The Hidden Cost of Technological Advancement in Farming

We all know how farming used to be before technological advancements. It used to be tedious and strenuous for people who were into farming before they weed, plant and also weed and weed again before harvesting and also continue the process before it can be consumed without technology proved to be difficult then, but now that technology is in place, everything has taken a new shape.

Every family had farmland, whether small or large, like when my mom had a small garden in our compound to plant vegetables, pepper, and plantain. We ate fresh vegetables then, but the reverse is the case today. Farming has been largely abandoned by the majority due to the rise of technology, I won't blame anybody because I, as a person, can not go through such stress. I stand to be corrected, I won't say technology hasn't done anything good, but the harm it has caused is unimaginable. Gone are the days when the food we consumed was fresh and free from chemicals. Nowadays, everything is treated with substances that can harm our health.

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Sure, technology has made farming easier. The era of every family working on the farm has passed, and now we have farming tools such as tractors, watering cans, plows, and processing machines; even laborers to do the work are available on request. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t strive to live safer lives based on what we consume.

In today's market, it’s rare to find truly fresh produce. Take tomatoes, for instance; buy them in the morning, and by night they’re already losing their quality. What about vegetables? They turn black almost instantly if not used. Just last week, I came across a video online showing how some wicked people were adding coloring to carrots. The result looked so authentic, it was shocking. How many of those have been sold to unsuspecting consumers? Do we wonder why people are falling sick every day? People die so early now compared to old generations because we eat food processed with chemicals and call it technology.

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Do you think this all comes at a huge cost? The more we apply technology to sourcing our food, the less nutritional value it retains. Yes, it comes at a huge cost, and that's our health👌. Our health is majorly at risk for every advancement in food technology, we are sacrificing the nutritional integrity of our diets, and it’s damaging our health without mincing words.

Is this a fair price to pay for sustainable feeding? Our health shouldn’t be the price we pay for the promise of sustainable feeding. Instead, we should strive for authenticity. Why use harmful substances in our food when we know people's lives are at risk? Let’s commit to doing it right, not just for our profits, but for our collective conscience.

This issue can be fixed if we genuinely prioritize integrity in our food matters and if not for our selfish gain.

The images are sourced.

This is my response to the #hivelearners weekly writing contest of the editions on the topic: Technology and profits.

Thank you for reading 💕