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Comment by brigandish

3 days ago

Japan is not a model to follow.

Been doing it the same way for centuries so, care to elaborate on what's wrong with how they farm?

Also, just because their setup isn't optimal, doesn't mean it's the cause for some ecological crisis like you seem to be implying. I live in Japan, I watch people farm every year, there is very little going on that makes me suspect there is some wide-spread ecological damage being done by people who want to grow massive pumpkins, even though, people do grow massive pumpkins.

You telling everyone that gardening is bad for the environment is interesting because I absolutely cannot imagine what is worse for the environment than the industrial scale monocrop style farming that goes on most developed countries. Like, holy shit...

  • People need to eat and industrial scale farming is what enables us to make enough, affordable food.

    It has plenty downsides. But it’s a brilliant and truly efficient system that is being perfected by thousands of scientists and it has prevented hunger and chaos for decades now.

    If you want to see real change, people would need to have way more time, be less lazy, have more money and be less demanding when it comes to variety and availability.

    In other words, it’s easier to keep perfecting the system we have because it’s easier to change procedures than it is to change people.

    • "enough, affordable food" makes me think of all the food waste we have. I do not think that food scarcity is an issue.

    • Didn't say we can do away with Industrial scale farming, just that I live in a part of Japan where people grow so much of their own food, they struggle to give it away by the end of the summer. So yeah, didn't mean to imply industrial scale farming is "naughty", just that Japan is notorious for smaller farming operations and I've seen a lot of food grown successfully here at small or micro scale. I think a healthy mix of both things is important.

      Look at Australia, basically no one grows any food and they're completely at the mercy of insanely inflated food prices dictated by corporations like Woolworths. At least in rural parts of Japan, a lot of people can lower their grocery costs with supplemental, home grown food. I actually have notice a bit of a rebellious culture amongst farmers here. It's interesting but for a different topic I guess.

  • > Been doing it the same way for centuries so, care to elaborate on what's wrong with how they farm?

    You're talking about the same Japan that's had rice shortages for like two years now, right?

    • The rice shortages were not because of poor farming practices, this is basic knowledge now: https://eastasiaforum.org/2024/10/18/japans-rice-crisis-show.... Yes the weather was bad in 2023 for farming rice, but it could be bad anywhere in the world. Australia does plenty of industrial scal farming and there are years were certain crops are decimated.

      Anyway the government dipped into the stockpiles and all is good now.

  • > You telling everyone that gardening is bad for the environment

    Quote me on that, I think you'll have a hard time finding that quote because you've pulled it out of nowhere.

    Now reread your comment and wonder what else is connected to my comment, because I'm wondering too - did you mean to reply to someone else?

    • Commercial farm infrastructure is far more resilient and lasts longer while consumer gardening gear is cheap and disposable. Consumer gardening gear manufacturers factories burn tons of resources to crank out tons of low quality kit, consumers burn through piles of it. That's not sustainable either.

      You seem to be implying that people gardening are doing a disservice to the environment because we're buying disposable gardening tools (not true). I've had plenty of gardening tools for decades, I even use tools handed down from previous generations. I bet tractor tires aren't great for the environment either?

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