Thursday, June 5, 2014

Why don’t we create Agrihoods?

Integrating agriculture in the neighborhood

Busy lifestyles and the internet distracting our daily lives prevent people from going to the farm or market to buy fresh produce. With so many things to do but so little time mindset, these alibis are starting to validate and manifest themselves in the present internet age, where a person has to sustain both his physical and virtual persona.


Even households need to earn dual income, meaning oftentimes, the husband and the wife need to have work in order to support the needs of the family. Hence, the increasing purchasing power, the more time needed to put into it. And that is how life is onthe fast lane’.


As a result, food manufacturers take advantage of this growing lifestyle. All imaginable comfort food, junk food, energy-boosters, energy drinks anything that they think will sustain us is out there in the market.

I doubt if a young working couple could still manage to go to the wet market and buy fresh produce for the family. The most convenient place to do that is the neighborhood grocery or supermarket.

Agrihoods will build and feed sustainable communities. In schools in the provinces, we see a lot of this. The produce can be turned to delicious and nutritious meals for the students or can be sold to community members who need it.


There is a huge market for organically grown products and the world is starting to frown upon companies that genetically alter or modify the natural state of food. And with Agrihoods in our area, we can actually see, watch, connect and help grow our own food which also translates to ‘you see what you eat and makes you a part of the process of the from farm to table timeline. The Philippines is primarily an agricultural country. But still, we see a seeming disconnect in terms of abundance, our untilled land, shortage of food supply and pricing. Why do we have to buy a P40 kilo of rice when we can have it for P25 all year long? It seems that only the middlemen and corrupt authorities are getting the biggest share of the pie at the expense farmer and our consumers? Why don’t we innovate the way we view food on our table and start producing them on our own or co-producing them with others?


This sounds an ambitious project and many would just laugh about it, but look at the trends now. China is bent on claiming our marine resources. China is displacing our fishermen and wants to keep them off from our waters while at the same time, killing and capturing our marine species such as turtles that are rare and should just be left alone to populate.


If this scenario will persist, what are we left with?
The Filipinos are a country of consumers. We just buy. Just buy. Junk from other countries, imported goods, we seldom patronise our own? Why? Because we feel that ours is of inferior quality, and think that other countries are way, way better than us. Talk about nationalism.

If we produce our own food, we are assured of its quality and freshness. We get to see it grown regularly and we participate in the process. Which is the second best thing to exercise.
Let’s try some crazy idea and see where it goes.

Why don’t we pioneer something amazing like intergrating agriculture in the neighborhood and convert it into agrihoods?

Urban dwellers and the local community can benefit much from it. The fishermen and farmers can benefit much from it too. We can be able to raise healthy children and adults with this strategy.


Agrihoods will build and feed sustainable communities. In schools in the provinces, we see a lot of this. The produce can be turned to delicious and nutritious meals for the students or can be sold to community members who need it.


There is a huge market for organically grown products and the world is starting to frown upon companies that genetically alter or modify the natural state of food. And with Agrihoods in our area, we can actually see, watch, connect and help grow our own food which also translates to ‘you see what you eat and makes you a part of the process of the from farm to table timeline. The Philippines is primarily an agricultural country. But still, we see a seeming disconnect in terms of abundance, our untilled land, shortage of food supply and pricing. Why do we have to buy a P40 kilo of rice when we can have it for P25 all year long? It seems that only the middlemen and corrupt authorities are getting the biggest share of the pie at the expense farmer and our consumers? Why don’t we innovate the way we view food on our table and start producing them on our own or co-producing them with others?


This sounds an ambitious project and many would just laugh about it, but look at the trends now. China is bent on claiming our marine resources. China is displacing our fishermen and wants to keep them off from our waters while at the same time, killing and capturing our marine species such as turtles that are rare and should just be left alone to populate.


If this scenario will persist, what are we left with?
The Filipinos are a country of consumers. We just buy. Just buy. Junk from other countries, imported goods, we seldom patronise our own? Why? Because we feel that ours is of inferior quality, and think that other countries are way, way better than us. Talk about nationalism.

If we produce our own food, we are assured of its quality and freshness. We get to see it grown regularly and we participate in the process. Which is the second best thing to exercise.
Let’s try some crazy idea and see where it goes.


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