Indlela Ezolimo Zanamuhla Eziwushintshe Ngayo Umhlaba

UKUTHOLA kanjani ukudla? Ingabe uyakuthenga noma uyakutshala? Esikhathini esingeside esidlule abantu abaningi bebezilimela—okusho ukuthi, bebephila ngokudla abazitshalela khona. Kodwa manje emazweni athile anezimboni zemikhiqizo, umuntu oyedwa kwabangu-50 osebenza kwezolimo. Lwenzeka kanjani lolu shintsho?

Intuthuko kwezolimo yaqala kancane yabe isishesha kakhulu. Isinyathelo ngasinye sasicindezela ezigidini zemikhaya, futhi lokhu kusaqhubeka namanje emhlabeni kabanzi. Ukubheka indlela intuthuko kwezolimo ethinte ngayo abantu kungakusiza ukuba uqonde izwe namuhla.

Ukuqala Kwezinguquko

Ngokumangalisayo, esinye sezinyathelo ezinkulu ezaholela ekuyekeni ukuzilimela eYurophu saqala phakathi nekhulu le-12 lapho kuqala ukusetshenziswa kwejoka lamahhashi. Lalenza ukuba ihhashi likwazi ukusebenza ngaphandle kokuziklinya. Lokho kwenza ukuba amahhashi aboshelwe ngaleli joka akwazi ukudonsa ngamandla, ngokushesha futhi isikhathi eside kunezinkabi ezazisetshenziswa. Besebenzisa amahhashi, abalimi bakwazi ukwandisa umkhiqizo wabo. Base bekwazi ukulima ngamageja izindawo ababengakwazi ukuzilima ngaphambili. Esinye isinyathelo sangaleyo nkathi esaba yinqubekela phambili kwaba ukutshala izitshalo ezivundisa umhlabathi, njengobhontshisi, uphizi, i-clover, ne-alfalfa okuyizitshalo ezenza umhlabathi ube ne-nitrogen eningi. Umhlabathi ovundile wawukhiqiza izitshalo eziningi.

Le ntuthuko yangaleso sikhathi yenza abalimi abathile bakwazi ukuthola nokudla abangakudayisa. Lokhu kwabangela ukwanda kwamadolobha, abantu ababengathenga kuwo ukudla kwabo futhi basebenze njengabakhiqizi noma abathengisi bempahla. Phakathi kwalabo bakhiqizi, abathengisi bempahla nabalimi abacebile kwavela nabasunguli bemishini yokuqala yokulima.

Ngawo-1700, uJethro Tull, umlimi oyiNgisi, wasungula umshini wokuhlwanyela odonswa amahhashi owathatha indawo yokuhlwanyela ngesandla, okuyindlela eyayisaphaza imbewu. Ngo-1831, e-United State, uCyrus McCormick wasungula umshini wokuvuna odonswa amahhashi owawukwazi ukuvuna isivuno sokusanhlamvu ngokushesha ngokuphindwe kahlanu uma kuqhathaniswa nokuvuna ngesikela. Cishe phakathi naleso sikhathi, abahwebi baqala ukuletha umanyolo eYurophu bevela ogwini lwase-Andes eseNingizimu yeMelika. Ukusetshenziswa kwemishini nomanyolo kwabangela ukwanda okukhulu kwemikhiqizo yezolimo. Kodwa lokhu kwabathinta kanjani abantu?

Intuthuko kwezolimo yabangela ukuba kube nezimboni zemikhiqizo ezazidayisela amadolobha ukudla okuningi ngamanani aphansi. Lolu shintsho lwaqala eBrithani cishe ngawo-1750-1850. Izinkulungwane zemikhaya kwadingeka zithuthele emadolobheni anezimboni ukuze zisebenze ezimayini zamalahle, zensimbi, ezikhumulweni zemikhumbi nasezimbonini zezindwangu. Yayingekho enye indlela. Abalimi abancane ababengenayo imali yokuthenga imishini yokulima, babethola imali encane ngemikhiqizo yabo, ngakho-ke babehluleka ukukhokhela izindawo zokuhlala. Kwadingeka ukuba bashiye amasimu abo bayohlala emikhukhwini eminyene, egcwele izifo. Kunokuba imikhaya ilime ndawonye, manje amadoda kwase kudingeka ukuba asebenze kude nasemakhaya. Ngisho nezingane zazisebenza amahora amaningi ezimbonini. Ngokushesha nezinye izizwe zabhekana noshintsho olufanayo.

Isayensi Yezolimo Iletha Izinguquko Ezengeziwe

Ngawo-1850, izizwe ezithile zazichume ngokwanele ukuba zingasekela ucwaningo lwezolimo. Izifundo zesayensi yezolimo ziye zabangela ukuba kuqhubeke kuba noshintsho kuze kube namuhla. Ngokwesibonelo, abazalanisi bezitshalo bafunda ngezakhi futhi bakhiqiza izitshalo ezithela kakhulu noma ezikwazi ukumelana nezifo. Abacwaningi babuye bathola nendlela enembile yokuxubanisa ama-nitrate nama-phosphate adingekayo ohlobo ngalunye lwesitshalo nenhlabathi. Ukuhlakula kwakwenza izisebenzi zisebenze kanzima phakathi nayo yonke inkathi yokulima. Kodwa izisebenzi eziningi ezinjalo zalahlekelwa imisebenzi lapho ososayensi benza imithi ebulala ukhula futhi ilwenze lukhule kancane. Izinambuzane, umswenya nempehlwa kuyizitha ezindala zabalimi. Kodwa, abalimi manje sebekwazi ukukhetha ezinhlotsheni ezihlukahlukene zamakhemikhali okubulala noma yiziphi izinambuzane eziyinkathazo.a

Ukuphila kwabafuyi nakho kushintshile. Imishini yokusenga nokuphakela izinkomo yenze ukuba umelusi oyedwa wezinkomo nomsizi wakhe bakwazi ukunakekela izinkomo ezingaba ngu-200. Abafuyi sebekwazi nokukhuluphalisa amankonyane nezingulube ngokushesha kunangaphambili, ngokuzivalela emashede esikhundleni sokuziyeka ziklabe, ngaleyo ndlela balawule izinga lokushisa nokudla ezikudlayo.

Yayivame ukumangalisa imiphumela yesayensi yezolimo. Imikhiqizo yabalimi abaningi yanda ngokuphindwe izikhathi eziyikhulu ngisho nangezinkulungwane ngaphezu kwababeyithola ngesisebenzi esisodwa. Kodwa leyo ntuthuko yakuthinta kanjani ukuphila kwabantu?

Indlela Yokuphila Yabalimi Yashintsha

Ezindaweni eziningi imishini iye yashintsha ukuphila kwabalimi ngezindlela eziningi. Iningi labalimi nezisebenzi zabo manje sekufanele libe ochwepheshe bokusebenzisa imishini eyinkimbinkimbi nokugcina isebenza kahle. Futhi izisebenzi eziningi sezisebenza ngazodwa. Sezadlula izikhathi ezimnandi zokulima, ukutshala nokuvuna njengeqembu.

Emazweni amaningi sekunolunye uhlobo lwabalimi, abangosomabhizini abafundile abagxila ekukhiqizeni kakhulu izinhlobo ezimbalwa noma olulodwa lokudla. Bachitha izimali ezishisiwe bethenga indawo, izakhiwo nemishini. Kodwa, basabadinga abanye osomabhizinisi. Izinkampani ezikhiqiza ukudla nezitolo ezinkulu azinqumi nje amanani kuphela kodwa nezinhlobo zakho, ubukhulu nombala walowo mkhiqizo. Onjiniyela bezolimo baklama uhlelo lokukhiqiza bese izinkampani ezithile zimnika uhlobo oludingekayo lukamanyolo, imithi yokubulala izinambuzane nembewu esilunjaniswe yafanelana nezimo zensimu yakhe. Baye bayithuthukisa indlela yokulima eyayisetshenziswa okhokho babo. Kodwa namanje basadonsa kanzima, futhi abanye abantu bakhathazekile ngemiphumela elimazayo engase ibangelwe yizindlela ezithile zokulima.

Abalimi Basabhekene Nobunzima

Emazweni achumayo abalimi abaningi basaxoshwa emapulazini abo ngenxa yokungakwazi ukuncintisana nezinkampani ezinkulu zabalimi. Abanye babambelela endleleni yabo yokuphila abayithanda kakhulu ngokungena emikhakheni yezokungcebeleka, kuhlanganise izindawo zokungenisa izivakashi noma izindawo zokugxumeka amatende, ezokudlala igalofu nezobuciko bezandla. Abanye batshala ukudla okukhethekile—njengokudla okungenawo amakhemikhali, izimbali, nama-alpaca bafuye nezintshe.

Emazweni ampofu, lapho abantu abangaba ngamaphesenti angu-80 bephila ngokulima, iningi labalimi abangakathuthuki libhekana noshintsho olucindezelayo. Izinkampani zakwamanye amazwe ezisebenzisa izindlela zokulima zezimboni, zithenga izindawo ezinhle kakhulu ukuze zilime izitshalo ezizodayiswa ezimakethe ezikude. Benemishini embalwa noma bengenayo nhlobo, abalimi abalima ngezandla kuye kudingeke balime indawo engavundile noma encane nje ezokhiqiza ukudla kwemikhaya yabo.

Ukuthuthela kwabantu abaningi emadolobheni okwenzeka ezindaweni eziningi njengamanje kuwumphumela wenqubo eyaqala emakhulwini eminyaka edlule. Ukushintshela endleleni yokuphila yasedolobheni kunokulima, kuyabazuzisa abanye kubacindezele abanye. Bambalwa ohulumeni uma bekhona, abaye banikeza usizo olusebenzayo nolwesihawu kubantu abathintekile. Yeka indlela isintu esiwudinga ngayo uMbuso kaNkulunkulu, oyobangela ushintsho olungcono endleleni yokuphila!—Isaya 9:6.

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Ibhokisi/Izithombe ekhasini 23]

IZINDLELA EZIMBILI ZOKULIMA

U-Eusebio uhlala e-Andes, lapho ezilimela khona izitshalo futhi anakekele izinkomo ezingu-14. Uthi: “Zonke zinamagama. Ngiyakuthanda ukulima. Siyazitshalela yonke imifino. Mina nomkami sisiza omakhelwane bethu lapho belima noma bevuna, nabo bese beyasisiza. Akekho onemishini phakathi kwethu. Silima ngezinkomo, ezindaweni ezikhuphukelayo silima ngezandla.

“Izinkomo zethu eziningi zake zabulawa yizifo. Ngemva kwalokho ngathatha izifundo ezimfushane zokunakekela izilwane. Kusukela lapho asibange sisafelwa yizilwane ngenxa yezifo, futhi sengikwazi nokusiza omakhelwane ngezilwane zabo. Sidayisa ushizi emakethe yendawo, kodwa incane kakhulu imali esiyitholayo. Noma kunjalo, sihlale sinakho ukudla kwezingane zethu eziyisithupha.”

URichard unepulazi elingamahektare angaphezu kwangu-500 enkangala yaseCanada. Uqashe umuntu oyedwa kuphela omsiza ngenkathi yokulima nokuvuna.

Uthi: “Kulezi zinsuku, ezolimo zicindezela kakhulu engqondweni kunasemzimbeni. Bobabili ogandaganda bami baneziphephetha-moya ezingivikela ezintulini nasezinambuzaneni. Nginemishini ebanzi ngamamitha angu-9, ngakho ngingahlwanyela noma ngivune indawo engamahektare angu-65 ngosuku. Kodwa ngithembele kakhulu emishinini, futhi yilokho okubangela ukucindezeleka. Ngezikhathi ezithile, kufanele ngithenge eminye imishini ngesikweletu. Ukuthi ngizokwazi ukubuyisela leyo mali kuxhomeke ezintweni engingenakuzilawula—imvula, isithwathwa, amanani okuthengisa umkhiqizo kuhlanganise nentela. Ukucindezeleka okubangelwa ukuba umlimi kudale izinkinga eziningi emishadweni yabalimi balapha, ngisho nokuzibulala.”

[Isithombe ekhasini 21]

Umshini wokuvuna kaMcCormick owasungulwa ngo-1831, wasiza abalimi ukuba bavune okusanhlamvu ngokushesha ngezikhathi ezinhlanu kunangaphambili

[Umthombo]

Wisconsin Historical Society, WHi-24854