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The FIFA carnival has come and gone, and like any traveling circus it was filled with heart-stopping thrills, breathtaking skills and a few clowns to add some comic relief. In its wake, we are now left to nurse the football craving, ponder what to do with our shiny new sports cathedrals and consider how best to capitalize on the nation building euphoria, before reverting back to our true national sport - bickering.

2010 was a first in many respects for both South Africa and the World Cup. It was the first World Cup to be held on African soil and the first time vuvuzelas became a global talking point (potentially our next biggest export opportunity since the wooden giraffe). South Africa was, unfortunately, the first host country not to proceed to the second round. It was however, also the first World Cup where fans were armed with new technologies: social media and the opportunity to vent and publish online.

For me, the last point is the most significant, and one that FIFA should be placing at the top of their post-mortem discussions. Like the Olympics, the World Cup is held every four years. This adds an exciting element into the tournament's dynamics. In a digital age, however, four years represents a quantum leap in altered social dynamics, and the 2010 World Cup just proved how out of step FIFA had become with this fast-changing world.

The tongue lashing FIFA received from fans and media is well documented, but the one word that kept cropping up in relation to FIFA sponsorship deals and interaction with the public was "draconian": a word derived from a 7th century law maker who was notorious for severe punishment of the most trivial offences. The heavy handed manner in which FIFA dealt with the Bavaria ambush marketing incident was the most publicized, but that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Read more: How FIFA misjudged the digital natives

The world is moving to a new place in an old way. It seems the faster we move forward the further back we need to reach. Like the swings we used to play on when we were young. Parabolic harmonious oscillation it's called. Seriously.

This movement of reaching back to go forward is found throughout our western world. Reaching back to the ancient in order to understand and deal with the present and the future and it is to be found in every conceivable field.

Even in chickens.

According to a small article in National Geographic magazine, March 2009, Chickens have become the new 'urban livestock of choice' in New York City and in many other urban areas across the US. The reasoning is simple, if you have a few chickens, you can feed yourself.

With the industrial revolution and the migration to urban areas, subsistence farming fell rapidly. Why would you need to keep your own chickens or grow your own food when you can buy a pre-packaged pre-cooked pre-cheesed pre- crumbed ball that resembles chicken? But together with the slowly rising awareness of healthy eating coupled with the catalytic power of the recession many are taking back control of the source of their daily bread.

With sites like www.backyardchickens.com giving advice on everything you need, complete with discussion forums for all your chicken troubles, many are returning to the age old practice of merely taking care of yourself.

Growing vegetables and fruit in the city is also becoming more and more popular, not only does it bring you readily available fresh produce for much less out of your pocket you are also sure of the safety of the food. With films such as Food Inc. doing the rounds not one of us can say we didn't know anymore.

Information on how to grow your own garden is readily available online. Sites such as www.eatyourgarden.co.za even offer an affordable starter package complete with an on-site consultant thrown in for the day. Even if you live in a small apartment with no soil you have no excuse, www.gardeningknowhow.com will teach you how to grow your vegetables vertically.

Subsistence farming is back and here to stay and not just in the rural areas, but very much within the urban centres. From just growing your own basil on a windowsill to keeping an entire brood of chickens in your townhouse garden subsistence farming in urban areas is becoming more and more popular.

We have all been affected in one way or another by 'load shedding' and power outages. Power supply is a major problem not only in South Africa but throughout the world. The demand is simply exceeding the supply. Locally

buying a solar water heater has become very common place, you can even pick one up at your local flea market, where once it was just a eccentric or tree hugger thing to do, not to mention expensive. As these are becoming more affordable each day more people are opting for this self sustaining (and of course money saving) option.
It is just another step towards independence.

There are many ways that are emerging daily and many that are being recaptured from days gone by that contribute to this trend of consumers becoming producers. It seems it will be the past that will lead the way to the future once again.

The question however we must ask of every possible trend is, so what?

So what does this have to do with me? There is a saying, 'He who controls your breadbasket controls your destiny'. Now if more people are taking control of their breadbaskets or at least in part they will become more independent and thus less dependent on the supply chain.

When people no longer need to be supplied with food or power, it has the potential to release a significant amount of income; lower income groups spend 40% to 60% of their income on food. Or if it doesn't release income, it certainly has the possibility to release time. When you don't need to work 12 hours a day to fill a shopping trolley anymore, what will you do? After you have tended your garden and fed your chickens of course.

What do these people need when they don't need consumables anymore? How can we help and guide more people into this lifestyle that will ultimately create a cleaner environment, a more socially connected and responsible community? What is it that they will still need?

Pierre Du Plessis