Farming is one of the world’s oldest trades – no denying that. The ability to cultivate crops with the specific goal of guaranteeing the survival of your family and community has been the number one priority since the time homo sapiens moved from hunter/gatherers and switched to a way more sedentary way of existence.
Ever since that time, the human population has been spreading and it has been spreading rapidly. Of course, farming has many upsides – it’s a way to provide people with sustenance, to build communities and lead lives that are worth living.
Yet, farming also invites certain challenges that aren’t necessarily easy to overcome. We will talk about the challenges first.
The Challenges of Farming: Biological, Evolutionary and Practical
Going back to when homo sapiens first started to farm, there are quite a few things that need to be addressed about that specifically. You see, farming started some thousands of years ago – in the not so distant past as it is.
But farming wasn’t a natural development of our species. Humans have survived in all sorts of conditions – from the Artic Frost down to the sweltering hot climate of the South. And you could argue that this doesn’t say much about adaptability – but it actually does.
So, at one point, our species decided to settle down and start farming and it was at this point that the first evolutionary mistake happened. We were never meant to toil over the fields, develop spine deformities and more.
Our species was one of the nomads and when we began settling down, we became dependent on what was around us. So, that’s actually the first challenge of farming – it basically goes against the grain of who we are as a species.
Secondly, because of farming, humans saw two events – first population growth, but secondly – the spread of disease. Our sedentary lifestyle invited many diseases. Plus, our need to domesticate animals and live closely with them also made us susceptible to illnesses that weren’t originally intended to attack us.
And so, a vicious circle began – we needed to keep farming to live on. Childbirth was needed to have more farming hands working the land, and has always been – someone out there was reaping most of the benefits.
Things kept going this way for years and we eventually had to accept the new farming reality. And besides, there were already too many people out there to just roam around and gather food. Well, that actually happened, but it was given a new name – war.
What Do We Need to Know About Farming Today?
Today’s climate has changed quite a bit and weather patterns are actually putting quite a bit of pressure on the environment. The truth is that population growth has led to some significant changes in our patterns. Growing our own food isn’t necessarily an option, as is.
Many of us have switched to organic, biological food – no meat, the most extreme among us say, and that’s all very fine. Yet, we have to be very open about the upsides and downsides thereof becoming vegans or even vegetarians.
Putting an insane amount of pressure on certain crops – be that rice, soy or even avocado – has consequences. If the world was to go vegan, that would not immediately mean a solution overnight.
More importantly, even successful examples of becoming a vegan, such as the NFL Tennessee Titans, still comes with high demand for food – 15 avocados per serving. Of course, the Titans are athletes and they do need more food, and they can still inspire others to make the ‘right decision’.
Ultimately, it should all come down to personal choice – of course educating people about their dietary choices should also be one of the things that they do. Just like you would want your locksmith to know their stuff, so you would – as a parent, or even as a parent – want to know what you are eating and the effects it has on your body.
A locksmith emergency can always be solved with the right company, but knowing how to eat well and healthy takes a conscious effort. Make sure that you put in the work necessary to succeed – educate yourself about the little twists and turn of a proper diet (vegan or otherwise).