Letter




We are living in a world where one billion people are hungry and another two billion are living in fear of going hungry at any moment.

There are many reasons for this scarcity, but the primary contributor to water waste, environmental degradation and hunger is large-scale agriculture. This alone should shock you into the realities of this current situation: Our food system is badly broken. So as a small part of greater Los Angeles, what can we do?

The three most essential resources we need are water, energy and food. But NASA experts believe California now contains less than one year in water reserves. The drought and water usage have depleted fresh supplies at a drastic rate.

Our lack of water could possibly lead to the collapse of our food supply as we know it.

Agriculture is the greatest user of water in the world, making it responsible for the current water shortage. Globally, the agricultural sector consumes about 70 percent of the planet’s accessible freshwater (Clay, 2014). As a Californian studying food systems in Vermont, I have been aching to come home to work and fix this broken system.

We must use the devastation of this drought as motivation to create a better, more just food system that feeds the earth rather than destroys it.

By increasing environmental education and supporting policies that are against big agriculture, I feel that more people will be inclined to grow their own foods and support our local food system.

We must create a vibrant community of healthy food production that is not reliant on the national and global distribution network.

Without a healthy streak of self-sufficiency, we are doomed to making do with a collapsing and vulnerable food system.

Plant native plants, grow your own vegetables. It might just save your life.

Aidan Wahl
Calabasas



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