Building sustainability

As we slowly move forward into the latter part of the year, it’s time we get down to brass tacks and figure out the best way forward. Things may have felt like they were on hold because we were waiting for something to pass. First, it was the pandemic, and then it was the elections after that. Significant decisions were often put on hold while we awaited an outcome.

Now that the elections are finished and the pandemic is hopefully ebbing into an endemic, we need to look forward and figure out what we will do next. I wrote about inflation in my previous column because that will be one of the most significant issues moving forward and we have to find ways to mitigate the impact it will have on all of us.

At this point, the only way forward is to build a more sustainable future for all. Sustainability is a buzzword amongst several countries and multinational companies because it has become the defining goal. We can no longer just look towards the next few months, instead we must look farther ahead. The only way we can survive is if we future-proof our plans. Life is more like chess than checkers, and we have to play wisely if we want to win.

By definition, sustainability means creating a world where everyone can take what they need and leave enough for everyone else. It means building systems and programs that account for everyone, not just the elite or the wealthy. It means changing how we look at natural resources and being more mindful of how we consume them. Essentially it means saving for tomorrow while still being able to enjoy today.

While it seems easy enough, achieving sustainability remains a lofty goal because, historically, those with more don’t want to share. They just want to accumulate more. Science has proven that, for the most part, there are enough resources available for everyone if they are distributed evenly. However, even distribution of resources and wealth has never been the case. Is it still possible to change that now? We have to try. It’s the 11th hour and we have to think ahead.

After all, these past two years have taught us that what impacts one of us will most likely impact everyone. Despite wealth or power, no one was able to avoid the effect of the global health crisis entirely. If things don’t change and we don’t become better stewards of the planet, things like viruses, unexplained weather phenomena, and more will keep on happening. We have to rethink how we live if we want the outcome to improve.

An important focal point of sustainability is an impending food crisis. We hear about it already in places like Africa or India, and we may think this does not impact us, but it will. We thought that the war between Russia and Ukraine wouldn’t affect us because it was so far away, unfortunately, the entire world is feeling the impact now. The same will be true for food and other essential goods unless we figure out how to improve the supply chain, distribute food evenly and efficiently, and improve food waste and our mentality.

At present, there are things that threaten the food supply even in the country. We need to create a better system that helps farmers and makes their jobs easier. We’re losing so many second and third-generation farmworkers to office jobs because their families can’t make ends meet on the farm. With more and more potential farmers leaving the farms, fewer and fewer are left to farm and plant food. While the impact of this is slow, it will build over time.

More immediate threats include scarcity brought about by the current state of the world. Ukraine, Russia, and now India have stopped the export of wheat, which means products like flour will be more challenging to come by in the coming year. People are looking for local alternatives, but we’ll undoubtedly notice soon.

Rice is another issue. Everyone is waiting for rice prices to go down, and while that’s understandable, there are also other ways people can help in terms of rice supply. If we watch our consumption and only take what we need, there won’t be scarcity for others. Scarcity drives costs up, and hoarding isn’t going to help in the long run, it will only make everything more expensive and harder to get.

While we wait to see what the government plans are for subsidized rice prices, we have to make our contribution. Even with the subsidy, the government has to make sure to pay the farmers what they are owed. The worst-case scenario for addressing the rice shortage is to import from neighboring countries. This should be an absolute last resort because it will kill the local farmers.

We also have to be more mindful of how our consumption impacts the environment. It’s said often, but it matters every single time. How we live will determine the future of our world and how we leave our children. Now that we’re all getting back and going back to the office, traffic is building up again, which means more pollution and a larger carbon footprint. Any improvements we may have made during the pandemic in terms of carbon footprint will be wiped out, and we’ll continue to go from bad to worse if we don’t stop and take stock now.

At this point, we all have a responsibility to build a sustainable future not just for ourselves, but also for future generations. Whether it’s something as simple as eliminating single-use plastics to more complex ones like changing the way we consume food and necessities, we can make a difference if we all commit together. Let’s not wait until it’s too late.