The Real Message in the ‘March Against Monsanto’

Protestors implying that farmers are bad stewards of their land

This past weekend’s third annual worldwide event of the ‘March Against Monsanto’ signifies how disconnected average consumers are from the people responsible for producing the food we eat: farmers.

For those of you not aware Monsanto is an agriculture company that produces a variety of products, which it sells directly to farmers. Monsanto is just like numerous other agriculture companies that produce chemicals and seeds for farmers to use and plant, generating food that we all require to survive. Every farmer has the choice of which agricultural firm to purchase chemical and seed products from prior to seeding. When consumers march against Monsanto, the message that is being sent is that they are protesting against the way many of our local farmers manage their land and the choices they make to earn a living.

I am not a farmer myself, however I take pride in coming from a farm and know the sweat, energy and respect that goes into producing food from your own land. Land is the most valuable asset that farmers possess. Farmers constantly work to ensure that the quality of their land is improving and to do so, they adopt technologies that will benefit the quality of their land. As a result of vastly tested science, farmers now use seeds that produce genetically modified crops that are more environmentally sustainable than previous crop technologies as fewer chemicals are required to produce these crops and the chemicals that are used are safer for the environment than the previous ones. In producing the food that feeds us, farmers need to use the best technology that allows their farm to be sustainable and this frequently includes products produced by Monsanto.

When all the people marched and protested over the weekend, the message they were sending to the crucial people that produce our food is that they are essentially criminals for choosing to produce our food in the best available ways for their family farm. Protestors allege that these farmers are poisoning the earth and killing untold millions of people. Sadly, I’m quite sure that the majority of protestors over the weekend don’t actually know a farmer or have ever visited a modern farm.

Producing enough food to feed in excess of 7 billion people takes a great deal of modern technology. These technologies have been approved and tested rigorously by regulators and evaluated by numerous health organizations. Obviously many consumers have a mistrust for biotech innovations which companies like Monsanto produce, however this stems from a lack of understanding how modern crops and food are grown and produced. Farmers are intelligent business owners that work to ensure their farm is producing food products in the best possible manner and I will continue to trust the words and actions of our farmers every single day of the week over the voices of uniformed environmental protestors.

Those wonderful people that produce the food that feeds us every day do so with pride and integrity. They firmly believe that the actions they choose to produce our food are done so with the best intentions for everyone concerned: them as farmers; us as consumers; and the environment in their fields. Every investment they make into new technologies, increases the amount of food that is produced, but also contributes to making their farm a successful family business for their children and grandchildren.

I think that one thing the world needs a bit more of it trust. When it comes to the message that is being waved on signs in huge cities about the danger of an agriculture company like Monsanto, I will choose to trust the people that produce my food. If farmers don’t know the benefits of using the products produced by firms like Monsanto, then no one does. For me, I trust farmers.