Changing the Tune for Farmers
Christine R Gould
GIGA | Thought For Food | IMAGINE | Acumen Food Fellow | @thechangemakersguide
We are in the midst of ever-more pressing food and climate challenges, and at the heart of it all is agriculture. Unfortunately though, the current atmosphere in our sector is like a battleground. The farmers' protests across Europe are charged and divisive. This happens when significant changes - such as those embodied in the Farm to Fork Strategy of the EU Green Deal - are poorly introduced or managed, which leads to fears of 'winners and losers' and concerns over the trade offs and sacrifices required for implementation.
The issue of farmers feeling left behind isn't contained to Europe - similar protests that have happened in recent years in places like India and Brazil, and ripple effects are being felt across the Atlantic. We know what eventually happens when discord like this goes unchecked: think coal mining and Trump.
Now, bear with me for this (unconventional) train of thought: at a leadership retreat I attended last weekend, I found myself in an environment where the music being played was quite heavy and amplified a challenging personal experience I was having. When I stepped into a different space where a more uplifting song was on, my entire mood and mindset shifted. This moment of transition was so powerful, that it caused me to think about whether there was a deeper message contained within it: e.g. can we 'change the music' when it comes to our work on climate change and agriculture?
The Farm to Fork Strategy feels like that heavy song. Despite its bold vision and ambition, it has been rolled out during a time of inflation, war, and polarization. The environmental commitments it contains require farmers to make significant changes to how they work - from reducing their carbon footprints to adopting more sustainable practices. These are exactly the types of goals we need, but in the absence of clear funding and a transition plan, farmers are left feeling alienated. They fear we are taking away their productivity and competitiveness.
We all may be listening to the same song, but we are having very different experiences.
The thing is: we are all on the same side. We all want better lives and economic and environmental futures. But all too often, we haven't given farmers a seat at the table when important conversations and decisions are being made that will impact them. Many of us who have the best intentions of transforming food systems and solving the climate crisis forget to put ourselves in the position of the people affected by our work. We don't consider enough how what we are saying and what we are doing might be received by others.
领英推荐
There's another, more uplifting song we can play for our farmers: that the changes will drive sustainable innovation and will bring about massive economic and livelihoods benefits. This tune isn't focusing on climate doom and gloom or on restrictions and constraints. It' about about opportunity and innovation and prosperity. It's about a commitment to making their lives better, with their needs and realities in mind. This approach is encapsulated in the mantra: "WTF - Where's The Farmer?" (I even made the T shirt).
Here's some ideas of steps various players can take to change the music:
The only constant in today's world is change, and we all have a role to make this change as inclusive and collaborative as possible. Through actions like building bridges and thinking about others, I believe we can find a more uplifting song that harmonizes between the needs and expectations of farmers, innovation, and the planet. We can do better.
Regenerative Food Supply Chain | Sustainability Reporting | Fruit & Vegetables Ingredients
1 年Love this! What would farmers need to do to change the tune?
Advising leaders in climate smart agriculture
1 年I love this. Time to change the tune ?? and make farming innovation fun and farmer focused again!
Devinder Sharma Venky Ramachandran - read about farmers on 2 sides of continent demanding 2 different things - Felipe Villela Christian Fu Müller Francis Bosah Ben Kimura-Gross Marianne Wyne - no protests so far in US despite challenging conditions Thomas Slattery