Organic Production & Sustainable Development Systems: Towards Resilient Cities and Sustainable Culture

Organic and sustainable production and consumption, no doubts , is the first of nature's rule for mankind. Thus, by definition, sustainable development could be understood from different perspectives. From the layman’s point of view, it is how to do things or use the natural resources for human benefit in a way that does not harm or deplete the earth. A very common everyday example here is when you convert supposed waste foods and left-over to feed the needy or animals, or turn same to compost manure for agricultural production, you are said to be practicing sustainable development principles. From the earth science point of view, sustainable management of the landscapes is how to achieve land degradation neutrality with the resultant Eco-benefits, from biodiversity conservation and combating climate change to ensuring economic growth and human well-being. Here then, the argument is that of how we manage the land resources in relation to how many decent jobs we can create. It also determines issues of food and water availability, migration and urbanization trends, responsible consumption and of resource conservation as well as real climate change mitigation and adaptation actions.Thus, transformative changes from the perspective of development and social justice: the key issue is how to promote the processes of change that result in a balanced transformation of human lives and the environment. This then requires human responsive actions that bring changes in economic structures to promote employment for economic growth. It also takes into consideration, production and consumption patterns, with energy use, that bring about sustainable environmental changes. Above all, sustainable human actions require changes in social structures and relations in respect to growing economic and political power among a people, gender, class, ethnic group, or religious considerations that must not be discriminatory but all inclusive with justice and fairness. Viewed in this way, the overall holistic benefits expected through the 2030 Agenda via the SDGs (that is from 2015 – 2030) could be seen in the combating and fixing of the basic and major challenges confronting humanity today. And these include: Eradication of Poverty and Extreme Hunger; Climate change; Unsustainable growth and Economic crises, Migration, Flight and people displacement, Health, Epidemics, Inequality; Social exclusion; Lack of Decent work and Social protection; as well as Political instability.Just think about the implications; if these multiple challenges are adequately tackled by all governments of the world as envisioned in the goals, why then will the world not experience transformation?Truly indeed, the time for global mass action for people and the planet has come and the change should begin with you as you become an agent for a global change through the SDGs and this enlighten practical campaigns on NATURE FIRST .Dr. Jessie Henshaw, in her submission in the “All System Energy Assessment (SEA) Sustainability” raised and posed the challenge, thus: “Investors choosing how the economy develops for greater profitability are then making decisions only for profit to them but having almost no information on the cost to the earth and society. As such, they are unable to input costs they cannot trace to their decisions and choices to maximize but not minimize the production cost on the earth and to society”. And this is one of the major causes of the ever escalating disaster risks we as human face today. Jessie Henshaw summed up her thoughts by stating: “If sustainability has indeed been allowed to become a design for evading rather than taking responsibility for society and the earth but has been either misguided by accident or intent, it is certainly now time to do something about it”.