Come and get it
[Verse 1]
I’m getting thinner
Could use something to eat
What’s for dinner
Hope it beats this heat
[Bridge]
Abused the land
(Do you understand)
Built a slaughter
(On our water)
[Chorus]
What’s to eat (I’m beat)
Getting crude (About food)
Can’t you see (I’m hungry)
Better feed me (Or you’ll see)
[Instrumental, Guitar, Solo, Drums]
[Verse 2]
Famished
I could use a dish
What’s for dinner
Hope it beats this heat
[Bridge]
Abused the land
(Do you understand)
Built a slaughter
(On our water)
[Chorus]
What’s to eat (I’m beat)
Getting crude (About food)
Can’t you see (I’m hungry)
Better feed me (Or you’ll see)
[Instrumental, Guitar Solo, Drums Fills]
[Verse 2]
Famished
Could sure use a dish
Ravished
Like a fascist
[Bridge]
Abused the land
(Do you understand)
Built a slaughter
(On our water)
[Chorus]
What’s to eat (I’m beat)
Getting crude (About food)
Can’t you see (I’m hungry)
Better feed me (Or you’ll see)
[Instrumental, Saxophone Solo, Drum Fills]
A SCIENCE NOTE
Agricultural activities can contribute to food insecurity through various channels:
- Land Degradation: Intensive farming practices, such as overuse of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, monocropping, and improper irrigation, can degrade soil quality and reduce its fertility. This degradation makes it challenging to sustainably produce crops, leading to lower yields and diminished agricultural productivity over time.
- Water Depletion: Agriculture is a major consumer of freshwater resources, often accounting for a significant portion of water usage in many regions. Excessive water extraction for irrigation can deplete groundwater reserves and diminish surface water sources, leading to water scarcity for both agricultural and non-agricultural purposes. This scarcity can result in reduced crop production and limited access to water for drinking and sanitation, contributing to food insecurity.
- Climate Change: Agricultural activities, particularly large-scale farming and deforestation, contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, which drive climate change. Climate change can lead to more frequent and severe weather events, such as droughts, floods, storms, and heatwaves, which can adversely affect crop yields and livestock productivity. Shifts in temperature and precipitation patterns can also disrupt traditional agricultural practices, making it challenging for farmers to predict growing seasons and adapt their cultivation methods accordingly.
- Loss of Biodiversity: Intensive agricultural practices often prioritize high-yield crop varieties and livestock breeds, leading to a loss of biodiversity in agroecosystems. This loss of biodiversity reduces the resilience of agricultural systems to pests, diseases, and environmental stressors, making crops and livestock more vulnerable to outbreaks and failures. Furthermore, monocultures are more susceptible to catastrophic crop failures due to their lack of genetic diversity, posing risks to food security.
- Food Waste: Inefficient agricultural practices, inadequate infrastructure, and poor post-harvest handling contribute to significant food losses and waste throughout the food supply chain. Food loss occurs at various stages, including harvesting, transportation, storage, processing, and distribution. Food waste not only represents a lost opportunity to alleviate hunger but also exacerbates food insecurity by reducing the availability of nutritious food for consumption.
Addressing these challenges requires implementing sustainable agricultural practices that prioritize environmental conservation, resource efficiency, and resilience to climate change. Additionally, promoting equitable access to land, water, and other productive resources can enhance the livelihoods of smallholder farmers and rural communities, ultimately contributing to global food security.