[getsmart-l] National Farmers Union Ontario Commentary Looking backwards - working forwards

[John O'Gorman]

There are some positive trends emerging too.  One thing that appears to be happening is a growing number of eaters realizing the connections between food, health, community, local economies and our environment.  

----- Original Message ----- 
From: National Farmers Union Ontario 
To: National Farmers Union- Ontario Commentary 
Sent: Tuesday, January 01, 2008 4:56 PM
Subject: National Farmers Union Ontario Commentary Looking backwards - working forwards


 

Looking backwards – working forwards

A commentary for the National Farmers Union-Ontario

By Grant Robertson

 

The new year is traditionally a time when we look back at the year past and look ahead to the year just beginning.  Many of the issues that took prominence in agriculture in 2007 were hangovers from years previous and the same looks to be true for 2008.  Trends in food production and our food system often take significant time to play out and become clear.  Some trends have been clear for a few years and others seem to be slowly emerging.  

 

One of the trends that carried through 2007 and will no doubt unfortunately continue through 2008, unless government gets its act together, is the downward spiral of farm family income.  A trend that appears to be emerging is that the production of food and food itself is not simply the same as other commodities – that there is a social, economic and even a spiritual side to food and its value in our society.  

 

I have often wondered what to call this time period between 2000 and 2010.  When looking at farm income over this time and the obvious trend lines for farm families the term naught comes to mind – meaning both the number zero and nonexistent.  Realized net income for farm families has not been positive for a number of years now.  In fact net farm income broke the zero barrier and became negative in this decade.  The response from government has not been adequate and often misdirected.  Government has tinkered around with business risk management plans that are doomed to failure from their inception because of the design approach, often spurred on by the small number in the food system who truly benefit instead of dealing with some of the fundamental issues at the root of the farm income crisis.  The current pain felt by pork and beef farmers has a few causes, but a number of them are clearly rooted in government’s unwillingness to deal with a decades long failure of agricultural policy.  A failed direction that the NFU was often a lone voice warning of the consequences to follow.

 

There are some positive trends emerging too.  One thing that appears to be happening is a growing number of eaters realizing the connections between food, health, community, local economies and our environment.  A case in point is the media attention to the Product of Canada labelling. This allows such deceptive practices as apple concentrate from China being brought into Canada, some water thrown in and put into a bottle being labelled in such a way as to make consumers believe they are purchasing something grown in Canada to our standards.  Many eaters, not all of course, but a growing number are beginning to realize that highly processed foods, raised to the lowest and cheapest standards might have costs beyond their immediate grocery bills.  It is a long time in coming, but as people begin to question the total costs of their consumer purchases they inevitably have to come to an understanding of how important our farmers are and how farming must be financially viable if they are going to have the kind of food system they want.  With this comes the realization that big macro-economic questions need to be addressed about who controls food, who has sovereignty over our food system and who benefits and what the true costs are economically, socially and environmentally.

 

For 2008 if you are looking for a resolution you might want to keep, try this one on for size – this year I resolve to take control of my food system and do what I can so that the farmers I see in my community are able to make a living providing me with food.

________________________________________________________________________

Grant Robertson is a senior official with the National Farmers Union-Ontario and a National Board Member of the NFU. Grant and his family farm near Paisley, Ontario.  The author can be contacted at grant at bmts.com

If you have been forwarded this commentary and would like to be added to the distribution list please send an email to grant at bmts.com with “subscribe” in the subject line. 

 

 



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