Comments on: Is this the eve of revolution for food? http://asmarterplanet.com/blog/2009/05/is-this-the-eve-of-revolution-for-food.html Instrumented. Interconnected. Intelligent. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 22:31:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Jakub Tymowski http://asmarterplanet.com/blog/2009/05/is-this-the-eve-of-revolution-for-food.html#comment-5204 Jakub Tymowski Thu, 02 Jul 2009 07:30:10 +0000 http://asmarterplanet.com/?p=285#comment-5204 Complete self-sufficiency is an ideal that is a pattern of perfection for this trend of 'being green'. I'm trying to point here that current revolution is not an industrial revolution but a revolution of the mind (similar to this which happen in 70ties in our sexual life area). Derek said that growing own garden takes a lot of time. But let's look for those people that already gardening. Would they ever changed what they doing for anything else? Never! And now let's looks at ourselves how many stupid things we're doing each day (i.e playing golf), how our life excluding work is full of bad habits. We messed in this world, that's the fact. Now we need to clean after themselves. So self-skepticism is very welcome. IBM property area is still not correctly managed in the lawn only way. Complete self-sufficiency is an ideal that is a pattern of perfection for this trend of ‘being green’.
I’m trying to point here that current revolution is not an industrial revolution but a revolution of the mind (similar to this which happen in 70ties in our sexual life area).
Derek said that growing own garden takes a lot of time. But let’s look for those people that already gardening. Would they ever changed what they doing for anything else? Never! And now let’s looks at ourselves how many stupid things we’re doing each day (i.e playing golf), how our life excluding work is full of bad habits.
We messed in this world, that’s the fact. Now we need to clean after themselves. So self-skepticism is very welcome.
IBM property area is still not correctly managed in the lawn only way.

]]> By: Cailey Jones http://asmarterplanet.com/blog/2009/05/is-this-the-eve-of-revolution-for-food.html#comment-4589 Cailey Jones Mon, 22 Jun 2009 22:54:39 +0000 http://asmarterplanet.com/?p=285#comment-4589 I don't think complete self-sufficiency is exactly the way to go, but certainly localizing food sources is a good idea. I think Derek Payne had the second half of his argument exactly right: we can't all devote all of our time to growing food or nothing else would get done (as for your first argument, Derek, I'm a vegetarian, so I'd have to disagree about needing a slaughterhouse to have a balanced diet :P ). I dream of having my own vegetable garden one day (once I have a backyard to put it in) and I'll supplement that with food from a local farmer's market. If you're looking some inspiration on how to localize your diet, I recommend reading "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver. I don’t think complete self-sufficiency is exactly the way to go, but certainly localizing food sources is a good idea.
I think Derek Payne had the second half of his argument exactly right: we can’t all devote all of our time to growing food or nothing else would get done (as for your first argument, Derek, I’m a vegetarian, so I’d have to disagree about needing a slaughterhouse to have a balanced diet :P ). I dream of having my own vegetable garden one day (once I have a backyard to put it in) and I’ll supplement that with food from a local farmer’s market.

If you’re looking some inspiration on how to localize your diet, I recommend reading “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” by Barbara Kingsolver.

]]> By: Jakub Tymowski http://asmarterplanet.com/blog/2009/05/is-this-the-eve-of-revolution-for-food.html#comment-3912 Jakub Tymowski Thu, 11 Jun 2009 13:47:17 +0000 http://asmarterplanet.com/?p=285#comment-3912 What's more Brasilian Amazon indian is suffering drought because fat American want's to drive a car to supermarket and buy a carrot. One is too lazy to plant own carrot in the garden (or too stupid). (to Administrator - if you will be deleting my posts we won't get anywhere, writing on and on without any effect makes me sick and your awardness of the middle high class workers will not change significantly - please be so king and send me my posts - the removed one - so I'll remove curses and bad language and we can follow with making people more aware) BTW: Your ecological awarness even if it is higher than average it is low low below critical minimum anyway folks! You may think that I don't have authority to say that? I do have - Yes - 10 years of my life I was a hippie using energy only to reading books. I have money right now, but I'm not buying new stuff, car, electronics, packed food... What I'm buying is a land. This year I planted few thousands trees on the land I bought.... What’s more Brasilian Amazon indian is suffering drought because fat American want’s to drive a car to supermarket and buy a carrot. One is too lazy to plant own carrot in the garden (or too stupid).

(to Administrator – if you will be deleting my posts we won’t get anywhere, writing on and on without any effect makes me sick and your awardness of the middle high class workers will not change significantly – please be so king and send me my posts – the removed one – so I’ll remove curses and bad language and we can follow with making people more aware)

BTW: Your ecological awarness even if it is higher than average it is low low below critical minimum anyway folks!
You may think that I don’t have authority to say that?
I do have – Yes – 10 years of my life I was a hippie using energy only to reading books. I have money right now, but I’m not buying new stuff, car, electronics, packed food…
What I’m buying is a land. This year I planted few thousands trees on the land I bought….

]]> By: Matthew Maginley http://asmarterplanet.com/blog/2009/05/is-this-the-eve-of-revolution-for-food.html#comment-3874 Matthew Maginley Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:13:29 +0000 http://asmarterplanet.com/?p=285#comment-3874 If we could use the resources e.g. water, seed, gas powered equipment, fertilizer, pesticides that are used to grow lawns in the United States that would be a start. Everyone has their own lawnmower and blower, or uses a landscaper. Migrant workers from across the border come to the U.S. to harvest fruits and vegetables in some areas, and in others they work in landscaping businesses. Clippings are hauled away that can be used for compost. I make this illustration to point out that the next levels up from self-sufficiency are co-ops and collectives It should also be apparent that the adjustment that needs to be made is one of social awareness. People coming to this country need to have a better life than being a migrant worker, or landscaper. The children of the migrant worker have a tough time being educated and puts them at risk. Regarding co-ops and collectives : there is a food market on 14th Street in Manhattan provided by local producers. There is a smaller one in my neighborhood in New Jersey. In fact, many people in my neighborhood grow tomatoes, zucchini, berries, corn, squash. The price differential of these products is 50% to 100% higher in Manhattan. Commuters from NJ routinely bring in their own food to save money on lunch. This will not put Stop and Shop and Pathmark out of business but by providing the alternative of supporting local growers, its makes it possible to continue the dialogue and thinking about the broader Smarter Food Issue If we could use the resources e.g. water, seed, gas powered equipment, fertilizer, pesticides that are used to grow lawns in the United States that would be a start. Everyone has their own lawnmower and blower, or uses a landscaper. Migrant workers from across the border come to the U.S. to harvest fruits and vegetables in some areas, and in others they work in landscaping businesses. Clippings are hauled away that can be used for compost. I make this illustration to point out that the next levels up from self-sufficiency are co-ops and collectives It should also be apparent that the adjustment that needs to be made is one of social awareness. People coming to this country need to have a better life than being a migrant worker, or landscaper. The children of the migrant worker have a tough time being educated and puts them at risk.

Regarding co-ops and collectives : there is a food market on 14th Street in Manhattan provided by local producers. There is a smaller one in my neighborhood in New Jersey. In fact, many people in my neighborhood grow tomatoes, zucchini, berries, corn, squash. The price differential of these products is 50% to 100% higher in Manhattan. Commuters from NJ routinely bring in their own food to save money on lunch. This will not put Stop and Shop and Pathmark out of business but by providing the alternative of supporting local growers, its makes it possible to continue the dialogue and thinking about the broader Smarter Food Issue

]]> By: Adam Christensen http://asmarterplanet.com/blog/2009/05/is-this-the-eve-of-revolution-for-food.html#comment-3457 Adam Christensen Mon, 01 Jun 2009 22:03:15 +0000 http://asmarterplanet.com/?p=285#comment-3457 Derek, Thanks for the comments. All good points. I think you are right that complete self-generation of food isn't likely, or practical. That said, I think there is some significant benefits in the trend now for people to understand better how their food is produced and be more involved in that process. However, I agree that the answer for creating a smarter food system isn't in moving people back to an individual self sustenance model. There is something to be said about creating better - smarter - networks of food distribution where produce doesn't have to fly across the world even when it's being mass produced only miles away as well (<a href="http://adamchristensen.com/2008/12/12/solve-the-worlds-food-problems-demand-better-tasting-food/" rel="nofollow">see this example on my personal blog </a>for my avocado anecdote). Also, another major point on the smarter food issue is the ability to use technology to better understand and track food in all stages of the processing system. Where food can, in essence, "talk" to you so you know exactly it origins and it's paths to getting to you. Food traceability is a big issue worth exploring more too. Realize that's a different issue than what this post talked about, but it's one of the big ones on the broader Smarter Food issue. Derek, Thanks for the comments. All good points. I think you are right that complete self-generation of food isn’t likely, or practical. That said, I think there is some significant benefits in the trend now for people to understand better how their food is produced and be more involved in that process. However, I agree that the answer for creating a smarter food system isn’t in moving people back to an individual self sustenance model.

There is something to be said about creating better – smarter – networks of food distribution where produce doesn’t have to fly across the world even when it’s being mass produced only miles away as well (see this example on my personal blog for my avocado anecdote).

Also, another major point on the smarter food issue is the ability to use technology to better understand and track food in all stages of the processing system. Where food can, in essence, “talk” to you so you know exactly it origins and it’s paths to getting to you. Food traceability is a big issue worth exploring more too. Realize that’s a different issue than what this post talked about, but it’s one of the big ones on the broader Smarter Food issue.

]]> By: Derek Payne http://asmarterplanet.com/blog/2009/05/is-this-the-eve-of-revolution-for-food.html#comment-3440 Derek Payne Mon, 01 Jun 2009 15:19:01 +0000 http://asmarterplanet.com/?p=285#comment-3440 Food self-sufficiency sounds like a good idea for things like fruits and vegetables, but it gets trickier when you try to have meat. I'm all for having a garden in my backyard, but for a complete, balanced diet, I'd need a slaughterhouse in my backyard too, as would everyone else. I don't have space in my backyard to hold livestock, and in most cities there are regulations about which animals and how many of each can be owned. If we're going to generate our own food, we'll need space and resources with which to do so, most of which are not available at the moment. Also, if humans have generated their own food for eons past, how is it that only recently, with the advent of supermarkets and an enormous agrarian industry, have we seen progress at soaring rates? IBM itself, a symbol of the times, would not be here today if everyone was still worrying about producing their own food. Agriculture, even on a small scale, is still a time-consuming process, subject to many different and unpredictable variables, and in some cases it would be extraordinarily difficult to grow edible crops in locations where people can be found. Growing our food where it can be grown, exporting it to locations where the growth of such would be difficult or impossible, and the ability to purchase this food in bulk has allowed for humanity to populate every corner of the earth. Although not impossible, self-generation of food is a long way off, with many hurdles (technological, economic, societal, or otherwise) to overcome. Food self-sufficiency sounds like a good idea for things like fruits and vegetables, but it gets trickier when you try to have meat. I’m all for having a garden in my backyard, but for a complete, balanced diet, I’d need a slaughterhouse in my backyard too, as would everyone else. I don’t have space in my backyard to hold livestock, and in most cities there are regulations about which animals and how many of each can be owned. If we’re going to generate our own food, we’ll need space and resources with which to do so, most of which are not available at the moment.

Also, if humans have generated their own food for eons past, how is it that only recently, with the advent of supermarkets and an enormous agrarian industry, have we seen progress at soaring rates? IBM itself, a symbol of the times, would not be here today if everyone was still worrying about producing their own food. Agriculture, even on a small scale, is still a time-consuming process, subject to many different and unpredictable variables, and in some cases it would be extraordinarily difficult to grow edible crops in locations where people can be found. Growing our food where it can be grown, exporting it to locations where the growth of such would be difficult or impossible, and the ability to purchase this food in bulk has allowed for humanity to populate every corner of the earth. Although not impossible, self-generation of food is a long way off, with many hurdles (technological, economic, societal, or otherwise) to overcome.

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