I heard a really great quote in class today, and wanted to share. It’s really thought-provoking and makes you realize what you take for granted each and every day. For one, I am constantly stressing about assignments and assessments for class, being on time for a club meeting, or freaking out about how much I’ve committed to for the upcoming week. But I take simple, necessary things for granted. I have a car and am able to afford gas (in my case E-85) to drive to campus every day. I have plenty to eat. I have an apartment to live in. I have clothes (some people would argue too many because I love to shop). I have internet access. I have a pretty nice computer and lots of gadgets that I don’t really need, but enjoy using. I’ll finish college and not have any student debt. I have access to heat in the winter and air conditioning in the summer. The list goes on and on.
But how does this have anything to do with agriculture? In the United States, agriculture is doing pretty darn well right now. We can feed our population with enough left over to sell to other countries. We are food secure here in the United States, but other countries aren’t so lucky. With that, here is the quote:
“A person with bread has many problems. A person with no bread has one problem.”
To me, this emphasizes the big picture of agriculture. Agriculture is the cultivation of food to sustain us. We are able to explore new techniques of improving food production and can even explore non-food uses for agricultural products, but only because we are food secure. Most Americans don’t have to worry where their next meal is coming from. We may argue about all of the things happening in agriculture right now (GMOs: good or bad, conventional vs. organic production, etc.), but we are forgetting that agriculture is very successful here in the United States and is serving its purpose. We are able to make a decision of how to grow our food because we have an overabundance of food.
The same goes for our everyday problems. Maybe you are frustrated with an assignment you were given at work. If it weren’t for today’s agricultural success, you may not even be working that job. Instead you would be farming and hoping for good weather and a good crop so that you could feed your family this year. But because of today’s technology, one farmer is able to farm more land than his forefathers, which enables the remaining 98% of the American population who don’t farm to pursue other career paths. Because of agriculture, we are given the opportunity to have our own problems.
I’m interested in hearing what this quote means to you. Comment below if you wish to share. Here it is again: “A person with bread has many problems. A person with no bread has one problem.”
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