Multitudes of the country people, unwilling to become coloni (tenant farmers), forsook their fields and turned to the city for relief. Many did this because neglect of fertilization and long-continued cultivation had exhausted their land and it would no longer produce crops. Great stretches of unworked and weed-grown fields were no uncommon sight. As a result the amount of land under cultivation continually decreased, and the ancient world was no longer raising enough food to feed itself properly. The scarcity was felt most severely in the great centers of population like Rome, where prices had rapidly gone up. Our own generation, afflicted in the same way, is not the first to complain of the “high cost of living.”
From the book, “The Conquest of Civilization” by James H. Breasted, published 1926
This passage from James H. Breasted’s “The Conquest of Civilization” strikingly parallels the challenges faced by the United States in 2024, offering a timeless lesson on the importance of sustainable agriculture and food security. Just as ancient farmers abandoned their depleted lands for urban areas, today, many rural Americans are moving to cities in search of better opportunities, leaving behind struggling agricultural communities.
This migration exacerbates our current food security issues. Unsustainable farming practices and soil degradation are reducing the productivity of American farmlands, leading to a decrease in the amount of land under cultivation. As a result, we are facing higher food prices, particularly in urban centers where demand is high and supply is increasingly strained.
For those invested in creating food security, this historical reflection is a call to action perfectly aligned with the tenets of the Shaome Cooperative: learning, growing, and sharing. The ancient struggle with food scarcity and high living costs teaches us that sustainable solutions are imperative. Shaome Cooperative advocates for the creation of “food forests,” which, once established, continue to produce food without requiring maintenance. This approach not only ensures long-term food production but also fosters environmental resilience.
By teaching everyone who will listen about growing food, we aim to revive this essential, yet often lost, skill. Education is key to our sustainability, empowering individuals and communities to take control of their food sources. Sharing our knowledge is as crucial as sharing our harvests. Through these acts of learning, growing, and sharing, we can ensure that future generations have the skills and resources needed to produce their own food, securing a sustainable and bountiful future for all.
