Union Farmer - Winter 2001

"A Little More Radical..."

That phrase might be used to describe the paths chosen by some the speakers on the Convention's panel on "Alternative Paths to Profit: Organic and Input-Reduced Agriculture". The panelists were Ineke Booy, an organic crop and dairy farmer and

NFU Coordinator for western Ontario, Dr. Martin Entz, a plant scientist from the University of Manitoba, Stuart Brandt of Agriculture Canada's Scott Research Farm, and Ian Miller, an organic farmer from Rock Glen, Saskatchewan.

"When we decided to go organic and shake off the shackles of the Monsantos of the world," Booy told the Convention, "we were empowered by our decision. We felt we had more control over our destiny, and we started to trust our own instincts and conclusions. We were making our own observations, not fighting nature, but working with it. Now we produce food, not commodities traded in skyscrapers."

Entz described the shift he sees beginning to happen as farmers seek sustainable alternatives. "Over the past 50 years we've been shifting away from producer-based, knowledge-based systems to a centralized model with one-size-fits-all solutions. We've been substituting technology for knowledge. This '1-800' farming concentrates the power away from the farm; the control goes to industry." By contrast, he said, farms in the future could have several different systems, ranging from a more conventional agriculture to pesticide-free or certified organic production. The result would be a more environmentally sustainable "decentralized model of knowledge-intensive farming where control goes to the farmer."

Farmers' control over their own production and quality of life was a major theme of the presentations. "I went organic to gain control of my farm again," said Miller. "I wanted to get away from those off-farm inputs and costs. To get into Genetically Modified crops, the control's going right back to big multinationals." Paul Olson said much the same thing. "We're in the process of getting certified organic," he said, "because I'm sick and tired of making a cheque out to Monsanto every year like I did when I sprayed my crops. Maybe it's not for everyone, but it's what the consumers want. And the consumers have a right to be concerned about what's being shoved down their throats."

This is not just altruism. All the panelists cited statistics or personal experience showing that input-reduced and organic agriculture can sometimes be more profitable than conventional farming. We may be approaching a time when today's conventional chemical-based farming will be viewed as out-of-date and not only environmentally but also financially risky for the farmer.