Last week we visited a farm in the Forest and Atelier Non-Electric. At first it was odd to see a farm in the woods, but the owner told us that Japan is actually 70% forest, so this was actually the most natural farm for the area. After learning a little about how it runs, he began to talk about the triple disaster of March 2011. The farm was impacted by the disaster, and through his discussion of the impacts and aftermath, many of his philosophies about farming and community showed. He mentioned how after the disaster few were taking responsibility even though it was everyone’s responsibility to help the area move forward. He noticed this inaction, and thought about what he could do that would be meaningful to the community. He saw his farm and what happened to it as an opportunity to better the community despite any extra effort and money on his part.
His thought process after the disaster is something that I think we should all bear in mind as we start to see more and more evidence of environmental destruction caused by humans. If everyone sees the damage but does nothing, conditions will worsen. Acting in meaningful ways to the community and the environment is what will help us change course. An employee of Atelier Non-Electric shared a similar sentiment. He used the metaphor of us driving down the road towards an obstacle. He said that right now, we see the obstacle but instead of changing course we are accelerating straight towards it. Instead, we need to slow down and change direction. Atelier Non-Electric is doing its part for the global community by creating appliances and devices like refrigerators and dehumidifiers that do not require electricity that are adaptable to all areas of the world, and are affordable. Both of these businesses get at the heart of ARI’s mission statement that says everything we do must be so “that we may live together.” In the cases of the farms and businesses we have visited on this trip, we have learned that care for the environment starts with supporting each other, working together, and developing a stronger community.
