Agricultural News
Ag's Mission to Feed the World Wouldn't be Possible Without Modern Technology Says Gary Sides
Fri, 29 Sep 2017 11:11:19 CDT
Whether you are talking about modern production agriculture for animals or crops, Dr. Gary Sides of Zoetis, says we need the current technologies of today to keep a rapidly growing world population fed. He told Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays in a recent interview that we as an industry, simply cannot go back to "the good ol' days."
"In the United States, if we use the same ag technology today as what we did in the 1950s, then we can only feed half of our current US population - just half!" he said. "On a global basis, we would need an additional 25 million sq. mi. of farmland, which is the land mass of South American. Not possible. People starve on an organic, natural diet. Technology is what feeds us all."
Despite this fact that Dr. Sides presents, companies continue to promote organic food labels and claim them to be healthier and more nutritious for consumers - and charge a premium for them. Dr. Sides takes issue with this practice on a question of these companies' ethics. Citing studies conducted in the UK, Sides says research shows there is no difference between organic and conventionally raised products, both nutritionally or health-wise. Sides remarks that farmers make up only one percent of the total population and it is up to that one percent to change the minds of everyone else - because no one else is going to defend the industry for them.
"It's up to our current producers," he said. "They need to take the step forward and engage in conversations lovingly and convincingly - tell folks what they do for a living so that what they eat is good for them and good for the environment."
Listen to Farm Director Ron Hays' full conversation with Dr. Gary Sides from Zoetis, as they discuss technology's role in agriculture's mission to feed the world, on today's Beef Buzz.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR below for today's show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
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