I think I have been quite
exhaustive in answering the previous questions and I will now
be more general. The seed industry, as agriculture in general,
has a bad image and as Dennis Avery* says "The attack comes
from the first mass movement in human history that doesn’t see
higher crop yields as a blessing. Our scare-hungry media
eagerly front-pages every unsubstantiated change made by the
activists".Obviously, in particular in developed countries,
which are leading the green movement at international level,
the links between the citizens and the farming community have
been cut a generation ago.
If most of the changes are un- or poorly- substantiated, we
have to admit mistakes have been made but before blaming the
"how", we have to explain the "why". Productivity has been
increased, sometimes at some cost to the environment but the
urgency was to feed a growing population. We now have to draw
the lessons from the past and to take a new start.
The message must be that we have to continue to increase
productivity on cultivated lands to feed and clothe the
increasing population and to preserve the marginal lands and
the wild habitats. But product stewardship, accountability and
transparency will be essential. Quoting Dennis Avery again:
"Ironically, when we farmed badly and food was scarce, the
public automatically awarded farmers with white hats; but now
high-yield agriculture must justify itself ". Communication
is probably the keyword for the future.
*
