Western Producer managing editor Michael Raine travelled to Phoenix, Arizona, last week to cover the 20th annual Commodity Classic, which calls itself “America’s largest farmer-led, farmer-focused convention and trade show.”
One of the events Michael attended while there featured the president of Bayer Crop Science, Jim Blome.
His coverage of the event and Blome’s comments there under the headline, “Farmers needed for food fight,” seem to be living up to the feisty billing if the flurry of comments being left in response is any indication.
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“As per usual, another agribiz executive with both feet in his mouth, another weak attempt at divide and conquer. The war, Mr. Blome, is not with the consumer and the producer….. It’s with an increasingly savvy citizenry and you, pal …” wrote a commenter identifying himself as Richard.
“A public completely in touch with their food has got you and your ilk in their sights … and there’s no where for you to hide.”
Blome, of course, sees things from a slightly different perspective, noting that larger-scale agriculture is thought of by some as being abusive to both land and animals.
“There is nothing more sustainable than a seventh generation (American) farmer,” Blome told the gathered crowd.
“They aren’t going to leave a mess for their kids.”
Commenter Sandra Finley thinks Blome hits the nail on the head when it comes to large-scale ag being abusive to land and animals.
“Mr. Bayer, you are right. Large-scale agriculture is thought of as abusive to land and animals. And we humans are members of the animal kingdom.”
Another commenter, Terry, said Bayer cannot be trusted.
“Less farms, bigger acre numbers on farms and farmers are supposed to step up and bail out Bayer Crop Science? Just like corporate liability, where the game of hot potato ends with the little guy burning his hands. Farmers would not leave a mess for their kids?” Terry asks rhetorically.
“They will and they have.… This is a trust issue and trust doesn’t return until someone claims responsibility or owns up to the problem, says what they are going to do and does it.”
An older blog posting by Winnipeg-based WP reporter Ed White was also generating a steady stream of comments from readers last week.
Ed took to his blog in the wake of the murders in France of Charlie Hebdo staffers to share his views on free speech.
“A number of vegans — people who think it is bad or wrong to eat anything derived from animals — decided to pounce on the (#farm365) hash tag and load it with anti-animal agriculture Tweets, including ugly photos of hurt animals and outraged statements about how terrible vegans think animal agriculture is,” he said in his post.
“This sort of messy but acceptable public discussion seems to be what’s happening on #farm365. Go look at it. It’s a fascinating example of free speech in the digital age.”
One comment from VeganRoo was particularly noteworthy, according to Ed.
“Farmers and the animal ag industry have been ‘telling their truth’ from the day we were born. The idea that animals are here for us, they are food, their lives don’t matter, we can use them for any end we desire but don’t need, is a story we’ve all been told all our lives,” wrote VeganRoo.
“It’s taken as a given, much like having chattel slavery was once an unquestioned given, and it’s time to question it.”
VeganRoo’s comment was well-received by others, prompting White to reply.
“That’s an exceptionally well-written and expressed response. To me, it sums up well the honestly held and passionately promoted viewpoint of many vegans. That’s good for farmers to see because sometimes they only see accusations and outraged allegations thrown against them and don’t get an appreciation for the basic assumptions underlying the vegan perspective.…
“When the different perspectives are laid out calmly and rationally like you’ve done, the underlying assumptions of both sides can be seen clearly by farmers, vegans, the public and anybody interested in studying the issue. I think this is infinitely more constructive than some of the very personal attacks that have been thrown at some farmers who think, from their perspective, that they’re doing everything right for their animals.”
Constructive, and well put, Ed. Let’s all remember that word whenever we choose to comment.
paul.yanko@producer.com
