{"id":11648,"date":"2019-12-12t07:22:18","date_gmt":"2019-12-12t07:22:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dpetrov.2create.studio\/planet\/wordpress\/challenging-my-beliefs-in-search-of-solutions\/"},"modified":"2023-02-28t18:36:54","modified_gmt":"2023-02-28t18:36:54","slug":"challenging-beliefs-solutions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/\/www.getitdoneaz.com\/story\/challenging-beliefs-solutions\/","title":{"rendered":"challenging my beliefs in search of solutions"},"content":{"rendered":"
the cool thing about traveling with people you don\u2019t know is the opportunity to figure out who you really are, or at least who you want to be. you get the chance to realign with your beliefs and opinions about whatever is going on in the world, and when people ask about who you are, and what you want to do with your life, that is your glowing chance. i think of it kind of like a real-life, interactive instagram or twitter bio, or better yet, an elevator pitch.<\/p>\n
when i embarked on the trip to rome, italy, where i would be participating as a delegate with planet forward in the 46th committee on world food security (cfs), i knew there was going to be plenty of opportunity for my pitch on a personal and professional level. and before i knew it, there i was, on the first night in rome with a traditional pasta dish sitting below me on the checkered table-cloth, performing my pitch, and introducing who i was. why was i there attending the conference on global food security?<\/p>\n
it came so naturally, especially as my peer sitting across the table from me claimed climate change could be solved through technology-based solutions. this was a contradiction of everything i believed in as a student that has studied the climate crisis and how we have gotten to where we are in the world today. so, i ran with it. <\/p>\n
\u201chi, my name is lindsay, and technology scares me. i don\u2019t believe it holds solutions, i believe it hosts destruction, and in light of development and adapting to climate change, i think it has the potential to further increase the gap between human beings and the earth. my skepticism is not only curious, but it is angry towards technology and its rapid speed. i am here to better understand its role in global development and sustainable agriculture.\u201d <\/p>\n
something along those lines rolled effortlessly off my tongue.<\/p>\n
i quickly realized that the following week at the food and agriculture organization (fao) building was going to be a challenge, especially as i held on tight to my ideas about technology. but as much as i was skeptical of technology-based solutions, i tried my best to remain open to their potential in reducing suffering, feeding the hungry, and contrary to my beliefs, actually bringing us humans closer to the earth.<\/p>\n
oh, how privilege sits comfortably in our beliefs<\/h2>\n
on the first day of the cfs46 i found myself perched up in the comfortable blue seats of the plenary with my eyes wide, notebook crisp and ready to be filled with notes. once i figured out what the white thing was on everyone\u2019s ears, i attached mine to my ear with the language set to english, and i was ready to listen.<\/p>\nlindsay eberhart, right, listens to the introductory statements as cfs 46 kicks off. (kim ossi\/planetforward.org)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
nearly 1,900 attendees filled the room. each one, coming from their corner on the planet; bringing along with them their unique experiences, ideas, and perspectives. from scientists and governments to farmers and members of civil society, the cfs is a multi-stakeholder platform that reports to the united nations general assembly about the status of global food security and nutrition for all. that\u2019s what they\u2019re all about; having every voice at the table for creative, inclusive, and effective policy approaches towards positive change.<\/p>\n
within the first few moments of the meeting, chairperson of the cfs, mario arvelo, gave the attendees some context and reason for being there with a moment of silence for the millions of people that have died since last year\u2019s meeting as a result of hunger and disease stemming from malnutrition.<\/p>\n
this single moment set the tone and motivated the attendees to address world hunger for the estimated 821 million people without access to a nutritious meal. this number loomed heavily throughout the space of the fao, and deeply contributed to my perspective.<\/p>\nthe main plenary room is packed with attendees. (kim ossi\/planetforward.org)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
all of my life, i have had access, adequate access \u2014 maybe even an overly adequate access \u2014 to food. it was in these heavy moments soaked in the unimaginable number of 821 million that my privilege was unveiled. i began to see the importance of accepting the potential of technology, and understanding that food cooperatives, organic farming, and things alike cannot be the only solution. throughout the week, i was beginning to realize that food insecurity is a far bigger issue than i have been able to imagine within the walls of my college classrooms, from my corner on the planet. <\/p>\n
in order to fulfill the u.n. sustainable development goals for the 2030 agenda, solutions need to be multifaceted with the embrace of technology on the foreground. this, at first was a hard pill to swallow, but with the 821 million people in mind, the pill went down really smoothly.<\/p>\n
opening the door & asking the questions<\/h2>\n
my questions during my time in the fao building ultimately became, \u201ccan technological innovation and sustainable agriculture work hand-in-hand? and, can technology actually work to make the gap smaller between humans and the earth?\u201d i carried these with me as i attended a side event called \u201cinnovation and agroecology.\u201d it was held in the “green room” and as the diverse group of panelists filled the seats on stage, i found my seat near the front, so i wouldn\u2019t miss a thing. the panel was complete with farmers from argentina, new mexico, italy, and nigeria, along with business owners of agrotechnology companies. when dialogue began, i felt as if my questions were being directly answered.<\/p>\n
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