Union Farmer - Winter 2001

"Divide and conquer" vs "In Union is Strength"

"Those agribusiness entities," McGuire said, "have used governments and public farm policy to drive commodity prices to the lowest levels in history. They have pitted farmers in the US against Canadian farmers on issues such as dumping, and convinced US farmers to spend time and resources attacking entities such as the Canadian Wheat Board. Part of their strategy is to create the illusion that we have to try to put each other out of business to survive. As farmers we must not fall for that trap. If we do, we play right into the hands of the corporations."

Again this echoed Paul Olson's analysis: "Industry and government have been very successful in pitting one farmer against another, one region against another, one commodity against another. It's called divide and conquer, and they're making it work, because enough farmers think they can make it on their own as an independent. Well, it's great to produce as an independent, but don't ever try and go to the marketplace as an independent, because they'll eat you for breakfast. They'll only pay as you as much as you make them pay. Farmers banding together can demand a price - the price they deserve and so desperately need."

That is what Canada has managed to achieve with the Wheat Board and our supply management systems, which Olson admires. "You've got a good æ thing going in dairy, maybe not perfect, but it's a whole lot better than what we've got. As for the CWB, that's yours. Your built it. Don't' lose it."

The "free trade" threats to those systems are part of the same "divide and conquer" strategy. "These so called trade agreements were designed for the industry and for the powers that be, not for you and I," Olson told the Convention. "GATT and NAFTA were designed to drag your economy and ours down to Mexico's, not theirs up to our standards."

Back on the farm and in our communities, the speakers agreed the path to prosperity has to be one of unity and mutual support. That's not easy, as progressive farm organizations know only too well. Olson lamented the fact that too many farmers still "fail to recognize that they absolutely must organize and go one direction. That's like trying to keep frogs in a wheelbarrow. And some would rather give up or sell out than fight."

But as Dan McGuire remarked, "I can't believe that Canadian or US farmers want to serve as the hired hands on our own land to be exploited by corporate-concentrated agribusiness. We can't afford to waste our time fighting with each other and viewing each other as the opposition when indeed we're all in this together. The real opposition on the issues of price and policy is that there are a handful of corporate predators making record profits at our expense. Farmers can't allow them to continue harvesting all the profits from our production while we take all the risk." Working together is the only answer.

This unity element is vitally important at the personal level as well. In the panel discussion on organic agriculture, both Ian Miller and Ineke Booy emphasized the need for peer support and information exchange among farmers making the shift from conventional agriculture to more sustainable models. "If you go organic it's really important that you feel that you have support," said Booy.

In conclusion, Paul Olson told his NFU audience, "There's only a few things standing in the way of corporate agriculture in your country and mine. In your country, I'm looking at them. I want to work with you. We're in this together. Anything we can do together we absolutely have to. This thing is worth saving, it's worth fighting for, and we can make a difference. It really boils down to faith, teamwork, and determination. Every day we get up we can change just a little bit, and if all of us can do the same, we can change a lot."