Paul H. Williams, Gleaner Writer

We are living in interesting times. It's the Internet age, the post-space age. Mankind is at the height of its creative capabilities, and with all the advancement in technology, the world is on the brink of starvation. Yet, millions of acres of land worldwide are under cultivation. The yield, it is said, is now being used to make gasolene.

Locally, on an island whose inhabitants are in an eternal love affair with all things imported, the idea of growing what we eat, to counteract the shortage of food and high food prices, is put forward. Cassava, it was announced recently, is the panacea.

Since then, many arguments have been put forward for and against cassava, and the chief proponent has now earned himself the unflattering moniker of Dr Cassava! Prisoners who were sentenced to hard labour, but are only biding their time while being fed three square meals per day, will be put to the fields to cultivate what was once the staple of those who came before us, the Tainos (Arawaks).

Increase prison population

But if we are to produce any significant amount of cassava to feed 2.6 million people, we are going to have to increase the prison population. Why? The modern Jamaican youths, except for those who are dedicated farmers, have no intention of spending their youthful days cultivating cassava, bitter or sweet.

In the days when farming was king, young men took pride in farming the land, and were not caught up with how they look, and what they wear. Eating bread from the sweat of their brows had serious meaning. However, those days are gone and a new breed of Jamaican man has emerged, the one who is keeping 'malice' with the land.

It is now the age of the 'hot boy'. And it is not about farming in the hot sun rays. Dah!, they will stare you in the eyes and say. It is about looking fashionable and stylish. For the Internet and cable television have opened the eyes of Jamaican youths to a life of living in the fast lane, fashion and style, and hype.

They simply have no time to preoccupy themselves with things agrarian. There are so many more pleasurable things to do, more flashy clothes to wear, more hot girls to check out. The parties, the dances, the profiling. Getting up at six in the morning does not fit in with their schedule. They are just coming in, and they need one entire day to rejuvenate.

Moreover, planting cassava is not the end of the story. It requires nurturing until it comes to fruition, then reaping and processing. The inner-city Jamaican youth cannot be bothered with that. It's too slow, and doesn't fit in with his profile. Not his style. And where is the land?

A socialite

The parents of the brown, Upper-St Andrew youth might have a lot of it, but you dare not tell him to go plant cassava. The son of the plantocracy will be offended. He's a socialite and socialites do not do cassava, full stop. They are merchants, bankers and investors, and eaters of caviar and drinkers of fine wines. But bammy and cassava pudding? No!

OK, the urban and suburban youths might be challenged in terms of the unavailability of arable lands, class strictures, low self-esteem and other factors. The onus then is on the shoulders of their rural counterparts to help feed the nation. Is that so?

This 'hot' image is very much a part of the rural ethos, and like their urban peers, the rural hot boys are not prepared to get too close to the dirt. It's 2008 and they are not prepared to don khaki suits and water boots for the fields. The hot rural girls are going to see them, and their self-esteem is going to be crushed. More so, they too have dances to go to and appointments at the salons.

Just imagine a youth carrying a huge bag of cassava sticks on his neatly done 'cane row' to the market when he has a session to go to tonight. There are better things to do than to spend his days in the sunlight planting yam, dasheen, coco, etc. Working in the sun will darken his skin, and he just cannot allow that to happen.

Nonchalant youths

The idea of growing what we eat is an excellent one, because we might soon be unable to afford to import and buy from retailers. However, to get the youths of Jamaican to find themselves in the field on a daily basis is going to take some amount of mental re-engineering. Because the concept of the easy, laid-back lifestyle is now deeply embedded in the minds of the youths, and a generation of nonchalant youths is now passing on its values to the next.

But what am I personally going to do about the crisis? I was never brought up in farming. I have no farm land, cannot afford to buy piece anytime soon, do not know anyone who can lease me a few acres, and I'm 'allergic' to the sun (migraine issues) as some of the youths are. But, having said that, I have arranged with a farmer in St Elizabeth for him to take me through the rigours of cassava cultivation. In a feature to come soon, I will give my report. To me, it is cassava over style.

paul.williams@gleanerjm.com