Live and Learn 7to cope with harsh environments. Out of necessity, they have made do
with very little.
But when others undercut their only means of livelihood, many
ultimately migrate to urban areas, only to find themselves dependent
on their country’s ability to navigate the world of high-stakes trade,
diplomacy, and international finance. If they cannot find jobs and secure
food, some inevitably join uprisings or emigrate to other countries.
Such was the case in one country that had little annual rainfall
but whose leaders foresaw prosperity in modern crop production and
international exports. They poured money into extracting underground
water and diverting rivers to grow water-intensive crops. As the amount
of available water grew, so did the mismanagement and corruption.
Water usage soon exceeded historic levels. When a severe drought
settled over the region, water supplies were severely depleted.
Four years of unrelenting drought, falling food production, and
escalating uncertainty triggered rural migration to urban areas, already
under stress from a million-plus refugees fleeing war-torn Iraq. The
country was Syria. The history of its brutal war includes actions and
consequences not covered on the evening news. Behind the uprising
and killing is a story of food prices that spiked in international markets,
exploitation of scarce resources, indifference to the world’s subsistence
farmers, and misguided confidence in intensive agriculture.
The need for more food that can only come from perpetuating the
existing modern food system is more myth than reality, which like
most myths, needs good iconography. Pictures plastered on semi-truck
trailers, ads on television, and product placements in social media and
retail outlets would have consumers believe that their food came from a
small family farm just down the road. Why such an approach? Farmers
sell food—a food system, not so much.
Crafting a narrative around the family farm benefits the entire
modern food system. On the outside of a paper bag that came from a
quick-serve restaurant chain is a barn with a gambrel roof, typical of
farms from an earlier era. In large bold letters the inscription declares,
“Thank You, Farmers” and “Family Farm Fresh.” The accompany-