Diversity in Mind and Nature: The Faults of a Monoculture System
An economy, an ecosystem, a society, can not effectively function without the presence of diversity. Diversity creates healthy competition and promotes innovation. Diversity creates a complex network of checks and balance that must exist.When a system begins to lose diversity, the system becomes stagnant and does not grow. In the worst cases, the system can even degrade.
Such cases are prevalent in rural, agrarian developing countries.Large scale monoculture plantations in these countries have not only created environmental problems, but also has created large economic problems. The production of one crop on a massive scale seemed to work on paper.The overproduction of these crops were suppose to replenish the local economy and lower overall hunger in these countries.Some cash crops such as almonds, require incredible amounts of water and land, to be grown. These kinds of crops lower the productivity of the land and demand too much in developing countries.Most crops that are farmed at this scale, such as corn and soy, end up degenerating and losing the nutrients, effectively making the land useless.In some cases, land like this can become the breeding grounds for new plant diseases. A very famous example of this is the Irish Potato Famine in the 1840s. This huge famine was caused by the overproduction of potatoes for generations. A new disease was found in the land called Potato Blight. At this point in Ireland, two-fifths of the country was dependent on potatoes for a diet. It is estimated that one-third to one-half of the crop yield was deemed unsafe to eat and lost. The large scale famine resulted in the death of over 1 million Irish citizens and mass emigration.
The effects of monoculture farming stretch further. One dominating crop allows the economy to become too dependent on one source. As such, this limits the potential of growth a developing country has. The system also allows for one group or company to control large amounts of wealth and power. Countries inflicted with this problem generally have very little wealth or land in the hands of the indigenous, keeping poverty at a high rate. This is a troubling problem that has been exacerbated by monoculture.
Just as monoculture farming is harmful to the environment, monoculture attitudes is just as dangerous. Loving your culture and embracing your culture is fine. When we become resistant and offended by outside culture and ideas, that when monoculture is at its worst. Just as consuming too much of one food is bad for you, so is thinking only one way. By diversifying your mind and thought process, you become much more open to change and innovation. You become adaptable to your surroundings and situations.However, this cannot be done without the protected local knowledge systems of all people, not just a few.
Local knowledge systems are often related to culture and region that the locals are found. Language, use of tools, medicinal practices, and even ecological knowledge are all examples. This idea becomes much more conceivable if you take the example of a forest. To all cultures, the forest is a source of natural resources. How those resources are used and extracted is what differs.A company in America might want to use this land to generate profit by extracting timber and use the land to farm. However, locals usually have their own knowledge system to extract resources from the forest, and often without destroying the forest.The forest is seen as a resource for food and water to them, and chopping down the land will cause the lost of these resources to the natives. A conflict of interest arises. Without dialogue and acceptance, one side will be left out and will suffer. Most of the time, it turns out to be the locals.
So why is this important to even mention?America,as other countries, is not made up of one culture. The monoculture society is almost extinct in today’s world. As minority representation rises in the United States, more conflict will arise if the monoculture attitude is kept. Learning how to cooperate with people of all cultures and knowledge systems insures that innovation and competition continues. These ideals should be taught to children at a young age. Introducing new cultures, new knowledge systems, and new experiences at a young age not only opens their mind to new possibilities, but it also educates them on the world and how different people can be. Just as Plato said, “Ignorance, the root and stem of all evil.”