The Rural Voice, 2019-08, Page 14 It is time to lose the ‘us-versus-
them’ attitude when it comes to food
production.
While it’s true that a large
percentage of the population of
developed countries like Canada is
woefully ignorant of the practices of
today’s farmers – whether it is the
industrialized version, organic or
anything else – there are disconnects
as well within the farming population
itself.
How can people in the city be
expected to have trust in the industry
when farmers and all the others
directly involved cannot agree about
the direction that should be taken?
A few years back, Syngenta
commissioned the consulting firm
Edelman Berland to conduct an on-
line survey of several thousand
consumers from 13 different
countries in North America, South
America, Europe, Africa and Asia. It
showed an across-the-board
preference among responders for
things like organic, local and urban
production and the need to reduce
pesticide use. The results,
interestingly, were similar across all
countries.
There was also an indication that
most people – around 90 per cent –
believed that producing more food
for the growing world population
would be an important challenge
over the coming years though no
mention of food waste was made. At
the same time, the nod was given to
government and large-scale farming
as having the greatest potential in
meeting the demand.
The numbers backing large-scale
production, interestingly, varied
widely. They were highest in the
U.S. and Russia at 46 per cent.
France, Kenya and Switzerland,
however, were much lower at 19, 22
and 26 per cent, respectively.
Concerning the environmental
impacts of agriculture and the
impacts on rural communities, there
was generally a great deal of
uncertainty expressed, reflecting the
ignorance most people have for the
subjects.
With biodiversity and land
fertility, for example, the majority of
people indicated agriculture’s impact
is neutral or even positive, though
it’s widely accepted among the
scientific community that agriculture
has had a negative effect on both and
continues to do so.
There was also support in most
countries for getting more people
involved with primary agriculture.
The notable exceptions were China,
India and Indonesia where there are
still large farming populations.
The global community needs to be
better informed. Alarm bells should
be ringing.
The way the bulk of the world
food is currently being produced is
having a negative impact on our air,
water, soil and wildlife – the whole
environment. Yet most players
within the dominant agricultural
industry, including farmer-led lobby
organizations, are either in a state of
denial or have placed their own
interests to the fore, regardless of the
consequences.
Most individual farmers, I
suspect, are aware of the challenge
but given cost-price crunch, feel
unable to respond. It’s hard to invest
in things like clean water or even
healthy soils when the potential for
profitability is at best uncertain and
when most of those involved are
approaching the end of their farming
careers.
Government could help, but
appears compromised, a victim to
lobby organizations intent upon
maintaining the status quo. Consider,
for instance, the latitude granted to
the seed and chemical companies to
continue along their destructive path.
Farmers need to find new allies who
are fully informed. Only through
consumer education which places the
ugly realities of the agricultural
industry in the same discriminating
light its successes can real change be
generated. ◊
10 The Rural Voice
The food and
farm disconnect
Jeff is a
freelance
journalist
based
in Dresden,
Ontario.
Jeff Carter
Toll Free: 1-888-534-0393
STEVE CRONSBERRY (Owner)
OFFICE 519-343-3233
HOME 519-338-2373
50 years of experience in providing
professionally designed &
installed drainage systems
MARQUARDT
FARM DRAINAGE LTD.
Established 1968
We provide you with the best of:
• Drainage knowledge & expertise
• Free estimates based on our expertise
• Competitive pricing
• Personal Service
• Detailed Field Surveys
• Professionally designed & installed
drainage systems
• Installation using GPS technology
• Excavator & backhoe work
2 Crews
Since 19
9
2