Agricultural News
Vilsack Says Consumers Missing Key Points in Food Debate
Mon, 16 Mar 2015 18:18:31 CDT
There is great divide in this country in how America's food is grown and produced. The battle over Genetically Modified crops, versus organic has come under scrutiny with the launch of a new video and website called New McDonald. Radio Oklahoma Network Farm Director Ron Hays asked U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack about this campaign that wants to harm production agriculture as he addressed reporters at the National Farmers Union Convention in Wichita, Kansas. Click or tap on the LISTENBAR below to listen to Vilsack's response.
With this discussions, Vilsack said we have to start raising the question, what are the advantages of American agriculture to the American family? One of the advantages is the low cost of food in America. Vilsack said if consumers don't like the process or want to change the process, great, but what is the cost to change it?
"What is it going to do with the cost of food, because I don't think you can make the case that the cost of food will remain the same," Vilsack said. "Think you have to make the case the cost of food will increase. Well, how do Americans feel about that?"
For people to make an informed decision, Vilsack said they need to know how that will impact the cost as well as the availability of food. He said that's part of the problem with the debate today is that the cost of food is never part of the conversation, as people argue over different practices. He said it doesn't get into, if you get rid of this practice - how will that effect your food bill? If Americans are ready to pay more for their food, Vilsack said agriculture has to be responsive and reactive.
"But I think you are going to find nobody really understands and appreciates the high costs associated with all of this and when they do it's going to be-.well hmmm," Vilsack said. "I'm not so sure about all of this. Then all of a sudden maybe people will begin understand what we currently have."
Vilsack said agriculture has to be sensitive to consumer's needs. He said farmers will have to do a better job educating consumers about their efforts in caring for the land, water, and animals. Vilsack said that story can never be told enough. Vilsack doesn't think agriculture has used social media as effectively as we need to. He finds those that are opposed to agriculture or particular forms of agriculture have used social media effectively to get people's attention. That's why he has encouraged groups like FFA to start thinking about creative ways to tell agriculture's story.
Vilsack finds there are much bigger issues to tackle, like who is going to farm, who is going to own the land as the older generation passes on? In looking at the future, he said with the climate, what is going to be grown in 30 - 40 years? Vilsack said those are much bigger questions than, are you for GMO labeling?
"No that's not the question, the question is how do we ensure this enormous diversity that we have that everybody can do what they want to do with their land," Vilsack said.
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