Systems Theory and Sustainable Farming

In lesson two we looked at living and mechanical systems and learned what the differences were. The living systems are biological and mechanical systems are machine based, created by humans. They are both a way of creating energy or outputs that help to keep the environment(s) going. Systems theory helps to put in perspective of how important it is to input quality because within systems theory, the input defines the output. For example, eating highly processed foods provides some nutritional value, but the food tends to leave people feeling drained and run down. When wholesome foods, like vegetables and meats that are unprocessed, are eaten people tend to feel less weighed down by the foods they ate. Applying this to systems theory leads to the conclusion that the quality of the input effects the quality of what comes out of it.

Still thinking in terms of systems theory, we look at farming and where food comes from. It comes from the earth and produced on farms, but we must put the seeds into the soil and water it. More than just that, we need nutrient rich soil to grow harvestable crops. Over time, the nutrients are drained from the soil, which can lead to an inability to grow on that land, which is why sustainable farming is so important. If we plant crops that add nutrition to the soil after we have harvested a crop that takes that nutrient out, then we can keep the soil rich for much longer. These rotating crops helps to sustain the soil while thinking in systems theory. If we put in A then we can get B because we have added the right tools to make that possible.