I began to explore different ways to urbanize agriculture and find out how teach people the truths about what they eat. Our world is full of processed food and there are many root causes and major contributing factors I have associated with the issue. First, the global population is growing at a very rapid rate and a need for widespread access to food has never been in higher demand. To help this issue, we have turned to large-scale production of processed food and have turned away from natural and more nutritious options. Processed food has now become a part of our culture and it is difficult to stop the momentum. More contributing factors can be directed towards communal income. Processed foods are notoriously lower priced. Individuals and entire communities may not be able to afford healthier food or would just rather spend their money on drugs or other negative extracurricular activities. Lastly, I believe the other key factors contributing to the food crisis are intellectual knowledge and widespread accessibility. There are a lot of people who are not aware of their food and do not know where it comes from. Also, many places lack the infrastructure or recourses to provide heathier food options into an area so communities are forced to turn to other means of food.
I think are the greatest challenges currently to addressing the root causes are widespread communication, organization, and local support. To get my message across, I will need to explain the problem and express specific and easy ways to help solve it. This will require a lot of critical thinking and thorough analysis. It will also require the startup of organizations and local support to help make physical changes that will encourage new habits. These could include building/promoting local gardens or other ways to urbanize agriculture.
There are several policies that can impact my issue. Some townships and areas around communities prohibit livestock. Others have restrictions on buildings are gardens that can be planted or built. These can me very problematic and will need to be evaluated depending on location.
This issue also impacts the Ohio/Columbus/Ohio State Community. Here on campus, there are many healthy options for food however no college campus is perfect. There are many issues are poor neighborhoods around Columbus with limited access to healthy food alternatives the reflect similarly with the entire state There are however local organizations, that are addressing this issue. There are many community gardens around Columbus that help promote a heathy lifestyle. The ACGA (American Community Garden Association) plays a major role in these projects in Columbus along with areas around the country.
I found a Ted Talk that relates to my issue called “The Urban Agriculture Revolution” by David Gingera. I learned more about the history of agriculture and how it has adapted and evolved over time. There is some bias in this video just like any other Ted Talk. He addresses many person opinions and lacks firsthand experience with the farming community and all the good effects preservatives can have on our economy and environment.
You can watch the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH1fcCiaT20
Sources:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oH1fcCiaT20
https://www.columbus.gov/landredevelopment/communitygardens/
https://development.franklincountyohio.gov/community-gardens
https://communitygarden.org/find-a-garden/gardens/mound-street-community-garden/
https://www.theonion.com/how-to-start-a-community-garden-1819594100
https://chicago.suntimes.com/columnists/why-america-needs-more-processed-food/
https://www.theaquaponicsource.com/what-is-aquaponics/
http://www.ruaf.org/urban-agriculture-what-and-why