Today's Babylon

Through the millenia the source of our food has been moving more and more into professional farming and distribution chains leaving its consumers to focus on their every day occupations. This is a reasonable and logical progression in a changing society. However to lose touch with where our food comes from entirely is not necessarily a positive thing and even can reduce appreciation and fulfilment of some human enjoyment of this food. Of course not for everyone but some in recent years have yearned for this closer contact. In the following post we explore that perhaps some of this yearning has a deeper rooted reason and with so many people moving from one culture to another for work or other reasons, dietary disruption is widespread. For one lady, lucky enough to have a wealthy husband, the following story unfolded. Was she the first plant based, organic gardening enthusiast recorded in history?

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon also known as Hanging Gardens of Semiramis and the Walls of Babylon were considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Legend has it that King Nebuchadnezzar II built the gardens to please his wife Queen Amytis, who missed the green hills and valleys of her homeland Media, which is now part of modern Iran. The gardens were said to have been built in the ancient city of Babylon, near present-day Hillah, Babil province, in Iraq. The gardens are the only one of the Seven Wonders for which the location has not been definitively established.

Babylonian priest Berossus, writing in about 290 BC, attributed the gardens to the Neo-Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar II, who ruled between 605 and 562 BC. There are no extant Babylonian texts that mention the gardens, and no definitive archaeological evidence has been found in Babylon. Three theories have been suggested to account for this: that they were purely mythical, that they were in Babylon but were completely destroyed, or they were built in Nineveh.

Regardless, the dream of Amytis to recreate a piece of her homeland’s lush landscape within the arid plains of Mesopotamia carries a powerful message that resonates even today. In an increasingly urbanised world, people are rediscovering the value of growing their own food and reconnecting with the natural systems that sustain us.

Is it the original experience of the human spirit that makes us feel like a part of nature should be closer to our dwelling and lifestyle? Do we as a species that has evolved over millions of years of existing with nature around us need nature close by more than we currently experience, especially in our urban environments?

Can we ever look forward to a time when policy dictates the public and private planted environment buildings and streets can be accommodated within the plan rather than making nature fit our buildings and streets? Urban Agriculture and vertical farming is taking advantage of the huge technological leaps achieved in recent years but our planned environment is not keeping pace.

The environmental age has arrived, people want nature more part of the sustainability solution when they go home, or indeed go to work, eat fresh produce, grow some fresh produce and enjoy diversity. This is all more possible in urban environments than ever before.

Nature does not just provide us with a means to energy we use to power our appliances it also gives us the energy provided by well being of our diet.

The good news for mankind is that there is an ample supply of skilled businesses that can supply such a services that will be able to harness renewable resources to provide both forms of energy. Of course many other organisms will benefit from having nature closer to our places of work and living. The circle of life may well need to be closer to our door than we imagined.

At Beotanics, we believe the future of food lies in reconnecting people with the plants that nourish them. Whether through sustainable crop innovation, plant-based ingredient development, or supporting urban agriculture initiatives, we are committed to bringing nature closer to the communities that need it most.