UN Report Says Small-Scale Organic Farming Only Way To Feed The World

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“Wake up before it’s too late.” Small farms are the only way to feed the world. “The time is now to switch back to our natural farming roots.” These are dire warnings from the U.N. in a 2013 report. Monocrops and GMOs are not the only answer and are not enough to feed the world.

There must also be a supplemental food source to feed the planet. That food source is small farms. We have to grow our own food. This is something that farmers, ranchers, and homesteaders have known since the beginning of modern agriculture.

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We are just now realizing that the agricultural model of monocrops and genetically modified, factory-farmed food is not the end-all answer to world food shortages. These methods are not sustainable and are actually detrimental to our health. 

“Even as the United States government continues to push for the use of more chemically-intensive and corporate-dominated farming methods such as GMOs and monoculture-based crops, the United Nations is once against sounding the alarm about the urgent need to return to (and develop) a more sustainable, natural and organic system.

That was the key point of a new publication from the UN Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) titled“Trade and Environment Review 2013: Wake Up Before It’s Too Late,” which included contributions from more than 60 experts around the world.” ~HuffPost

Grow your own food

Growing your own food is the answer to the food problem for your own family, and possibly for your community. Small-scale farms have the potential to provide a much-needed food resource for millions more people all over the world.

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As people around the world realize that the current food system is inadequate for our growing population, there’s no need to panic. Many people have the capacity to grow their own food to supplant their requirements, and there is plenty of available space in most neighborhoods and on small urban lots for community gardens and farms.

In recent times, Victory Gardens have made a big comeback as people realize the impact a global disaster can have on the food system. Before this year, most of us could not have imagined we’d see empty grocery shelves in our lifetime.

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Growing your own food doesn’t require a huge plot of land and expensive equipment. You can grow fruits, vegetables, and herbs in your yard, in containers on a balcony, on rooftops, and in window boxes. You can even use sprouting jars to have an endless supply of nutritious food right on your countertop. 

Buy local

If you absolutely can’t grow your own food, support your local small growers by buying directly from them. Visit your local farmer’s markets and health food stores and you’ll likely find a nice selection of locally-grown produce, meat, and eggs. 

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Publicly accessible food forests, community gardens, small-scale farms, urban farming, and vertical farming combined are more than enough to feed the world. We just need to make the transition. 

Read the full UN report here.