"I love that you've brought this to attention. An extensive database of uncommon but resistant and hardy plants/foods could be developed and organized by climate. Ease of growth and processing should also be taken in to account. I will try to…"
A crash course in changing the world.
Copying the internet
New Note: I´m updating this blog based on the input of all Agents.
Copying the internet
How can we make food and water available for everyone in this planet?
This is how: Building a Global Network of Community Urban Farms using the internet as a model.
The internet is a Distributed Network. This means it´s a network with far more resilience than our
centralized networks.
You can see centralized networks in the way we currently distribute water, food, energy among other things.
This centralized networks are very vulnerable to any kind of disaster. For example:
This images simulates what would happen in case of a nuclear attack.
If in a centralized network the main node doesn´t work like let´s say a hydroelectric plant or a
water treatment facility then the entire network collapses.
We have seen this happen in the Evoke Missions. Food, energy, water and even banks
are all centralized systems, when the main node collapses, the entire network collapses.
More about it here http://www.urgentevoke.com/profiles/blogs/food-energy-water-patterns
Think different
The internet is different because it´s a Distributed Network ("Red Distribuida" in the diagram). If a section is not
working due to an emergency the rest of the network is still working and can help to reconstruct the damaged
node. A Community Urban Farms is a node inside a larger Global Network of Community Urban Farms
Now it´s time to build a Global Network of Community Urban Farms that will bring Water Food
and Energy FOR EVERYONE IN THIS PLANET.
We can start with the biggest cities in the World.
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/TECH/04/08/urban.planet.megacities/inde...
This cities have a great cultural influence over their own countries, their regions and the World. With only 14 farms we can impact a little bit more than 9% of the World Population. Other culturally can be included too. In the long term the plan is to have a Community Urban Farm on every block in every City in the World. It may take decades, but we can do it all through incremental steps.
At the beginning this Global Network of Community Urban Farms will resemble more a decentralized network, but with more farms it will eventually will resemble a Distributed Network.
Health and Education
To a certain degree Health and Education can also be part of this Global Network of Community Urban Farms, especially in places where Health and Education infrastructure is not enough. The health can focus on preventive medicine and first aid. Education should also be part of the project. Teaching science with what is grown and built in this Global Network of Community Urban Farms is a unique opportunity to make science fun and real. The Arts and sports can become part of the community live. A place for old and young to learn from each other and create community a global community that feels local.
Empowering Woman
Watch this video: http://www.girleffect.org/ It´s clear to me that if Women are the Facilitators of this Community Urban Farms they will do a far better job than we men do. It´s not about reverse discrimination it´s science proving they are better Community Builders.
Questions
I have some questions for you:
Could we integrate other projects and combine it with this System of Distributed Networks? What about Human Rights? Money or any substitute of it? Any ideas? I´ve seen some great ideas in Evoke and I would love to incorporate them and mix them . . . share with us your ideas!!!
The name Global Network of Community Urban Farms is descriptive but too long maybe? I am thinking
GLOCAL FARMS or GLOCAL URBAN FARMS sounds better . . . Can you think of a cool name?
How can we integrate play into it? If we are gonna change the World it should be a Fun World.
Agent Patricio.
* "The pioneering research of Paul Baran in the 1960s, who envisioned a communications network that would survive a major enemy attacked. The sketch shows three different network topologies described in his RAND Memorandum, "On Distributed Communications: 1. Introduction to Distributed Communications Network"(August 1964). The distributed network structure offered the best survivability. "On Distributed Communications: 1. Introduction to Distributed Comm... " From:Ahttp://personalpages.manchester.ac.uk/staff/m.dodge/cybergeography/...ugust 1964). The distributed network structure offered the best survivability.
Views: 1220
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Comment by Turil Cronburg on April 24, 2010 at 2:37am
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...in which case, a distributed network is clearly ideal! :-)
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Comment by Patricio Buenrostro-Gilhuys on April 24, 2010 at 4:10am
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Exactly Turil!!!
Now please more comments on what could go wrong. More black swans please.
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I'd say that the primary thing that could go wrong is conflict. Which is why I'd suggest including some kind of guideline to mediate conflict using participatory win-win negotiations with trained mediators, right from the start of your project. Also include a very clear statement of purpose, so that when there is conflict, or even just confusion, people will have a grounding idea to help give them a direction to work towards.
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Comment by Dean Ross on April 24, 2010 at 5:09pm
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While I like this idea in theory the implementation seems complex to say the least. Creating a distributed network for food would not just involve the Farmers but almost every aspect of civilization (Shipping, financial, governments, and even education as examples). Restructuring and organization is a huge undertaking and does not guarantee a failsafe solution (Although in my opinion a much better one). I am also concerned that certain things like actual viability of crop production has not been taken into consideration. Not every corner has land that is adequate for the production of food, for example. Also crops have to be rotated and certain fields must remain crop free for proper replenishing of needed nutrients in the soil. This system also does not seem to take into account that certain crops can only be grown effectively in certain climates. Many variables such as acidic, clay, mineral content of the soil have to be analyzed for each location, The more locations the more work involved and the more administrative support Farmers would need. This seems to create an atmosphere where there will be plenty of food, but many people would no longer be able to afford it.
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Comment by Julio Cesar Corona Ortega on April 24, 2010 at 5:29pm
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I do agree this has some very strong logistical problems, and that is why I suggested an "online community" type of organization in conjunction with Ursula Kochanowski's project. That should make some micro networks that can self regulate and organize themselves.
Of course a decentralized farming network is not failsafe and is prone to a wh*** new host of problems, but somehow it feels more efficient and resilient than our current methods.
Growing crops in different areas is indeed a very important concern, however.
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@ Everyone: It took me a long time to respond because I fractured my right arm but I´m back!!!
@ Turil: Yes I agree. If something can fail it will not be a technical mistake but how we all interact with each other. Great ideas!!!
@ Dean and Julio Cesar: It will be complex I agree. Ursula has some very realistic solutions. I am thinking reditribution of surplus in local terms. This shoul make it easier and more eficient.
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Patricio, it sounds like you must have had a real adventure! I wish you well in healing.
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Solutions should be simple
Solutions should not be counter culture
If you have a bike ... think what you can build with the bike, don't make plans for jetliners.
Most of our farms are in 3rd world countries where labor is cheaper. We need to change world view on Farmers and learn to treat them with dignity and respect.
I also think almost everyone here has turned a blind eye to the reality that soil composition and climate, determine what is grown and where it is grown ... We are left with very little actual choice when these things are considered.
Making the food system complex will make it expensive, taking it out of the hands of the people we are trying to help.
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@ Dean: This idea is an evolving process. It might look complicated now but the bottom line is simple: Grow as much food locally as possible and if there is some extra, share it.
Local knowledge and local context are some of the primary tools of this project.
This system is planned to achieve food security and resilience. A consequence of this will be cheaper food.
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