People in developed countries are beginning to recognize that we can't have healthy people without some exposure to animals, plants and other humans.

That's according to Dr. Lowell Catlett, economist and futurist at the University of New Mexico. Catlett was the keynote speaker at the 2011 International Crop Expo in Grand Forks.

"I don't know what to call it so I call it 'plants, animals and people' because we know that humans really like to be around - and are healthier when they're around - plants and animals and humans," says Catlett.

He says farmers have always instinctively known the benefits of spending time with natural life, however those benefits have not been measured or studied.

"Most of us that grew up on the farm or in rural areas instinctively knew it. We wanted to be home, we felt comfortable, even though we didn't know why," he says.

Whether it's bringing pets into seniors homes or using horses to treat people suffering from addictions, there's a long list of examples of how this societal shift is occurring.

Catlett says there's a movement in some parts of the world to build seniors homes on farms.

"Where would you rather spend your last days? In a hospital room that's drab and grey, staring at a plastic chair, or sitting on a porch on a farm nursing a glass of wine made by the farmer while petting your dog and looking at the trees?" he asks. "Or look at some of the new office buildings where they're building with living walls. The people that work in that building, they get a cleaner atmosphere and the plants are soothing to them."

"In urban environments, we like to go out and have our lunch in a park under a tree rather than just sitting on the street listening to car noise. So we're finding out that we do like these spaces and now we're having to re-build them."

He says agriculture has a major role in the future of healthcare.

"We do know that if you heal better at home because you're around their dog, or cat, or love ones, that cuts down on the cost of healthcare, because every day you're not in the hospital and healing faster, that saves a lot of money," he says.

As wealthy baby-boomers hit retirement, they're willing to pay for opportunities to spend time with animals and nature. Catlett says farmers are in a position to offer these benefits to the rest of society.

The 10th annual International Crop Expo wrapped up yesterday.



~ Friday, February 18, 2011 ~