple grains are now being grown to create bio-fuels. According to the teachings of my beliefs, "do not, with regard to food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong that you can make others fall by what you take in. [6]" It could prick my conscience to realize that to be able to operate a vehicle my car across Canada it would require an acre of corn if not more; grain that might have been used to supply so many starving and malnourished people nowadays. The need for the development of alternative fuels is no doubt an urgent issue but it will not be at the expense of seeing our very own species positioned in dire straits; an ethical irresponsibility.
The last third of the twentieth century observed an unprecedented transfer in the Human-Earth romance; the Third Mediation as Thomas Berry termed it. Individuals impact now threatens Earth's capacity to regenerate life as we realize it and think its great. Despite our basic dependence for success on this entire world, we continue to damage it through environmental degradation, overpopulation, significant use of technology and monetary greed. If we are to attain a globally just and ecological food system, we have to learn to live in a way that does not outstrip nature's capacity to regenerate itself on its own time cycles and conditions. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Further we should avoid forcing changes in natural systems themselves, changes that are at times even difficult for adaptable species to accept.
Endnotes
- Rasmussen, Larry. "Toward an Earth Charter. " Religious beliefs Online. The Religious Century Base, 23 Oct. 1991. Web. 14 May 2010. .
- N. Scott Momaday, "AN INITIAL North american Views His Land, " National Geographic Magazine (July 1976), 18.
- Meeks, Wayne A. "Exodus. " HarperCollins Research Bible: New Revised Standard Version (with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books). Pupil ed. SanFrancisco: HarperCollinsPublishers, 1994. 79. Printing.
- Fick, Gary W. "Ecology in the Bible. " Food, Farming, and Trust (S U N Y Series on Faith and the surroundings). Albany, NY: State School Of New York Press, 2008. 37. Print out.
- Gorringe, Timothy. "Playing God. " Harvest: Food, Farming and the Churches. London: SPCK, 2006. 117. Printing.
- Meeks, Wayne A. "Romans. " HarperCollins Review Bible: New Revised Standard Version (with the Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books). Scholar ed. SanFrancisco: HarperCollinsPublishers, 1994. 2135. Printing.
