Daily Times

In today’s world, our environment and surroundings have become extremely toxic and dangerous for human health. From the food we consume to the air we breathe, no particular substance on the face of the earth can be proved to be created from a natural and pollution free process. Since the industrial revolution and the radical shift from an agriculture economy to an industrial based economy, the food that we consume today is a creation of identically mass-produced goods. The capitalistic structure of the society has affected mindsets to an extreme point and now the main aim of the production of food is to generate money from it, regardless of the effect it has on human health.

The food that is produced for the sake of human beings is majorly polluted because of the land it is grown on. Land areas in Pakistan are severely polluted due to a number of different reasons which includes deforestation and soil erosion, usage of chemicals to keep different insects away, industrialization, human waste and most importantly, nuclear waste. The vegetables and fruits available in the market are grown on such contaminated lands and furthermore, different pesticides and insecticides are also incorporated in our food because of their usage on the land.

These types of different risk factors for human health have created awareness among the educated individuals of the urban lifestyle to grow their own food. The importance of growing our own food is directly associated with the health benefits that it provides.

The simplest form of gaining access to organically grown food is to grow and nurture it yourself in the comfort of your own home. Keeping in mind the ongoing economic conditions globally, growing one’s own food is a convenient and cheap method of improving the nutritional value of consumable goods. Garden grown fruits and vegetables have proven to be extremely fresh and free from different types of pollution. Growing your own food promotes the concept of gardening among the modern generation which is also considered as a great form of exercise, keeping in check, not only the physical well-being but also the emotional one.

Naturally and organically grown food shows direct improvement in an individual’s health because the food that is being consumed is free from harmful chemicals, pesticides and insecticides. Research has proved that the constant consumption of pesticide infected vegetables and fruit has led to the growth of deadly diseases like cancer.

Not only is there a positive impact on human health, but the environment also benefits from less chemical, water and fuel usage because there will be no need for transportation. The decrease in the need for transportation of goods leads to less use of fossil fuels which are harmful to the environment.

There will also be a significant decrease in the amount of food being wasted as individuals will only grow enough food to sustain themselves. With the numerous benefits mentioned above and ongoing environmental conditions, it is not difficult to motivate and divert an entire generation towards this organic way of production and consumption. Diversity in the number of vegetables and fruits being grown in one place gives the advantage to the consumer to be able to choose from a variety.

The basics of growing our own food are dictated solely by the amount of natural resources available to us, i.e., land, irrigation system and soil. It is advisable to start off on a low scale and expand with experience and passage of time. It is not necessary for one to have acres of land and heaps of soil, to begin with. To be able to grow your own food, one has to make sure that the available space does not cramp up the roots of the plant, has access to enough water, soil and sun.

An individual with little information regarding planting and gardening can start from basics like growing different kinds of easy growing vegetables like lettuce, tomatoes, and chard in their backyard in plant pots.

When deciding on what to grow for self-consumption, it is necessary to also have knowledge about the different kinds of minerals and nutrients present in various vegetables and if they can be grown in the particular season. It is necessary to plan beforehand as to what crops can be cultivated according to one’s available space and natural resources. It is important to know that once the seeds have been planted and the growing process starts, the individual needs to devote some time every day to ensure that the plant is growing properly. Following are some of the fruits and vegetables that can be easily grown, with limited space and require little upkeep.

1. Lettuce
2. Spinach
3. Raspberries
4. Tomatoes
5. Onions and green chili
6. Cabbage
7. Ladyfinger
8. Garlic
9. Strawberries
10. Bitter gourd

The benefits of growing our own food are not just restricted to an individual’s health but it expands to society as well. The process of growing one’s own food and going against harmful production process garners a sense of community and strengthens societal relations. Participation of these activities in schools helps the students learn from firsthand experience. It also contributes to the environmental aspect by turning different pieces of land into attractive landscapes.

Analyzing economically, it is less expensive to grow one’s own food and vegetables in their backyard instead of contributing to different industries which are responsible for polluting the food and the environment.

As this process of growing our own food is relatively new and has not garnered much attention and support from today’s generation, it is necessary to raise awareness about it which can be done through different seminars and programs conducted in educational institutes and to target a younger age group to instill the benefits in their understanding.

Individuals today can get their motivation and inspiration from the ongoing examples of people who have established structured farms to break the cycle of mass and harmful production.
Food field is a farm built on an old site of an elementary school in Detroit, Michigan, by Noah Link and Alex Bryan in order to promote the culture of urban farming and to create an alternative lifestyle than the corporate food production system. The farm produces mainly what the nearby residents require ranging from salad greens, mulberries and others as needed.

Sky greens, founded by Jack Ng in Singapore have created a form of urban farming that reduces the energy and land usually required for traditional farming practices. Farming practiced at sky greens allows different vegetables and fruits to be grown at much less water usage. For a country that imports the majority of their food from China, India and others, projects like sky greens pave a successful way to feed the growing population.

The Distributed Urban Farming Initiative (DUFi) in Bryan, Texas has created a culture of transforming vacant property sites into urban farms to not only produce healthy food for the population but also to create awareness and inspire the younger generations to follow in the same footsteps. The main aim of the project is to grow healthy food, create societal relations and support the tourism industry by creating attractive landscapes.

Analyzing the current environmental conditions of the world and health conditions globally, it is safe to say that the culture of growing one’s own food will soon take precedence over participation in the corporate food system.