Over the past several years it has become increasingly evident that our current methods of sustaining humanity cannot last. As resources become scarce, the weather becomes more erratic, and citizens become more concerned, a system of security must be implemented. The food system is an important focal point when considering resilience and longevity of a community, however, it is equally as important to understand that successful food systems studied from the past are the result of cultures that respect the land that provides sustenance. In order to establish a food safety net for any community, the members must first begin to establish a new culture that respects and understands the natural systems that provide subsistence for their community.
Currently, there are very little social repercussions for poor treatment of the environment, especially regarding larger companies that disrupt land and other people’s livelihoods. There is not a system in place that reprimands such actions, and no outlet for the people who are affected to demand justice. The frequency and enormity of ecological disrespect has led to a diffusion of responsibility, in which no one person or group can be held accountable. Even the local food movement, which is compromised of farmers and patrons, tends to harbor a lack of responsibility for the private landowners and the people who depend on them.
The essay Resilience in Pre-contact Pacific Northwest Social Ecological Systems written by Ronald Trosper outlines the culture surrounding private property and sustenance in the indigenous peoples of the North West coast, summed up as the Potlatch System. Trosper reveals the central theme of the Potlatch System, stating that “the leadership position of titleholders was contingent upon good stewardship of the land and upon the ability to give away a surplus generated from the land” (Trosper 4). The key to establishing a safety net for a community that would not only catch us when we fall, but provide a future that can be sustained, is by creating a culture that harnesses the idea of private property to hold people accountable for providing for their community. That being said, it is equally as important for the community members to respect and provide for the land owner.
This sort of system, although it may appear far-fetched, is entirely applicable to modern society and a monetary or economic system. The current economic system is not viable, but can be undermined by a system of rewarded volunteers and local currency. Under these circumstances, land owners (under current circumstances that means farmers) will be rewarded for good stewardship of their land through the purchase of their food and attainment of local money, which can be used to buy goods and services from other community members. They will be assisted by community members who volunteer, in efforts to receive food and understand the land that provides it. The goal of this system is to hold both farmers and citizens accountable for treating the land with respect, and to foster a greater connection between people and the natural world. With a system such as this, people who have traditionally been oppressed can have the opportunity to practice their cultural farming and food gathering techniques and share those with others who have an interest in deepening their understanding of food and land as something to be respected. As a final thought, reconditioning ourselves to have respect for the land would also lead to a shift in our patterns of consumption. If a system such as the one that has been proposed is implemented before the current system fails, a community could catch itself, and thus be reborn into a new life of prosperity, based in the ruins of an unsustainable system.
Works Cited