I think we as Marxists should all know the basics of how to keep people fed in an emergency.
I'm not saying everyone has to be an avid gardener. Most people don't have access to enough land for that anyway. But if enough people have some very basic gardening experience it could save lives if we ever have to fully rely on mutual aid to feed people. Plus you get a nice treat out of it, and it can be cheap. No need to buy stuff. Honestly it's better if you dont. I've grown beans by just throwing old dried grocery store beans into some dirt outside before for example.
Even if you fail you learn what not to do. One of the things that all AES states have had serious issues with is food production. Cuba, DPRK, Laos still have issues with it today. It’s been a major weapon in the past for the capitalist global powers to use against AES states. Actively sabotaging their food production, or blocking imports. Having some skills in that area can be extremely important.
You can even use it as a way to engage in active decolonization. A lot of areas had european farming practices forced onto them, but had indigenous practices which were more effective for their climates, and more sustainable. A good example is the 3 sisters method in North America.
You grow corn stalks, let them mature a bit, then put vining beans around them to grow up the stalks. Then plant squash around the base to shade the ground and retain moisture. It's a highly effective method and doesnt take much land to do it.
You could even take what you grow and if you have too much donate it to people who need food.
Also if you can't garden due to not having space a good alternative is foraging. Learn what plants are edible in your area. A lot of weeds are entirely edible. I like wood sorrel it looks like little clovers and is super sour like lemon. grows pretty much everywhere. You'd be surprised how much food grows even in cities in little abandoned lots. I've had plenty of days where the only reason i had vegetables to eat was because i knew what to forage for lol. They can be a great way to round out your diet when surviving off staples like rice and beans.
If you learn how to forage some basic leafy greens, do basic first aid, and some basic gardening skills you reduce your reliance on capitalism so much for very little effort. I highly recommend it.
Like here's a dirt cheap option. Plastic grocery bag hung from the lock mechanism on a window(probably double bag it), filled a bit with dirt from outside. Put a dried bean in it from the store, and eat the rest. In a few months, if you take care of it, you'll have fresh green beans. 0$ spent that wouldn’t otherwise be spent.
I like to think about it like this. If tomorrow a loaf of bread cost 25$ all of a sudden could I survive? Could I help other people survive? One of the biggest weapons the ruling class wields against us is the fact they control the food. If we want to fight against them we are going to have to take back control over that first. Before even beginning a revolution. Otherwise they’ll just starve us out. The first step to doing that is probably you trying to grow a plant in your window and failing.
