It's no secret that everyone has a different opinion about the agriculture industry. Sometimes these opinions are based on facts and research. Sometimes they're based on things people have read on Facebook or see on TV. As an agricultural communications major I've heard a lot of different opinions, from the people who think the ag industry is cruel, to the people who work every day to make a living from agriculture. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but there are a few things ag majors are tired of hearing.
GMOs are bad.
I'm sorry but most people who say GMOs are bad probably didn't even know that GMOs were in their food until their favorite burrito place said they were. If you can find proof that GMOs are bad for our health or dangerous in any way please feel free to hate on GMOs. Until then don't argue with me about GMOs. Without GMOs we would struggle to feed the 7.4 billion people on this earth.
The agriculture industry promotes cruelty toward animals.
This argument drives me insane. People who believe that the ag industry promotes cruelty obviously haven't taken a second to think about this. For farmers, ranchers, and anyone working directly with livestock, that is their way of life. Without these animals they would be out of work. Why would they treat these animals poorly when they know it directly affects their way of life?
Well I saw this video on Facebook about ___, I never knew that's how animals were treated.
Every once in a while a video will surface from a farm that shows the employees treating animals poorly. MOST of the time these videos that show up on Facebook aren't even from America, where we have extensive rules on how things should be done. Don't even get me started on the captions on videos or pictures that can be found on the Internet; most of the time they don't describe what is going on accurately. The people or organizations who post these videos or pictures are solely trying to start an uproar and direct more traffic to their website.
Organic foods are better for consumers than inorganic.
In the last 10 years the agriculture industry has seen a huge rise in demand for organic food. People automatically assume organic foods are better just because of the label. Just like with GMOs there has been no scientific proof that organic foods are any better for consumers than inorganic. If you're buying organic foods because you think they're pesticide free, antibiotic free, or more nutritional, there is no proof of that.
In no way did I write this article to try to change anyone's opinion of the ag industry, but I do encourage people to do their research and look at the facts before jumping to a conclusion. Don't buy into every thing you read on Facebook or see on TV. Learn for yourself what the difference is between GMO and non-GMOs, learn the difference between organic and inorganic foods, and stop believing everything you read about the agriculture industry before you do your research.
