Views towards Sustainable Development

Overpopulation and inequality in the ownership of the planet's resources are serious problems that generate poverty, which in turn catalyze catastrophic phenomena such as: hunger, malnutrition, chronic diseases, poor education, gender inequality, inhumane housing conditions, and violence. The exponential growth of the human population leaves behind several problems to be solved, and in 2007, the urban population surpassed the rural population for the first time in the history of humanity (Arosemena, 2012), producing consequences like the growing demand of energy, food and human resources, which in turn increase poverty in several vulnerable sectors of planet Earth. According to the World Bank, several countries in Central and South America, Africa, and Asia live with an average of $1.90 per day, (WorldBank, 2016), a fact that is overwhelming for people committed to a better future. Thanks to scientific, technological and human advances (such as: contraceptive methods, advanced medicine, renewable energies, and sustainable agriculture) balanced human policies and technologies for a better way of life have been developed over the last decades. In spite of all this knowledge and tools there are places in all the extension of the planet that do not possess these useful tools and lack know-how to improve their quality of life.

New agreements and innovations can be accomplished in order to break the utopian reality of a world without hunger. In a time like ours, characterized by high points in scientific and artistic evolution, the duty of exterminating extreme poverty and giving tools to vulnerable peoples is already a true option. This should be part of the global and private policies of every corner of the planet to overcome the serious problems that threaten the lives of many people. The ability to reason has been the main tool of the human beings to subsist, survive and stand out their own species and other species. All human capacities are refined and fortified with the privilege of education; that is why there are fractions of the population that group together to take steps in science, which helps humanity to overcome limits and create the conditions for people to have a better lifestyle. Human lives transcend from the capitalist linear perspective of time, where, a person only works for their pleasure and well-being, believing that their time consists only of the interval from birth to death. However, new generations, according to the actions of humanity will be rewarded with a good way of living, or will suffer an irremediably incurable planet. The great vision and bet of these times is to see what kind of human nature will triumph: Is it pleasure and instant comfort or sustainable organization?

There is a sustainable system that is beneficial to the planet and to human beings and that is not directly a synonym of discomfort and sacrifice. It is important to understand that it is possible to live in a comfortable and placid way, with the required health and resources. After assuming that all organisms on Earth are part of a complex system that must work together efficiently, this arrangement can be started on a global basis and eradicate hunger. The real solution to hunger relies on the organization and education of the people. Clearly, attacking the problem by feeding and supplying the vulnerable sectors directly, only provides a momentary solution. On the other hand, stabilizing the population and providing quality education leads to a large scale and long term alternative. It is key to remind that nutrition is one of the basic functions in life; people definitely cannot study, work, or learn when they are hungry or in pain.

Urban planning, collective culture teaching and recovery, sustainable agriculture development, and renewable energies progress are the fundamental pillars for solving the world's famine. Students spend a large percentage of our lives learning in schools, colleges and universities, about the topics that we like, following our dreams and applying all our energy in a creative way (Secretario general, 2016). In order to eradicate hunger, every country’s policy can be changed so that all educational centers receive specialized training and apply a certain amount of time to solve serious problems that threaten the life of the ecosystem that surrounds the educational institution. The main purpose of these workshops should be to involve all people and empower them, while community leaders are encouraged in their own initiatives. Collective values and commons should be respected based on principles of cooperation and solidarity that have allowed the advance of civilizations throughout history. As an specific example, Ecuador, the country where I was born and currently live in, has a large number of schools, colleges, academies, institutes and universities, with a student population that addresses almost 1.5 million students between eighteen and twenty-four years. Youth could certainly create a real change in the food system for the country, by promoting sustainable development.(SNI, 2010). Over and above the demographics, youth force relies on the power of ideas, changing existing habits and proposing new ways of doing things.

Sustainable agriculture is an example of evolution of the processes for food production, so that it is environmentally friendly, satisfies the demand and nutritional needs of the people (Muñoz Borges, Cruz La Paz, & Leyva Galán, 2014). The principles of this type of agriculture are: to improve the efficiency of resource use; to carry out direct activities to conserve, protect and improve natural resources; to assume that agriculture that does not protect and improve rural livelihoods in equity and social well-being is unsustainable; to strengthen the resilience of people, communities and ecosystems; and to know that sustainability of food and agriculture needs responsible and effective governance mechanisms (FAO, 2016). Therefore, similar as the universal right to literacy as a duty of educational private entities for the community, there should be created public green spaces such as: terraces, gardens, greenhouses and orchards. This would promote a healthy diet, a direct relationship with the elements of the Earth, and demonstrate that people can actually find an alternative to the need of big supermarkets. In turn, there are several economic consequences: decentralization of trade, conditions for new jobs, and promotion/regulation of a more independent fair trade. As a classmate once told me, "my grandmother has a small yard in the back of her house, we usually work the ground a few hours a week to eat roasted corn, take tomato juice, and cook potatoes when the season arrives”. Large supermarkets have monopolized the food trade, inducing a middle and rich social class to the pleasures of comfort. It is no longer “comfortable enough” to buy vegetables with their leaves in an agricultural market, since it is supposedly easier to buy vegetables already leafless, ironically at a higher price and in less quantity. The industrialized cattle industry has magnitudes of colossal environmental devastation, as it increases the unemployment rate in the traditional livestock sector, producing collateral effects that lead to poverty. The dependency inherited and accepted by the ideas of comfort promoted by Capitalism are destroying the planet, raising poverty and hunger.

The strategic plan for more vulnerable populations should be categorized into different priority groups. Progressively, over a number of seasons of planting and harvesting, people are involved and motivated to participate in their own nutrition. As Benjamin Franklin used to say, "Tell me something, and I will forget it; teach me something and I will remember it; get me involved and I will learn it". Experts in agriculture, energy engineers, health care professionals and students, the actions described throughout this essay could be accomplished in order to to stabilize ecosystems, and work with different communities to engage them in their own sustainable food production. The group most vulnerable to malnutrition is usually composed of women, elder people and children, so they should be treated immediately with medical attention, deworming, vitamin intake and nutrition care until their health is stabilized. The relatively stable group must be taken care of so that they are able to learn in courses or seminars the basic principles of agriculture, renewable energies, collective sustainability, and infuse current and future leaders with the principles of humanity, respect and collective work, which are foundations of sustainable development. The strong group has to be treated medically in the same way, and must work on physical projects such as gardens, orchards, crop terraces, greenhouses, irrigation systems, in order to prepare the land. They will be the first teachers in a chain of continuous processes, in which every group must participate. For this purpose, it is imperative to involve the population in problem solving and sustainable development search. (ONU, 2016)

Bibliography

Arosemena, G. (2012). Agricultura urbana: espacios de cultivo para una cuidad sostenible. Barcelona: ES: Editorial Gustavo Gili.

FAO. (29 de 12 de 2016). http://www.fao.org/. Obtenido de http://www.fao.org/sustainability/es/

Muñoz Borges, E. V., Cruz La Paz, O., & Leyva Galán, A. (2014). Gestion del conocimiento de agroecología y extensión para acompañar al segmento rural en el desarrollo sostenible. La Habana: CU: Editorial Universitaria.

ONU. (29 de 12 de 2016). http://www.un.org/. Obtenido de Sustainable Development Goals: http://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/

Secretario general, p. l. (12 de 08 de 2016). http://www.un.org. Obtenido de http://www.un.org/youthenvoy/es/2016/08/um-llamamiento-para-empoderar-los-j-jovenes/

SNI. (01 de 01 de 2010). http://app.sni.gob.ec/web/menu. Obtenido de http://indestadistica.sni.gob.ec/QvAJAXZfc/opendoc.htm?document=SNI.qvw&host=QVS@kukuri&anonymous=truehttp://indestadistica.sni.gob.ec/QvAJAXZfc/opendoc.htm?document=SNI.qvw&host=QVS@kukuri&anonymous=true&bookmark=Document/BM37

WorldBank. (26 de Diciembre de 2016). www.worldbank.org. Obtenido de http://povertydata.worldbank.org/poverty/home/