Xin: Livelihood and Lifestyle
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| A few
days ago I was travelling on the bus. An old man boarded
the bus. He had dark complexion and his skin visibly
coarse. His hair grey, sparse and ruffled. The face
although worn, retained firmness and exuded resoluteness.
His frame was small and shoulders stooped. He was weary -
the shirt he wore was soaked in sweat. Sweat was dripping
from his elbow as he fumbled in his pockets with his
large hands for coins to pay the bus fare. The bus was
hurtling along but his stance was sturdy and rooted. He
took the seat behind the driver and continued to peer at
the road ahead, anxiously waiting for his stop. When he
alighted, I whispered to myself "take care of
yourself, Xin". He was unaware of my presence. I did
not go up to greet him. He rushed off, probably to his
next job at a nearby farm. The man's name is Xin. I know him. When I was working for Green Circle Eco-Farm during my university placement, he was the principal worker who cleared the wild vegetation, loosened the soil and raised planting beds for the other workers to sow seeds and grow crops. The only tool he used was a hand hoe which blade was a few inches broader than the normal hoe. Sometimes I worked alongside him but I could never keep pace with him. He was the unassuming teacher who taught me the art of the hoe. His body frame was larger and more robust then. When I saw him perspiring on the bus that day, his frame was in a pitiful state, the energy in him drained. |
Local
vegetable farmers, in particular the older generations,
cannot compete with cheap vegetable imports. Land lease
is high and few young people wish to take up or are
interested in the profession. Foreign labour also costs
less to hire and their daily requirements are modest or
even meagre compared to what a local worker will demand.
In this socio-economic situation, I do not know for how
long can Xin subsist himself offering his skills and
strength to the farming industry, I do not know whether I
myself should enter the profession and stand by the
withering vegetable farming society in Singapore. I
wonder if my usually staunch character that refuses to
conform can withstand the socio-economic tide and make a
case for traditional farming in my home country
Singapore. How is upholding low-input farming in Singapore an environmental issue? The greens on our dinner table come from a plot of land somewhere, most likely foreign. The city itself is dependent on hinterlands for resources to grow food and I do not know if environmental and human resources are exploited and degraded to provide the affordable vegetables that we Singaporeans consume. To consumers, only the end products matter, the processes are not: what we do not see we are not bothered. Environmentally viable agriculture is a critical component in sustainable development. |
Farming
does not pay financially. Vegetable prices do not reflect
the true value of the product. Reckless competition
drives prices down. A factory worker earns more than a
farmer even though the skills, knowledge and energies
required to work a farm are considerably greater than
most other professions. The risks are also higher. Land
husbandry is exposed to a host of environmental factors
that obey no human bidding. As an organic farmer, his
environmental footprint is small compared to for example
an executive working in a multinational company. The
farmer's lifestyle is relatively basic and livelihood
fairly straightforward. His accumulated environmental
impact is less than the executive who nevertheless earns
many times more than his rural counterpart. Normal
accounting fails to consider true worth, skills, efforts,
risks and does not internalise environmental impacts. At the individual level, farming is not regarded highly on the career ladder. Career development inevitably implies fatter incomes, more comfortable lifestyles and better control over one's future. Can the individual forego these wants and desires to take on a simpler, environmentally more benign livelihood and lifestyle? It is perhaps not a question of "can" but "will": is the individual willing and prepared to do what he thinks is right? On moral and eco-ethical grounds, organic farming guarantees substantial rewards. In this respect, farming pays handsomely. Financially it may not be so. But in contemporary society, monetary wealth seems to be the means to everything, including the capacity to think green and attain environmental satisfaction. |
Is
there a place for Xin in the future of Singapore? Let me
rephrase the question: will we allow Xin to carry on his
livelihood, pass on his expertise and live his lifestyle?
The future of farming is decided not by the government or
economic trends. It lies in the decision of the people -
not only one individual but many individuals. The
decisions and actions of one individual who does not
conform to contemporary livelihoods and lifestyles, who
seeks an eco-friendly way of life, can influence others
in their environmental perceptions and attitudes. Such
scenarios where one's passion for the environment and
nature encourages other individuals to participate in
environmental work have occurred before in the past in
Singapore. There is only one lifetime. Let's take the hoe
by the handle and try to turn rhetoric into positive
actions. (This webpage is dedicated to Xin.) |
