At this stage of the human body evolution, if one is not a breatharian living off “prana,” consuming nutritious, healthy food is still the only way to keep the body growing strong and healthy. Today, research shows a widespread realization that industrial agriculture raises doubts about the food production safety with the “cons” outweighing the “pros” of this modernization project.
Throughout human history, the indigenous people from all over the world, as well as thousands of ethnic groups of the African continent, are known as the inheritors of distinctive cultures that live to thrive according to traditional laws. Their innate knowledge that was passed on by ancestors communicates ways of living in harmony with their surroundings with the fundamental truth that everything in Nature interacts and interconnects to ensure harmony and balance to all humans and all living things in Earth’s web of life… this Principle, this unifying force, is key to existence. The United Nations Development Program research shows that where indigenous groups have control of the lands and forests, biodiversity flourishes.
Hippocrates, the most celebrated physician of his time, eradicated the superstition that disease is a punishment inflicted by the Gods by proving that the body can become ill due to environmental factors, diet, and living habits. He based his medical practice on the study of the human body and the power of food to heal and became widely known as the father of medicine. His belief that the body must be treated as a whole and not just an assemblage of parts suggests that the principle of holism that governs all life forms on planet Earth was central to his teachings. But the rise of modern medicine in the western world and consumerism that contributed to the stressful fast pace of modern lifestyle disconnected us from the natural world and we failed, as a result, to honor that profound wisdom.
The famous quote attributed to Hippocrates “Let food be thy medicine…” which resurfaced and was popularized in the 1970s (per D. Cardenas research), comes back to light today in regards to the latest news in the food industry technologies. The following latest report caught my attention considering that the Genetically Modified Food industry, the Second Green Revolution technologies have taken over the world’s agriculture by the year 2000 with a promising vision to feed and sustain the growing population and to end world hunger:
● In a recent report, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) find that more than 820 million people went hungry, last year
● More than 1 billion tons of food lost or wasted every year.
● 600 million with serious health problems from unhealthy diets, the leading cause of illness worldwide
● Per the World’s Science Academies, Industrial agriculture is devastating the environment
●Tim Benton, professor of population ecology, at the University of Leeds, said: “The global food system is broken; the cost of the damage to human health and the environment was much greater than the profits made by the farming industry.”
Besides the challenges pointed out here about the food industry, health and environment, an increasing awareness that accelerated in the 1960s with the environmental movement, including anti-war movement, civil rights movement, and countercultural movement among other important revolutions gained momentum during that era in guiding humanity towards profound awareness on a global scale. Today a growing population worldwide is addressing and reacting to phenomena like social injustice, marginalization, inequity, exclusion, climate change, massive extinction of other species in the natural world, environmental degradation…
In the mix of these vital issues, there seems to be a silver lining in disguise: evidence of a profound transformation taking place in light of the progress in new science, technology and innovative ideas where ways of living and the natural world reconcile… a great example is the concept of Permaculture, a design system in food production that is modeled on Nature to provide safe and permanent agriculture.
Using Nature’s interconnected system as a model, it is evident that we all have a role to play in the environmental equilibrium. While the governments as well as corporations must intervene at all levels to make this possible, we need to become conscious participants as we are part of the team that can make the life that we want possible. Every action counts individually and collectively, like Nature intended in the vast web of life.
Sources:
Books:
-The Story of the Human Body by D.E. Lieberman
https://stories.undp.org/10-things-we-all-should-know-about-indigenous-people
http://www.freshvista.com/2014/natures-tangled-web-her-interconnected-complex-systems/
Credits/Anecdotal acknowledgment
Charles Obas, Haitian artist (1927 – 1969)
An exceptional man
A true Master of his craft
A poignant life’s story…
Just a glimpse in the life of outstanding Haitian artist Charles Obas, and you will understand why such powerful emotions animate his paintings. His brushstrokes, colors, and themes depict periods from serenity, melancholy to sorrow and pain. His art became his refuge, his escape, and psychotherapy under the Duvalier regime. His style drastically changed from the painful experience of losing his beloved cousin that was executed under that dictatorship; stormy landscape and nocturne scenes depicted his inner need to speak his mind in revolt. Charles Obas was 14 when his father initiated him into the arts of painting and music. He later attended the “Centre d’Art d’Haiti, a cradle for Haitian arts, to develop his skills.
He was the founder of “Le Foyer des Arts Plastiques” in 1950 with other artists and friends that became famous painters, like Dieudonné Cédor and Lucner Lazard. His work evolved from naïve style to his own genre, which placed him in the Pantheon of the all-time famous names in the Haitian art world.
In 1958, he was the winner of the competition organized by the Office of National Tourism. That same year he had an incontestable success at the first Biennial in Mexico.
Charles Obas disappeared after participating in a protest against the murders committed by Duvalier’s dictatorial regime; he was later found dead.
His offspring carry his legacy. He had 5 sons and he named his second born Beethova, after Beethoven, because of his passion for music. Beethova Obas is today an icon of Haitian music and an internationally known singer, composer, and musician. He uses his music as a mean to protest against injustice. He was appointed ambassador for peace in 2006 by the United Nations. His brother, Emmanuel Obas, is also a well-known singer, and his other brother, Klebert Obas, is a notable painter.
Thank you to the Obas family!
I am happy to repost an eloquent video on the life of the featured artist in this article, Charles Obas. It is a regal for art lovers and collectors alike. This video is a fortunate finding of Dominique Obas which she shared on her Facebook page. As she simply put it: This work is a must-watch!
Madeline Ledan's blog 