My book My major - "Ancient Future"

[장지원]

Ancient Future(Helena Norberg Hodge)

My dream is to become an economic policy expert

Before talking about my major book, 'Ancient futures', I will explain about my dream. My future dream is to become a economic policy expert. I want to help solving of world's famine, especially in poor countries and build agriculture policy to revive korean agriculture. I have two big dreams and I will give shape to a plan studying in university.

This two dreams have something in common. Those dreams are related to world's economic order and food. Food can be our everything. We can easily feel this, if we imagine a life without anything to eat. Food was past, is present, and will be future. Studying about food and reading many books, I found some differences about food in past and present/future. In prehistoric times, food is essential thing only for the purpose of living and starving off hunger. Before the food trade between countries, each country has each way to provide for the public. But since international exchange starts, barren countries have become more barren because of inappropriate policies and powerful nations' tyranny. Rich countries having enough food have started to regard food as a growth engines industry. They exploits food as a resource of their interests. Nowadays, food is money and sovereign power.

I can also find the common things between my future dreams. Poor countries troubled in starvation and Korea are not a front-runner in international food market. As days go by, the importance of food becomes higher and higher, so I have a dream to help those countries survive and succeed in sparking food market.

What is the breakthrough? I am always thinking about this problem. Also, I studied through many books and got some informations from the Internet. As I talked at the first part of my book review, past was ideal society. I want to know more about the past situation where there were less food conflict and unescapable restriction of famine. I want to find some fresh approaches toward the problems. So I decided to read the book 'Ancient future' by Helena Norberg Hodge. The author is leader of economy of happiness. Anticipating to get an creative thought about future plan about food and world economy from Ladakh in India, I started to read the book.

Ladakh, what is it?

Hodge went to Ladakh which had pure nature at that time. She observed their lives and also experienced development from the West together. This book contains all the experiences she underwent and her feelings.

Ladakh was sustainable society both environmentally and socially where self-sufficient farmers cooperate and enjoy enough leisure. Ladakh's 'progress' notion from the West made them think that they are primitive and living inefficient lives. They had the romantic idea about the culture in the West, so they started to introduce the policies from the West. They could not recognize social side effects such as stress, loneliness, destruction of the environment, unemployment and inflation. The influx of western educational system made them regard their custom and themselves inferior. The education and culture from the West changed agriculture-based country into urban city. Ladakh became weak region and fell to the lowest position in the world economy.

Lessons from Ladakh for famine in poor countries

I can get helpful advices to aid the poor country's famine from this book. The development focused on the localization can be a breakthrough. Monoculture cannot be sustainable in that countries and local system can survive the nation. Frankly, in the poor countries, most citizen's staple industry should be agriculture. Surely a highly value-added business create much wealth. But considering the base of the countries in overall politics, economy and social, it cannot be refuted that agriculture have to become their primary resource that people get their food. And the all-round development of the standard of living based on agriculture is essential to become a nation that has highly value-added business. When both the two industry develops, the country can become more affluent. There are some cases that citizens in the poor country have a romantic idea about the West and blindly copy its lifestyle and policy. I got a lesson that poor countries have to be cautious about assimilation with the West. The country have to accentuate the importance of improving life in farming areas and status of farmers. Furthermore, they have to resist against the media, advertisement and tourist that convey thinking like pressure that agriculture life is inferior than city life. Based on the fundamental standard of life through agriculture, the countries can prepare to become a powerful nation inside and outside.

I also think the big development or economic revolution is necessary. There is a word, African power. Africa is a big market and they can use their market as a mean of economic development. They are in the first stage of economic development, so if they follow the ideal route of economic development, I think the poor countries can become affluent countries.

Lessons from Ladakh for Korea

Through the case of Ladakh, I thought about Korea's future. Agriculture is world-wide staple industry and powerful countries are developing agriculture more and more. Food became an important growth engine. Korea should prepare and lead the stream. We have to make a strong base for the sustainable agriculture. Radakh is a good example of sustainable agriculture. Surely it is necessary to change this system fitting in Korean situation. Not to forget the tradition which was glorious in the past, to have self-respect and to escape from defeatism are urgent. Radakh successed the change against the current of the West. Although present situation is a little hard and industry of agriculture is not really wealthy yet, we can get a hope from Radakh.

We can find our strengths other countries cannot have. Specialization which is described as localization in this book can be a key to future of Korean agriculture. Colored cacti from Goyang, Gyeonggi-do is an example. Korea has big market based on the position of the country. We are in the center of large food market having almost half of the population worldwide. Our crops are high in stability and quality. This can be a attractive factor to the middle classes growing rapidly in Asia. I think through organic farming, targeting the rich in China can be a good strategy. Making a popular brand and using the value of brand can become a winning move. We can also use Korean wave in Food to export our crops and food. Korean dishes was nominated for one of the best five healthy food diets. I think development in agriculture cannot but have an inseparable relation with exportation of crops or agrifood. New demand and new market is necessary to give a engine to our economy of agriculture. Actively advancing abroad is the point for sustainable growh of our agriculture.

Seeing Holland which has become a country of rank second of agriculture exports. The strength of farmers in Holland may come from the power of organization. Through various organizations, they raise their competitiveness in the world market and share the work like loan and sale. Farmers can concentrate on only producing good crops. They regard themselves as businessmen. They always try hard to introduce new technique of farming and develop the quality of their crops. Holland also has great institutions of agricultural education such as Wageningen University & Research centre. Near the instutiton, food cluster is organized by corporations and laboratories gathering. It is called 'Food Valley'. Korea can learn from Holland. Holland was only a barren reclaimed land. Korea has an experience of beating Holland in the part of paprika. Korea has infinite hope and I want to make the hope be come true.

Limitations of applying example of Ladakh in modern society

In this book, Hodge insists counter-development and counter-globalization. Paradigm of growth satisfies appetite of transnational corporations and globalization by them become a structure producing hunger and famine. I agree that many policies enrich the corporations and they rule the world. And it's right that the way will work if all the countries pursue ecological lives together. But in reality, it's impossible. I felt necessity to think rationally about this problem. Our society and economic order is not a thing that we can lead by the nose. Partial localization can be effective, but we should not be blinded by the romantic words. The idea of sustainable development is really impressive and it is the thing people in the present age should keep in mind. But perfect global governance cannot exist. Democracy and civil society seem plausible, but I think they are insufficient to be a new hope saving industrial society and modern civilization which underlie our lives already. Market is like our fate. Going through a great number of trial and errors, we have reached the optimal system, market. I agree that market is not the top and perfect one, but there are no other better alternatives to our society. So I think we should think in the market and lead the market for the best. Overturning our fundamental system is only utopia. Increasing efficiency and equity in given circumstances seems the best way to me. It's very hard problem. There are big limitations in pursuing utopia, but it's also the time that turning point is needed and although the time is not now, sometime in the future we must be take new alternatives. This big trauma is in front of all the people in the world and it's the problem that I as a economic policy expert have to research more.

Dreaming economic policy expert...

I am happy to get a open mindset, big thinking and passion toward economy from this book. Social welfare and happiness are not enemy of economy. Only moral obligations cannot change the world. I think economy is pursuing the most efficient alternatives to numerous problems. And it's why I really like economics and I want to research more and more.

American economist Richard Easterlin insisted Easterlin's paradox. It was identified in the late twentieth century and has long been considered proof that being rich does not equal being happy, at least after one is able to financially support his or her basic human needs. Korea is the representative. Per capita income of Korea became twice enlarged, but happiness exponent stays in place, not increased. I think this means Korea is in the time that we have to consider deeply about economic development and the changes. Continuous development is really important, but the first purpose is to be rich in both material and mind. Administrating the state to relieve the people´s suffering, it is the origin of economy. Pursuing economic development and surviving in the international market, simultaneously remembering the first purpose of economy – benefit humankind and make people happy and rich in every fields. Reading this book, I am more impressed by economy. Economy is both self-centered and altruistic study. While pursuing our country, Korea's economic development, it can seem selfish. But I think it's not only selfishness. It is but the reasonal policy or trade that one country is going to get profit. The policy will make the public in the nation richer and happier. The point is economy can be used to cure poverty in Korea and poor countries. Also, wealth of one country does not equal to poverty of other country. Economy is a process which coordinates the two purposes – selfishness and altruism – harmoniously.

I want to be a specialist in economy, especially in essential part for humankind, Food. Under the purpose of wealthy Korea and peaceful globe, I will study hard to contribute stability and development of Korean agriculture and secure food in the poor countries which is main cause of famine. Taking an idea from the past is really meaningful in solving problem of present or future. Furthermore, I also think that the effort to analyze present situation and prepare future are important. Especially, nowadays many elements are related to one another complicatedly. Integrated approach toward food problem and incessant efforts to be sensitive to world's rapid change. Reading this book gave me a lot of lessons which I should always keep in mind to become a global leader and lead the world market. I can also established a mind as a economic policy expert, my view of occupation. Having both logical thinking, rational analyses and constant studying and the warm heart considering second-class citizens and economy's purpose –always caring for humankind.