FARMERS
Farmers are a group of people who grow much of the food that is put on your family’s table. Many of these farmers are hard workers who are trying to make an honest living selling their products directly to consumers, or to corporations who will use the products as ingredients in other foods. There are many factors which determine what farmers will grow, such as the state of the economy, consumer and corporation preference, and the restrictions put in place by federal agencies.
Many farmers grow genetically modified foods (GM foods or GMOs) in order to raise their profits because of the higher yields that GM seeds produce. On the other hand, organic farmers want to limit the production of GMOs for several reasons, citing that limited research has been done on the long-term environmental and health effects of GMOs. As representatives of your player, you must research how GMO technology has affected farmers, and take into consideration what would benefit the majority of crop farmers in the U.S. Consider the short and long term effects of the proposed No GMO Bill on the lives of farmers.
“I believe in the future of agriculture, with a faith born not of words but of deeds - achievements won by the present and past generations of agriculturists; in the promise of better days through better ways, even as the better things we now enjoy have come to us from the struggles of former years.
I believe that American agriculture can and will hold true to the best traditions of our national life and that I can exert an influence in my home and community which will stand solid for my part in that inspiring task.”
-Excerpt from the FFA Creed
Questions you must address in your presentation:
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1.What are the economic risks/benefits of growing genetically engineered crops?
2. Are all GM crops eventually used for purposes of human consumption?
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3.Do you think the majority of farmers in the U.S. support the use of GMO products?
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4.Are their any ethical issues farmers must take into consideration when choosing whether or not to use GMO’s?
5. Is the use of GMO crops sustainable over long periods of time?
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