Author Archives: lilyt5

The End ENVIR 385

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My group had the opportunity to work with Landesa, a non-profit organization where their focus is to promote, empower, and secure land rights for millions of the world’s poorest in order to provide opportunity and social justice. Because Landesa works on a more broader range, my group wanted to focus our action project specifically on women’s land rights and food security and connect them with pandemics like the one we are currently in, COVID-19. In order to spread awareness with our topic and research we took on the social media approach.

We learned through our research that women in the areas we looked into make up the majority of the agricultural workforce, and because of the gender disparity that is demonstrated in these areas, and with the current system, women are left in a vulnerable state when pandemics strike their communities. Case studies that have been done in developing countries have shown that with support, women can have great economic and ecological impacts which helps build resilience in their communities.

Through our course we talked about the systems theory. This explains that we are all part of a system(s), and if one part of the system undergo a change then the other parts of that system will be affected. Landesa is performing under this idea, and that their organization is in hope trying to create change in society and rid of the unsustainable systems that are around us.

This theory is demonstrated greatly under our food system. Structural racism lives in this system, while many others as well. However, since our group focused of food security I believe it is necessary to focus on the food system as well. POC often receive low wages in the food industry, and because of this they are forced to face many disadvantages such as hunger. Part of this problem is that there is great disparity between consumers and the food chain since many do not truly know what the process is in order to get the food they are receiving. After this course, I grew to understand more about the food system and the corrupt attributes that take place. Through our action project and tying that with the systems theory, it is crucial that there needs to be more awareness especially with the BLM movement that is currently happening, and for everybody to keep protesting and doing what they can in order to affect our system in the ways that will reach an outcome where we see change for a better future for the POC.

Yeah…she was not talking about Joe

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After looking through the contemplative practices posts from last week I came across Arisbeth’s take on exotic foods in Exotic… and I’m not talking about Joe.

While I also did not understand the purpose of contemplative practices like Arisbeth, the more I did during class, the more I recognized that these really do demonstrate the ongoing issues that occur in the agricultural industry today.

Her post really sheds light on the exotic foods practice and international trade, explaining how easy and simple it is for us in a developed country to obtain such foreign goods. Personally, I myself did not truly acknowledge the seriousness involved within the process. However doing this provided an insight that most exotic foods comes from suffering, which many people have to undergo in order for people like me to enjoy them.

Tying back to chocolate, where the main ingredient is cocoa beans, that alone is one of many exotic foods that are provided to us. This singular good contains suffrage and oppression for many. In one of the videos we watched, BBC News showed that the cocoa farms in the Ivory Coast still uses child labor. Child labor has been a recurring issue and takes place in many countries. It informs viewers the hardships these kids have to go through, whether its not receiving wages at all, not being allowed to play, facing injuries with no first aid kit; all demonstrate that these are things that children should not have to experience at a young age.

Overall, the contemplative practices such as the exotic foods practice illuminates the great issues many face in order for us to obtain these goods with such ease and explains the importance for everyone especially in developed countries to become aware of these situations and hopefully act on it.

How Are You?

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Before the start of Spring Quarter, I signed up for this class not knowing really what I was getting into and what I would learn or gain from it. With this in mind, our professor started our first class session with a contemplative practice, and to me this specific one had me think the most and allowed me to really think about myself and how I am with everything that has been going on around me and in the world. She took time from class to have us reflect and to give thought about things when she asked the class “how are you.”

For me personally, I did not really put in much thought because at first I was thinking to myself, I am good, which was straight forward and to the point. However, because of the fact that she gave us a solid amount of time to ourselves, not just a few minutes, I was able to dig deeper and really contemplate on what has happened to me given the coronavirus pandemic and the stay at home order, and how it has affected me and so many other people around me. It made me realize how much I have taken advantage of before COVID-19 worsened and the stay at home order was implemented, such as going to some place, and seeing and talking to people in person. I know I am not the only one who is struggling with this, because being sociable really helps boost my mood and has a positive effect on my life. After that exercise I understood that it is normal for me to feel upset, stressed, just anything that had a negative influence on myself because this current situation is a difficult time. I really appreciated that contemplative practice the most because I realized everything I have been feeling, and that I knew so many people were going through that as well, and that I was not alone in this. We all are struggling somehow. Because of this practice, I twas able to come up of ways to ease and help myself stay positive, too keep myself busy. And it has helped me in the long run.

Photo Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seattle

Virus is changing how urban farms operate, and even what they grow

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Urban farms such as the Red Hook Farms in Brooklyn, New York, have been organized in a way where it is cramped in order for its many farmers to be able to produce as much as possible. However, because of the coronavirus outbreak, many adjustments needed to be made in the farming industry.

Farms needed to adapt to these new changes, they began this shift by creating more distance between people and changing the types of crops they must grow. Prioritizing to grow only essential crops, which are not as labor intensive, and to shift away from restaurant crops, like microgreens and edible flowers. Instead, they are adjusting to producing calorie dense crops that are more for retail accounts such as grocery stores.

In order to be able to produce enough crops in time due to people struggling to find affordable produce amid the coronavirus, the farm had to move up their planting schedule to be able to harvest sooner. The farm also limited contact during pickup of food boxes because before the outbreak, they allowed people to pick out their produce from open boxes, so instead they have the boxes closed and delivered them to low traffic areas such as building lobbies or residents’ floors.

This article demonstrates the change of how the perception of farmers and what they do was undermined because now midst the coronavirus outbreak, the interest of what farmers do and what they truly contribute has grown dramatically. COVID-19 has changed our world substantially, and is effecting the workplace and the system of places like Red Hook Farms. Farms like this are doing everything they can to still provide for others while suffering with having few employees and a higher work load. Detroit’s grocery stores do not have a lot of affordable organic food/produce. The people should not just rely on grocery stores and government resources, but support local farms as well.

Original article: https://thefern.org/ag_insider/virus-is-changing-how-urban-farms-operate-and-even-what-they-grow/