Baladna plays a crucial part in dairy production in Qatar, part of the growth of Baladna came from having a local farm located in the north of Qatar (Al Khor). Due to lack of time I wasn’t able to go experience the Baladna Farm myself, I took it upon myself to Interview a couple of people that did attend the farm. Most said they went to the farm to have breakfast where all the food was made from local Baladna products. I asked them if they were able to see the factory producing the dairy, to which one replied “Yes, we could, there were modules of cows too. On one area of the farm, we were able to milk the cows ourselves which was fun and out of the ordinary.” Having experiences like this makes locals feel closer to the products that they are eating. This is a social benefit as people can see how their dairy products are being manufactured. However, the interviewees also mentioned that “Although this was an enlightening experience to milk the cows, it could be a health precaution as the cows are being milked by people outside of the factory, which means they could have unsanitary hands or unnecessary germs that come with the produce. Another Interviewee said “It was a very different experience to what we are used to, when going to the farm it felt like a different world. I think it’s because we’re so used to urban life we forget the small things like the beauty of the environment’s structure”.
Naess’s “The Third World Wilderness and Deep Ecology” discusses the western view of wilderness in third-world countries. The key argument is that third-world countries will be evicted from their homes as a reason to make more room for species. Even though all mankind lived in the wilderness in a sense. There is the concept of rich countries being the countries that have deep ecology regimes and they can “afford” the luxury of the wilderness in their nations. I recognize that it’s a big jump to discuss deep ecology with the topic of the introduction of Baladna in Qatar. However, what aspect I am delving into is the concept of development in the agricultural sense. An issue was found in the nation of Qatar, the shortage of dairy products after the blockade and how it is a part of citizens’ desires to consume these products. But ultimately a solution was found, this could be linked to the idea that being a rich country with luxuries in hand is beneficial in acting fast in such situations. Qatar imported cows from abroad and created a new agricultural farm that boosted the economy. Which was critical in making a change and thinking fast to get more cows into Qatar to be placed on a farm to produce.
Why I related this to the text is because Naess suggests that Third World Countries tend to live in deserted areas and “subsistence agriculture” is imposed on them. Gary Synder’s formulation was mentioned in the essay, He believes that the misplacement and the invasion of species are letting the poor not be able to reach economic progress and for the richer countries to be more focused on the urbanization of these countries. By turning these areas in Qatar into agricultural farms, it is not only enabling economic progression but also a better use for the environment. Therefore creating Agricultural farms and moving species into them is not always threatening as the writer suggests. One critique I will say however is how Qatar is seen as a Third World country but also one with a fast economic development, which made Qatar rich and thriving in a short period due to oil reserves. But with the blockade and the need to rely on itself, Qatar’s economy is boosting as well as its environmental aspects that allow people to create a deeper relationship with the environment.
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