#53 Blog Action Day 2008 - Poverty

When my attention was drawn to the 2008 Blog Action Day topic, “poverty”, I will admit my initial reaction was “it’s too hard”, “I haven’t got time”, “I can’t be bothered”. Eventually, I did take a few moments to consider how I might relate poverty to the wellbeing of the environment so that the post would fit comfortably into my nature blog. But I soon dismissed the concept again.

Last weekend I was happily observing native plants and animals in Werakata National Park, blissfully unaware of the rest of the world. Later, a thought crossed my mind . . . . .

I was exploring the burst of life on a power-line easement that had not been slashed for a year, which allowed time for regeneration. Australia is a developed and affluent nation, and those people who are realistic and environmentally conscious, realise that progress and development comes at a cost - degradation of ecosystems. We are all part of the problem.

But, upon reflection, and with considerable thought, it has occurred to me that poverty also places huge stress on the environment.

We cringe at the sight of the massive run-away environmental degradation developing countries are producing as the rate of urbanisation and industrialisation increases on a vast scale. But do we overlook the link between rural poverty and environmental degradation?

Poor farmers are unable to invest in farm improvements to increase yields. This leads to low food production, which creates more pressure to clear forests or drain wetlands.

A lack of knowledge and/or resources to work and manage their land in a sustainable and efficient manner means over-use of soil and depletion of soil nutrients. Erosion is created. Water is polluted or lost due to improper management resulting in less water for human consumption, stock and crops; this in turn creates lower crop and livestock yields. Result? More hunger – a never ending cycle creating human hardship and environmental degradation.

With the scarcity of food, low-income rural people increasingly rely on forests to supplement incomes or feed their families.

Low-income communities of poor countries around the world rely heavily on forests for direct consumption of wild foods, fuels, shelter and medicine. Centuries past, before the Earth’s human population exploded, the land could give up these basic necessities, and replenish itself. With higher human reproduction and survival rate, the increased demand for food, fuel and housing places unsustainable demands on the environment.

Over-exploitation of wild animals and plants by low-income populations and illegal trade, has put animal welfare and species long-term survival at risk. Illegal bushmeat and exotic pet trade supplement poverty stricken communities, (along with the get-rich-quick-by-any-means brigade, of course).

The Western world is appalled by these barbaric practices, but who are we to deny these struggling people an existence (while we sit down at our dining table to three meals a day with our family) without providing education and the means towards an acceptable alternative?

I do not have any answers. I don’t even have any feasible suggestions to offer. But I do know that it is a global problem, not simply the responsibility of the offending poverty stricken communities of far off countries.

By voicing my thoughts and concerns regarding the environmental degradation produced by the poor farmers of the world, I aim only to create awareness amongst those people who are lucky enough to live an easier existence. Human suffering and environmental damage should be something we all care about, no matter what tiny pocket of the planet it is occurring.

There are world authorities and bodies working on these issues:

International Fund for Agricultural Development [IFAD]

IFAD stories from the field

Food and Agriculture Organisation of United Nations

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

8 World leaders discuss "How to Feed the World"