Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, USA
September 3, 2011
Top priorities for the 2012 Farm Bill, the importance of sustainability, and what consumers should know about agriculture were topics Bayer CropScience asked visitors to the Museum of Modern Agriculture at the Farm Progress Show to weigh in on.
When asked what they felt the top priority for the 2012 Farm Bill should be, 51 percent of growers responded they felt refocusing the bill in order for it to contribute to agriculture’s improved sustainabily was key. Twenty-eight percent indicated the continuation of programs that ensure a safety net for producers should be the top priority and 21 percent were most interested in programs that enhance global food security.
As it relates to consumer communications about farming and agriculture, more than a third of farmers want consumers to know that farmers will need to produce more food in the next 50 years than the previous 10,000 years combined. Another third felt it was important for people to know that today’s farmer grows twice as much food as the previous generation using less land, energy, water and fewer emissions. Other options for this question included the fact that American farmers support 24 million jobs (26 percent); and, in 1960, each American farmer fed 20 people, whereas today each feeds more than 150 people (13 percent).
“It’s clear to us as a company that growers are committed to the same things we are; growing enough food to feed the world, while protecting our world at the same time,” notes Jim Blome, president/CEO for Bayer CropScience North America. “Growers have a daunting task before them, which is why Bayer CropScience is focused on innovations to make it easier for farmers to produce high yields in a sustainable way.”
The third poll question focused on sustainability. It asked growers if they felt sustainability was simply a trendy buzzword, or if they felt it was critical to continue to produce more with fewer inputs and less impact on the environment. The overwhelming majority (97 percent) stated sustainability is a critical concern.
The Bayer CropScience Museum of Modern Agriculture gave attendees of the 2011 Farm Progress Show a look at the longevity and importance of modern agriculture to the world. Photos from the Museum of Modern Agriculture capture the museum experience.
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