ARTICLE: Farming is not a one-size-fits-all business

The following is an excerpt of an opinion column by Brenda Schoepp at the Alberta Farmer website that explains how organic and conventional farming, including GMOs, each have their place in modern agriculture. 

There is room for organic, conventional, and GM technology because each of them offers different benefits

I continue to witness arguments over different methods of farming.

But considering the variety of farms around the world, and that most of them are very small compared to the Canadian average, combative conversation is really rather unwarranted and, in many cases, an uneducated dialogue.

When one disparages farms that are organic or ones that use full-on technology, this does not take into consideration the importance of all food systems. What is important to discuss at this point and time in history is the need to revisit the conservation and protection of diversification particularly in seeds, the building of soil, and regeneration of agriculture.

Standing in a field of GM canola in Western Australia, we were discussing genetically modified versus non-GM crop production. On this farm, the high salinity of the soil was addressed using saltbush in a natural rotation. The restriction in production was offset with a GM canola variety that yielded more. The combination of natural and technical practices allowed the farmer to thrive.

To read the entire column, please visit the Alberta Farmer website.