In this final segment of the four part series, Jay Bradshaw discusses how the public perception of agriculture is one of Syngenta’s and farmers greatest threats. Whether you are Syngenta, Crop Life or a farmer it can be difficult to manage against the eyes of public perception. This is especially true in Ontario with Bill 64 (urban pesticide use) as people will not be able to use pesticides for home and garden use as of April 2009. The reality is that what is next? Many of these same products are used on farms and this truly feels like the “thin edge of the wedge,” as Jay describes it.
I like Jay’s idea of “The Food Belt”. The majority of city dwellers are 2 generations away from the farm.
The food advertisers tend to paint an old fashioned picture of agriculture by including 1960 tractors and pickup trucks. A recent Quaker Oats advert shows a bale of oats and tells that the oats are hand picked. Why not show a little more reality. (My current pet peeve). After all who would use an accountant who uses only an adding machine?
When I talk to my city neighbour about how we use sattelite technology to better target the use of fertilizer they are amazed and want to know more. There is a segment out there that wants an informed picture of how we farm.