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Is productivity really the answer?
Born and raised in the United States, my education and existence were molded by capitalism and the extremely flawed American Dream. From a young age I was taught that my value to the world was based on my productivity. Fast forward to my university education and early career in agriculture and crop production, and the belief that improving productivity and efficiency would solve all the world’s biggest problems was the basis of my study and work. As a young person from Iowa interested in agriculture, poverty, and food insecurity, Nobel Prize winner Norman Borlaug was my hero. Borlaug was credited for breeding wheat to be highly productive, thus saving millions from hunger. He was also a vocal critic of environmentalists, suggesting they care more about the planet than humanity.
I came to learn through my studies and work, that the wheat varieties created by Borlaug and many other scientists and support staff, were highly dependent on large quantities of synthetic fertilizers, water, and agrochemicals for productivity. The requirements of these varieties drive farmers into vicious cycles of debt, pollute the environment, and emit a lot of greenhouse gases.
Even though Borlaug and his peers did not have to deal with the ramifications of the system, including the rapid acceleration of climate change, I do. And millions of people living in countries highly impacted by climate change live with the changing climate daily. Farmers and communities in Mexico and Guatemala, where I live and work, are highly impacted by climate change and are in vulnerable positions to deal with it. Rains have become unpredictable, making rainfed agricultural production extremely challenging. Temperatures are changing, with higher and lower extremes. Hurricanes frequently destroy crops and infrastructure. Farming which has always been a risky profession is now extremely risky and vulnerable.
The industrialization of agriculture in the name of growth and productivity has also made farmers more vulnerable to climate change. With monocultures that often require debt to grow, agrobiodiversity has been lost, soils have degraded, and farmers have become less resilient. So, after spending my early career at research centers promoting projects to improve productivity, I realized that we were not actually helping farmers and maybe we were making things worse. I heard from farmers firsthand that they did not need to produce more when they could barely find a place to market and sell their existing crops. They needed stable markets that paid fair prices for their crops and livestock. The farmers I met care deeply about their land and natural resources, but could often not afford to use conservation practices with no guarantee from the market that they would be able to cover their cost of production.
So, what is the alternative?
It was scary and I had no idea what I was doing, but together with a Guatemalan colleague, we started a social enterprise focused on protecting agrobiodiversity, conserving soils, and celebrating ancestral agricultural knowledge. You can read more about how we got started in our Origin Story. Our tea company was born to resist and push back against industrialized, monoculture agriculture, and against the idea that productivity will save us.
The teas we designed and manufacture use over 40 species of plants. Also, we use parts of plants that are traditionally considered waste. When people buy tea from Love&Tea, which is now fully owned and operated by Indigenous Women in Guatemala, they are directly supporting farmers’ conservation of agrobiodiversity and alternative economic models for employment and production. They are directly supporting women who are conserving ancestral and Indigenous knowledge. You can also support these initiatives, now that Love&Tea products are available on our online store!
Small changes
Our small idea to start the tea company has now inspired us to launch EarthEmpower Trading Co., a platform to sell Love&Tea and other products that share similar values – environmental conservation, social justice, and alternative models for shared wellbeing. It is a small idea, and they are small changes, considering the grand realities of climate change and species extinction. It is a small idea, and we are making small changes, considering the massive nature of capitalism and colonialism. Yet, many small changes lead to a bigger change, and working together we find hope as we confront these colossal global problems.
We hope EarthEmpower Trading Co. can help you make small changes. We hope small changes like switching to solid shampoo to eliminate the plastic waste from the beauty industry, using soaps and teas that embrace and conserve agricultural biodiversity, and starting your day with a cup of coffee that conserves the environment and pays farmers fairly, will add up to big changes. Thanks for joining us on this exciting adventure.
