The National Farmer’s Union president says boycotting company products isn’t the best way for farmers to fight biotechnology.
“I don’t like boycotting because it often doesn’t work effectively. Even though they can be tremendously successful, they are very hard to organize,” Corey Ollikka told farmers and students at a meeting at Augustana College in Camrose, Alta., after some in attendance suggested a boycott of companies whose products and tactics they don’t agree with.
But Ollikka said government should ensure technology, including genetic engineering and milk production hormones, are for public good.
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“Private industries are fundamentally incapable of providing leadership for the public good. This is not evil, it’s just not what they do best and expecting them to lead us, or believing they can, is actually an abandonment of our responsibility as citizens and government.”
Instead of boycotting products, Ollikka thinks more people should take part in public forums where they can share their views.
As well, he encourages those concerned with particular companies to write letters to them and above all, he encourages people to learn about the science behind biotechnology so negatives and positives can be determined.
“We as citizens must not be intimidated by the complexity of science or by the esoteric industry-specific dialects and language surrounding biotechnology.”
