Recently, I’ve been engaging in a lot of Twitter discussions and sharing some blog posts about attitudes in agriculture, the future of farming, and overcoming the divisions that seem to exist between organic and conventional farmers. I could go into a long discussion here about the causes of this problem, apportioning blame to farmers and special interest groups (for lack of a better term) on both “sides” but I’m more interested in exploring ideas about how to bridge the gap.
To me, the benefits are obvious: farmers of all stripes are experimenting with new tools and new management techniques, applying newly-gained knowledge, and fine-tuning and improving their farming practices to achieve a common set of goals (better yields, higher crop quality, enhanced animal welfare, better financial returns, etc.) and while everything may not be 100% applicable to all production methods, there is surely a lot to be gained by sharing knowledge and experience.
In too many instances, however, the agricultural community is divided into “two solitudes.” This is particularly evident during the upcoming season of conferences, workshops, meetings, and farm shows. Despite the growing market opportunities in organic food and the best intention of conference organizers to increase organic production (not to mention potentially useful presentations), it’s unusual to see conventional farmers at “organic” conferences. And unless it’s a machinery show, organic farmers don’t tend to show up at “conventional” events. But these events are where farmers generally go to learn new things.
So how do we bridge the gap? How do we make agricultural events more welcoming to all types of farmers and provide opportunities for farmers to share experience and knowledge gained from a range of production methods? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below!
The Fanning Mill 
Eric Baumholder
October 31, 2013
‘Bridging the gap’ between organic and conventional will continue to be a problem for as long as refusal to coexist remains the central marketing message of organic agriculture and food.
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Barclay Meinert
October 31, 2013
The central premise of organic production is it is better for you, and therefore it can demand a premium in the market.
But it isn’t. Tested on the shelves there is no real difference in the product at market.
And to add more to the problem. Often the argument isn’t just that the organic product is better; it is argued that the conventional product is contaminated… That the conventional product is worse for you than the organic one.
As a conventional producer you are proposing my cooperation and promotion of a product that exists only as a competitor to my own. One whose proponents often present falsehoods about both their own and my products.
So how do you bridge the divide? Well as it stands today you can not. The two systems are mutually exclusive. And that in my view is a choice made in order to promote and market the organic production. It is not a bug…. It is a feature.
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Bill Price (@pdiff1)
October 31, 2013
Thanks for starting this discussion, Rob. I’ll expand on my tweet from earlier today. My first wish on the list of things to do would be to just stop using labels. Stop having Organic or Conventional conferences and just have farming conferences. Stop comparing Industrial vs Local, Organic vs Conventional, GMO vs Non-GMO, Corporate vs Family. These terms only exist to divide. If we stop trying to make each other look different, we will eventually realize that we are not.
Second, I would start focusing on solutions, not problems. Stop complaining and start showing potential solutions. In order to follow through with this, we need the third point: We must respect one another’s questions, concerns, answers, and solutions with the overarching understanding that what we propose to do or choose to adopt should be oriented towards one common goal, agricultural production.
Yeah, I know that is all “Kumbaya, love your neighbor” type talk and not my typical mode of thought, but beyond the triteness of those words, these are essential concepts that must occur before we can all “get along”.
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PythagoreanCrank (@PythaCrank)
November 3, 2013
“Stop comparing Industrial vs Local, Organic vs Conventional, GMO vs Non-GMO, Corporate vs Family.” Hear, hear!
I think of Organic as the altmed of agriculture. There should be no Organic and Modern ag, only ag that works. Or, in the very least not this meaningless synthetic vs natural dichotomy.
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Lee Bourdon
November 1, 2013
Hi Rob,
Thanks for sharing your opinion on this most important subject. With respect to your query as to how we make our conferences and trade shows more attractive to one another I must admit that both most organic farmers are not interested in attending conferences on how to apply more GMO tech to their farms…Understandly so. On the other hand most conventional farmers that have been handed the recipe for success in a box will not want to adopt more organic practices to their farm because of the fear of the unknown. This is why I feel that the only way to get more conventional farmers to attend organic conferences is to first bring them on bus tours to successful organic producers’ farms. I have organized such events in the past but it seems like its gets harder and harder every year to connect with conventional farmers. Perhaps we should create a web “show” and go around making a movie of successful organic producers and distribute it throughout the conventional farming world to get those guys interested….Just a thought!
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carolyncares
November 3, 2013
As I was sitting in a seminar at an organic convention last winter, I wondered the same thing. The research that was being presented was not done on an organic farm, but the findings were beneficial to us as well. It is research on cover cropping and its relation to soil health, which is becoming a hot topic in conventional farming. I think one of the things that scares conventional farmers from attending a seminar like that are the stereotypes associated with organic farmers. We do not all wear overalls, slouchy knit hats, black eyeglasses, or dreadlocks. We will not burn you at the stake if you want to attend.
On the other hand, I also attend conventions and meetings that are not method or commodity specific. I tend to feel like I am an outcast at times, as some of my peers feel it necessary to inform me that organic foods are a scam, that we are anti-science, and that our fields are horrible and will ruin their GMO fields because of all the weeds (our fields were cleaner than some RR ready fields in our neighborhood this year, so that last argument makes me a little grumpy).
To be able to get along with one another, we need to stop listening to the extremists on both sides of agriculture, and get together as farmers. I really liked when you said, “farmers of all stripes are experimenting with new tools and new management techniques, applying newly-gained knowledge, and fine-tuning and improving their farming practices to achieve a common set of goals (better yields, higher crop quality, enhanced animal welfare, better financial returns, etc.)”. In order for agriculture as a whole to survive, we must be able to see past the differences, and look at the commonalities. Heck, no two family members agree on how to farm, so why should we expect every farm in the nation to be the same?
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Carey
November 3, 2013
I feel it is an attitude. We are not certified organic, but follow the practices and are not welcomed into the organic community because of this. We are labelled as conventional even though we are not. We have found the since conventional farmers think we are organic, it can be difficult to build a relationship with them. We are not set on either way. KNowing our customers prefer local over organic that is what we try and do. Provide fresh local food.
It seems that many “conventional” farmers are trying to change their methods to improve production, cut costs etc. I think the large gap is with the certified organic world thinking it is their way or no way.
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PythagoreanCrank (@PythaCrank)
November 3, 2013
This is a great point. When I hear people talk about Organic what they are really talking about is the perceived attitude behind it. There’s nothing Organic does that Modern can’t. Maybe Organic certification had some utility at some point. I see it more divisive and confusing (the consumers) than anything now.
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Jackie Robin
November 4, 2013
I think the big question in the science world is not whether organic or conventional is better; I know that many practices in organic farming are science-based and good for the environment.
So why reject safe, scientifically proven technologies (such as genetic engineering instead of embracing it in order to get the benefits – while accepting things like targeted mutagenesis, which I believe is allowed in organic systems (please correct me if I’m wrong) and old-fashioned pesticides that are deemed safe just because they are natural, when we all know that ‘natural’ is not synonymous with ‘safe.’
It is frustrating to many scientists that genetic engineering is being rejected when there have been so many studies saying it is safe, and has so much potential to help create sustainable farming practices and – especially important – help people in developing countries who are facing malnutrition and even starvation.
The more cynical among us might conclude that the whole thing is a marketing scam: isn’t it in the best interest for the organic market to make people afraid of conventional food so they feel they need to buy organic to keep their families safe?
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Ben Raskin (@Ben_Raskin)
November 5, 2013
Thoughtful piece, followed by good rational comments – exactly what is needed to help bridge the gap. More communication generally between farmer and farmer organisations will help erode the divide. Of course there will remain differences of opinion but lets put them to one side and concentrate on common interests. GM is such a small part of the picture, most farmers could improve their yields and resilience by improving soil management, eg precision farming, agroforestry techniques etc which are applicable to all farming systems and on which farmers both organic and conventional can lead the way.
We still have some places at our Soil Association “Soil Symposium” next week and we welcome all farmers and indeed anyone else interested in the soil. http://www.soilassociation.org/farmersgrowers/events/nationalsoilsymposium
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Randi Ellis
November 8, 2013
Today at Reddeer Alberta fed minister Ritz annonces 250 million for development of new grain varieties and 0$ for promotion of #Organics no care about #Nutrition just profit that is why grain is sold by protein not nutrition.
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NYFarmer (@NYFarmer)
November 10, 2013
Hi, we are dairy farmers milking 60 on grasslands, rotating as much as we can, harvesting the grasslands for hay (square bales, round bales, balage) and grass silage.We use antibiotics only for treatment of sick animals and we have never used rbgh from day one. We’ve been farming like this for 100 years, taking good care of our woodlots, mowing certain fields only after critical nesting birds are fledged. Back in 1989, we hired professional wildlife biologists to come and study the wildlife situation on the farm and tell us what we could do to carry wildlife forward into the next century. We voluntarily mapped wetlands, we participated in solid waste planning helping to develop regional recycling, and on-farm recycling. And, we have fought for endangered species in upstate New York and we worked on saving heritage breeds long before it became more known in ag circles.
However, to some consumers…we are the hated “CONVENTIONAL” farmers. We are condemned by some consumers who have never met us as MONSANTO MILK or GMO Milk. Speaking in NYC, consumers looked me in the eye and told me that they heard that milk from CONVENTIONAL farms is full of antibiotics and pesticides and that our practices are ruining the planet. I sat in one seminar and listened to a 1,000 cow organic farmer tell people how conventional milk is “full of antibiotics and pesticies.” Stonyfield’s website maintains that if you do not buy “Organic milk” you could be buying milk from farms where industrial sludge is spread (actually forbidden by most mortgages in NY) or where the cows never see a pasture, etc.
NY has 7,200,000 million acres of farmland. The last time I looked there were 160,000 acres certified organic. So, what of the rest of us??? HATED CONVENTIONAL ag, barely mentioned by urban foodies and if mentioned, its with flared nostrils and lips grimmaced in sheer disdain.
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Roufa Therrien
November 19, 2013
Almost all agricultural conferences and workshops have sponsors. Companies which sell chemical inputs and/or GMO seeds are not interested to sponsor shows where extremely good organic farmers show how they get results differently than conventional farmers. Similarly, it would be heresy if an organic food company were to sponsor an event where farmers are led to assume that agriculture can only work using a lot of inputs.
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tom.
November 20, 2013
True examination/results should be released to public. I simply cannot believe foods that were grown with gmo, antipestisede,antibiotics have better or same nutrition & are 100% safe for whole life.
[ Which is better or safer ?? ]
Most naturopathic doctors recommend organic & non-gmo foods.
Changing conventional farms to organic farms cost much, I assume.
Therefore, I think governments should subsidize farmers who produce organic foods,fairly.
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Amanda
January 28, 2014
The only way to bridge the gap is for organic marketing to stop telling people that conventional food is bad for the environment, consumers, workers, etc. But you can’t do that. The product isn’t superior — it isn’t more nutritious, it isn’t better for the environment, it isn’t better for workers, it isn’t better for meeting world demands. So, you’ll have to come up with another reason that people should spend more money on a product without those benefits. Unless you can do that without blaming conventional agriculture, it isn’t going to happen.
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