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  • From: "Del Williams" <delannw AT dlogue.net>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Re: GMO Education?
  • Date: Sat, 24 Mar 2001 07:56:47 -0600


Alison,
Last year I attended a Farm Bureau meeting on GMO's as a reporter for our
local small town newspaper. (I called before the meeting to ask if I could
cover it. No problem.)
(I still have the article if you want to read it.)

The Farm Bureau had a couple of speakers from their offices and they were
very good at spelling out the pro's and con's mainly from a marketing and
price view. It was a pretty balanced presentation from every point of view
except one. One farmers asked if there were ways to sit down with GMO
opponents and discuss their concerns. Opponents were characterized as
Greenpeace type zealots who wouldn't be interested in participating in any
dialogue. Obviously, this isn't true.

To their credit, the speakers suggested that farmers start looking at
organic growing practices ... but really from the point of view of price. I
thought that was pretty generous given the general history of the Farm
Bureau and its connections to GMO promoters and developers. But, who in
conventional farming isn't connected?

As for universities sending out their professors to spread the GMO gospel, I
can only say that anyone connected with a university knows how much they
depend upon grants to support research, graduate students, and to develop
the reputation of the university. Yes, many of them are publicly funded but
they depend upon the millions of dollars of public and private grant money
that buy equipment, pay salaries, buy off teaching time for research, etc.
It is a real feather in the cap (and $ in the pocket) of any professor who
can attract funding. No university professor gains tenure or promotion for
being a stellar teacher. It is publication, period. Research that leads to
publication requires money, time and an appropriate outlet for publication.
Every discipline has its most highly esteemed publications and that is what
they are shooting for. Anyway, the money from privately funded research
certainly helps.

My view is that more people like you ought to show up at these events, ask
good questions and let it be known that you don't buy it. This presentation
was targeted for those who have grown or plan to grow GMO crops. That's why
they sent an economist. University coordinated extension services do seek
to serve their clients - farmers. If a significant number of farmers in
their area are organic or sustainable they will seek to serve that
population. But you have to show your face, write your letters, try to get
organic programs started, presented and attended.

Even at the University of Illinois, I have been able to attend pest
workshops that were entirely focussed on non-chemical practices. Imagine
that. They were well attended but not by large farms - in general. I
remember one that started out with the phrase, "If you're spraying at all
you're spraying too much." It got my attention. I've also attended
integrated pest management education (that does pesticide application under
certain conditions) and learned an enormous amount from conventional
growers. Everybody knew I was organic but nobody cared.

Anyway, my point is that the extension service will seek to support its
customers - whoever they are. But they are looking for numbers. The fact
that 7,000 letters about a GMO presentation brought out so few people (and
some organic) sent some kind of message. I'm sure they are trying to figure
it out.

Del Williams
Farmer in the Del








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