Why is agriculture important?

Agriculture is more important than ever because of food security and food safety. It is also a “fundamental instrument for sustainable development and poverty reduction.” Agriculture isn’t only about food but also having access to clothing, household products, and medicine.

Have you ever seen those videos where people are asked where their food comes from? If you answered no… then hang tight because I found a couple! I think the biggest problem is that there are adults that don’t know where their food comes from. Have we taught kids enough about where their food comes from? Or how clothes are made? Why is agriculture important anyways… doesn’t our food come from the store?

My sophomore year of college I took a public speaking class. I’m not good at talking in front of a whole bunch of people so to help calm my nerves I talked about agriculture. I bring this up because one speech I gave was about how people, young and old, don’t know where their food comes from. I found a BBC article that said when they asked kids where eggs come from, some thought they grew at the base of a plant. This completely shocked me coming from a farm background but got me thinking about why this is the case.

Food for Thought

Another class I took at K-State was called “Contemporary Issues of Global Food and Ag.” I enjoyed that class as it helped me analyze how different countries interact with each other and how everything is interconnected. Throughout the entire semester we talked about topics in agriculture that tend to polarizing. Things that get people talking, debating, and sometimes even more.

Here are a couple topics that tend to be polarizing, along with two points of view.

• Must produce more food to support the growing population
  • Many consumers do not trust GMOs because of ethical issues, food safety, and corporate control. Some would rather not eat anything than eat GMOs
  • Using modern biotechnology like GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms) has increased crop yields, enhanced the quality of the product, and reduced the use of pesticides

• Trends of eating healthier foods
  • Organic food is healthier because pesticides aren’t used (or only specific ones) and is better for the planet.
  • False perception that healthy food must be organic however there is no scientific evidence that organic foods are safer or more nutrient-dense that non-organic foods. Organic foods require more land use (while producing lower yields) which can influence higher rates of deforestation

• Importance of Agriculture
  • Nitrate and pesticide runoff contribute to water pollution and other potential environmental concerns.
  • Global food security is more important than ever as the population grows. Not to mention… people love the idea of small towns, open spaces, and rural scenery.

Educating the Public about Agriculture

Here is another video that will blow your mind. This video is a bit long (10 minutes) but has a lot of information. I love videos like this because it opens your eyes to see how far people are from the farm. This particular video has a wide variety of people and their thoughts on agriculture. Check it out!

Why do you think agriculture is important? Or maybe why do you think its not important? Remember… Agriculture is Polarizing! (Thanks Dr. Janzen!)