Why Urban Agriculture
A few months ago, I watched a Simon Sinek Ted Talk about “Why?” ( Why?). His argument is that great change leaders start with answering the question of “Why?” His argument “why is what motivates change.” And that made me think: How do we solve poverty issues in Tulsa? Why urban agriculture? I will elaborate more about the “Why”, “How”, and “What” later. For now, it is enough to reflect on the why.
Poverty is a System
Poverty is a multifaceted concern. A better way to think about poverty is that it is a combination of dynamics that results in community fragmentation. The combination of dynamics is, in itself, a system.
A system is composed of parts and processes that interact over time—often in closed-loop patterns of cause and effect—to serve some purpose or function. Living systems, unlike a collection or “heap of stuff,” share similar characteristics. In systems, it matters how the parts are arranged. That is why a cow cannot have the tail in the front and the nose in the back. And why a stomach does not work on its own, and the body does not work without a stomach. And systems often are connected to or nested within other systems (for instance, a person may be nested within a family, school, ecosystem, community, and nation).
EarthEd: Rethinking Education on a Changing Planet,
Copyright © 2017 by Worldwatch Institute
In order to help facilitate the change Tulsa should modify the existing zoning code. Stay tuned as I prepare to explain how Tulsa can affect positive change intentionally supporting urban agriculture.
