Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Challenge for Africa post 1
Something that interested me in the beginning of Challenge for Africa was how unskilled farmers were contributing to the degradation of the environment. One group of farmers that the author encountered, due to ignorance of proper farming techniques, were cutting plants in a way that would minimize water retention and increase erosion, and eventually make the land useless. Maathai also notes that while large-scale industrial work does a majority of the damage on the environment, such farmers finish the job with their unsustainable methods, completing the damage of the land. As this is taking place in one of the earth's most valuable rainforests, such degradation has consequences not only for locals, but for the world's climate and ecosystem at large.
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I agree with you. It is important to raise awareness and change the current practices as these are leading to degradation of the ecosystem. Farmers should be informed about sustainable methods to save water and conserve the soil.
ReplyDeleteI am doing a similar study about the process of efficiency and how "efficiency" is literally studied and designed to make a certain process valuable as well as benefiting the surrounding of its network. It can definitely be detrimental when formal techniques are not properly managed.
ReplyDeleteI think a big part of what causes this is the often contradictory seeming concepts that education helps clarify for us. For those who aren't as fortunate, these become much bigger problems. Explaining to a farmer that harvesting may be good for him, but if he does it too much it'll be bad is a tough concept.
ReplyDeleteI agree that damage prevention and having a sustainable way of farming are very important to preserve land in the long run.
ReplyDeleteI think educational programs on proper farming can be very helpful.
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