4 ms·
how can the food supply NOT collapse in the next ten years? I don't think anyone will like this answer but you asked and I think it's an interesting set of pro
by LinuxBender 3y ago
how can the food supply NOT collapse in the next ten years?
I don't think anyone will like this answer but you asked and I think it's an interesting set of problems to tackle.
Assuming all else remains the same or worsens, countries could start mass freeze drying everything they have as just one of the steps required to break free from the just-in-time food delivery from massive mono-crops and massive farms full of unhappy animals. It costs a lot, takes a lot of time and power but food that costs 8x more is better than no food or food that inflation drives to 400x the current price especially if food trade routes are cut off and grains start rotting in silos. This could also be crowd sourced much like solar power in that every circle of friends could chip in to buy a couple freeze dryers and a bunch of water storage tanks and containers. Probably not everyone but a number of people could also start building greenhouses and people with enough land could start raising animals to break their families dependency on the just-in-time logistics networks for food shipment. This would include collecting and freezing heirloom seeds. Some communities may be able to share some land to contribute as a collective to fields, greenhouses and animals but this will not work everywhere. People could sell their excess resources at the local farmers market or just trade/barter within small communities and small regional community forums.
There are videos online for how to build greenhouses, manage natural forms of heating and cooling, building raised plant beds, irrigation, recycling water through hydroponics, grow lights, using compost to create heat, etc... Water storage should also be researched by everyone. It's not as simple as throw it in a large tank. There are techniques to keep the water drinkable for long periods of time. Some groups of people already do all these things such as the LDS church and emergency preparedness groups.
It would take a significant number of people doing all or most of these things to make a dent in the problems but I could envision government incentive programs and tax rebates assuming lobbyists stay out of the way. With time each state and region that can support growing their own food sources may need to transition away from global trade looking to regional neighbors for help instead.