As the World Trade Centre towers collapsed last week after terrorist attacks, so did our world as we know it. The loss of thousands of innocent lives and the mass destruction of property left us shaking in horror, revulsion and fear. The dawn of such atrocities robbed us of our innocence, sense of security and faith in humanity.
We were forced to explain to our children why humans kill humans, while we searched vainly within ourselves for the answers. Other problems we face in our lives seemed inconsequential compared to the mass loss of life and what may happen in impending events.
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We also learned we are not isolated from world events. We gained proof of what a global village we have become,
and how even our lives in Western Canada can be affected by international terrorism.
Our skies were silent as planes across North America were grounded, work was disrupted as national and international meetings were cancelled, and even mail delivery was delayed.
Ironically, as the Saskatchewan premier finally had a face-to-face meeting with the prime minister to stress the seriousness of the farm situation and to push farm support to the top of the political agenda, their meeting was interrupted by the news of the crashes.
Farmers may find themselves even lower on the political agenda during the next few months as they compete with larger issues such as our own country’s defence.
Other effects were felt. Grain prices fell, the majority of world grain trading ceased, the wheat board stopped making sales, and major commodity exchanges were closed.
While in the short term life appeared to return to normal within a few days, there will be long-term effects.
Food supplies may be affected by potential boycotts, customers nervous over internal grain stocks, and some countries hesitating on making grain tenders with their traditional partners. Commodity markets may remain volatile.
And international trade meetings such as the one planned for Qatar may be
postponed.
The last one may have a big impact on agriculture, as there was hope the World Trade Organization talks scheduled for November would bring some relief from international trade subsidies.
As the president of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance stated, “We need the Americans to be engaged and they will be distracted.”
The Americans aren’t the only ones distracted. Last week the entire world was forced to focus on how terrorism can temporarily cripple the most powerful democracy in the world and affect the global village, which relies heavily on international travel and business
transactions.
Agriculture must take a backseat to a more serious threat than international trade subsidies and bad weather – the threat of an international war.
Never have people’s lives in the world been so closely entwined and yet never have we felt more vulnerable.
