The Tribune

EDITOR, The Tribune.

Has the Third Seal been broken releasing the Black Horse as read in Revelations 6:5-6?

“5 - When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, ‘Come!’ I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand.

“6 - Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, ‘A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!’”

You don’t have to be an ecclesial scholar, high school graduate, academic student or professional scholar to understand or acknowledge that there is a grave need to start thinking of better means to feed the ever growing earth’s population – not alone provide our families with basic nutrition from the four food groups such as fruits and vegetables, bread cereals and starches, meat, fish and other alternatives, milk and dairy foods, fatty and sugary foods. Far too often, we are told how we should change our eating habits to include balanced nutritional substances rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals and fats. But how can one afford a well-balanced daily meal at such outrageous prices placed on fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy foods, etc., at our local stores?

Have you recently been to a local market and tried getting fresh fruits and vegetables to provide your family with the nutritional value it needs and had sufficient funds to do it – even if only every other day? An average family of two can afford it – maybe? An average family of three – four and over - impossible! It is no surprise then, that fast food chains, frozen foods and canned goods are the mainstay of most growing Bahamian families: because their incomes are not enough to afford fresh foods, fruits and vegetables. While it is practically impossible to provide a solution which provides fresh meats and dairy supplements for families, there is some form of self sufficiency families can take to increase their intake of fresh vegetables and fruits.

One means is to return to the old-fashion method of growing our own foods (similar to our grandparents), however, using modern technology but “without” gene manipulation (GM) and without chemically treating the soil which can break the balance of the food chain: doing more damage in the long run than good. If done on a large scale, this would indeed require a considerable amount of real-estate, but consider the option of each individual focusing on growing some supplement of their own foods such as tomatoes, sweet peppers, etc. – all the fruits and vegetables which can be grown from the seeds purchased at your local nursery and garden centre in small pots; right in the comfort of your own homes and using limited resources to grow some of your favorite vegetables and maybe even fruits. Growing the right type of vegetables in your own garden (indoors or/and outdoors) could help to even combat and reduce some of the known health issues that are common to Bahamians – cancer for example.

We are becoming more and more dependent on foreign sources to satisfy our basic needs, and we are aware, that even in major countries of the world GM products are strategically being employed to circumvent some of the world’s food shortages – but at whose expense? It is also understood, that much of the GM products such as corn is intended to help reduce the domino effect caused by draught and provide a substitute food for cattle that supply us with meat and dairy products: GM product also helps keep prices for these substitute food groups down. However, being totally reliant on foods provided from other countries by merchants mainly out just to make a profit should set any concerned Bahamian citizens on the alert, especially in a country with resources and knowledgeable farmers who have the ability – if even on a small scale – to provide at least fresh fruits and vegetables to the market. The answer to why is perfectly clear – greed and profit and not food shortage drive the market – GM is only an extension of greed and profit. How you, your survival and your family’s health thrive should be an enduring major concern. Start today, by looking at ways to become as self-sufficient as you can – not only in an effort to circumvent a food shortage but to regain some control of what you put in your body and your health: one reason why organically grown foods have become popular in the last few years.

So, take advantage of God’s gift to you, go back in time to the “Garden of Eden” when organic foods were the mainstay of God’s children, and plant a seed of your choice, for example a papaya seed, or a Cassava, nourish them and you will most definitely reap foods in abundance.

EDWARD SMITH

Nassau,

October, 2012.