Holistic Solutions

A think tank established for the creation of “closed, holistic systems.”

A Unit of Binding Principles at the United Nations: ‘Protecting the World’s Farmers’

by Yasha Husain, Director, Holistic Solutions Think Tank, www.closedholisticsystems.com

May 4, 2013, updated May 21, 2013

A unit at the United Nations that creates binding, but guiding, principles, termed, “Protecting the World’s Farmers,” could, in a sophisticated way, help bring about an end to all unsustainable farming practices, while simultaneously helping farmers shift toward only holistic farming, that is timeless, and relies on traditional and newly innovated modern enhancements, for farming traditions.

In light of a development of this kind, one may first joyfully contemplate, there are numerous well-accepted and traditional ways to work with the soil and grow crops, and to raise livestock (preferrably for increasingly vegetarian diets, which utilize dairy products), sustainably, which are organic and don't in any way go against the grain of nature, but support our true needs in providing for our diets and the total protection of our environments.

As is true for every science, the wisdom of farming evolves from the universals, or “timeless” wisdom, and remains timeless, or continually adheres to the universals.

But again, enhancements, like farming equipment, such as energy-efficient tractors, and solar energy producers for watering or feeding, and drip irrigation, may continually serve an added utility.

Key components of holistic farming might include:

-No-till practices (or minimal handling of soil, so it is less arid)

-Rotating livestock on grass fields from which it also feeds

-In place of leaning on monocrops, the growing of diverse plantlife on fields and urban or rural gardens (Alan Chadwick's Parisian-style garden)

-In place of a narrow focus on high yields, with the use of synthetic agents, focus might better be on high nutrient content of soil and food, and all natural growing methods, and durability of a farm's life and its community supports

-There would arguably be no continual need for bioengineering that alters natural life, that differs from natural evolution, in light of a worldwide, nation to nation, region to region, locality to locality, holistic farming approach, with inherent independence, and mutual education opportunities and information sharing, that utilizes the wisdom of binding, but guiding, principles, to ensure healthy farmland, and protect the livelihoods and quality of life of farmers (The Holistic Solutions Think Tank panel of the HSTT Reconstruction Department plan or schematic offers merely guiding principles the governance and people give feedback for and to and have flexibility to follow, the common sense, highly utilitarian advice. The comprehensive holistic panel of experts offers something akin to a core curriculum for managing the global warming and financial crises of the 21st century)

-Barns becoming ergonomic for cows and farm animals. For example, the use of earthen (Superadobe, too) or ceramic floors might replace steel and concrete floors, and potentially be more environmentally aware. Barns may in the future contain open space in which livestock can roam around freely with fellow animals. Also, barns might be improved by sustainability models that are made to be long-lasting, or built to outlast local weather conditions, and with naturally filtered air

-Drip-irrigation and other conservative water use and supply (Gene Logsdon's All Flesh is Grass contains ideas of redistributing water from natural water gathering spaces of a farmland)

-Promoting the community and independent farms, or the local (including larger-scale, but holistic) farms, equally; the farms potentially, by choice, being expanded to Community Supported Agriculture businesses, or the like, that combined with the independent farm outlook, and ideas of corporate governance and holistic business development, evolve to minimalist local, regional, national and international distribution (similar to the Energy Plan proposed by the Holistic Solutions Think Tank, international and national distribution would afford for back-up of a minimalist grid in light of any unavoidable and impending food shortages in a distributed energy plan)

-Affordable, and minimalist, and equitable, equipment expenses, across the board, based on holistic farming traditions and innovations

As a reflection of Jan Smuts' 1918 League of Nations proposal, we can promote holistic farming by empowering an international unit, within the United Nations, with the responsibility to procure sanctity and justice for farmers.

The unit should perceive its work to be preventative and proactive at the same time.

In the case of one of the highest selling herbicides, atrazine, for example, atrazine becomes, or is, not aligned with the precautionary principle according to European standards, while there are alternative methods, holistic farming, and safe, alternative herbicides, to its continued use. Yet, it's remained for years after a ban in Europe a synthetic farming application around the world, and on fields which produce runoff for streams and rivers, and that neighbor organic farm producers.

There might instead be an international unit at the UN, as proscribed here, to support the EU position internationally, since it arguably received the highest acclaim and in light of it being both preventative and proactive, or that it just made the most sense, and this is based on my work with the American scientist, Tyrone Hayes, who, importantly, studied atrazine toxicity in America and Africa, and for the world at large.



January 2014, Holistic Farming, Notes:

Farming regions / areas - their major contributions - or themes of regions - all eventually overlapping and lending to one another:

 

India - a strong tradition of saving seeds, and using and reusing seeds, contributing to the overall sustainability of ancient traditions

 

America - Author and farmer, Gene Logsdon, writes about the ease and pleasure of farming traditions, pasture farming, in particular, in his book, All Flesh is Grass; the wisdom contained in the book can be transfered to other kinds of farming

 

French-American - Alan Chadwick's history and urban garden model at the University of California, Santa Cruz, are superb teaching tools for rural and urban farming on a small-scale and for self-sustainability

 

South America - the traditions here are akin to SciTech, or they could be seen as containing inherent "SciTech" expertise, referring also to management of soil or use of no-till, the technical handling of soil that's ancient; the region also specializes in the selling of products like cocoa beans, and sought-after herbs or spices, like cilantro and cumin, and carbohydrates, including quinoa and avocado (this is similarly done by India and Thailand, in particular, and the Asian region more generally, and parts of Africa, the tropics and subtropics are rich in fruits, herbs and spices, and sweet carbs (think Tamarind and sugar!) It's nonetheless questionable to what extent oranges, coffee or cocoa beans, etc., can be grown in more northern or southern parts of the world, if it is at all possible, in greenhouses, to maintain the high quality and density of these food sources. Is there any environmental benefit without reducing quality of a food source and or diet. (I would refer to medicinal nutritionists like Dr. Scott Gerson, who travels to India to buy spices twice yearly, and has simultaneously begun growing certain herbs in upstate NY, for possible medicinal remedies and dietary needs, both.)

 

Russian Steppes, China and Africa - conservation of open and community-owned farmlands, surrounding cities, and in the steppes/plains, for grain farming, and or fruits and vegetables, in reference to the protection of long perservering landowners in regions, this advice surfacing from newscasts of the last decade, and even recommended by African-Americans living or working here in America

 

Thailand and parts of SE Asia - selling foods based on an agrarian, but water-rich climate

 

Inuit, Greenland - study the need and unique utilitarian uses of a meat diet, versus more vegetarian diets, at the most northerly and southern communities of the world

 

Sheep farming in the United States, Ireland and the Middle East - good examples of the burgeoning of small-scale farms

 

Tom Porter's Mohawk Community's barn - inspires ergonomics of barns used for farming for animals: perhaps clay or earthen floors, and perhaps walls, too - this could possibly be in place of steel, or concrete, which may be hard on joints and animal's overall well-being; a smaller proportion of time clocked in use of stalls, more open space for cows, and perhaps for horses, too (further research and studies needed, since these ideas are simply based on personal observations)










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