It has come to my attention in recent weeks that many people have been negatively publicizing the agricultural industry. Ironically, the people bashing this industry and sharing posts on social media are probably the same people who enjoy eating, wearing clothes, and living in a house. It may be shocking to certain opinionated people, but these simple things like food, clothing, and houses cease to exist without impact from the agricultural industry.

For some unapparent reason, the world loves to take turns bashing the agricultural industry. Whether it be convincing others that while drinking milk, we're killing baby cows and consuming puss, and by eating genetically modified foods we're shortening our lives and turning into 'mutant human beings' it's awful. First of all, let me reiterate that the clothes you're wearing, the house your sitting in, and the food you ate for lunch are all so deeply impacted by agriculture, and without it, you'd have nearly nothing. In order to help everyone formulate more factual opinions, I'll address two of the most controversial topics within agriculture.

Let's begin this with the often attacked dairy industry. It baffles me that people can be so opposed to an industry that provides so much...like ice cream. People have just recently started spreading the idea that milk is not good for human consumption. Well, not true. Recent studies have, in fact, shown that there are certain whole plant foods that provide the same nutrients as milk, but people have taken that idea, and twisted it to mean that milk is no good. This is completely ridiculous, as milk does provide humans with nutrients such as calcium, potassium, and vitamin D. Another concern is that when individuals drink milk, they're actually drinking puss and feces.

Oh boy, hang on. I need a second to process this one.

In what crooked, backwards, upside down world do you think that the USDA or the FDA would EVER allow cow puss or feces to be sold to consumers? Milk is pasteurized in order to remove any remains of bacteria or harmful substances. Milk is completely safe, and you can rest assured knowing that you're not drinking a cup of milk that's infested with puss nor feces. One last argument I've heard, which blows my mind, is that by drinking milk, we're killing calves. Once again, wrong. Having a dairy cow produce milk to sell for human consumption does not harm the calf. In fact, calves are often times placed in clean, individualized pens, where they're fed on a regular basis, and treated very well while their mother produces milk.

Now that we've had a nice little chat about the dairy industry, let's talk about my favorite controversial topic within the world of agriculture. Three words: Genetically Modified Organisms. This term alone has the ability to scare certain people, which is unsettling. Now believe me, I get it. When you look into GMOs, and learn that we're so advanced that we're literally using genetic engineering to alter things to our liking, it's a little strange, just because it's something that's still new to us. But, GMOs become really incredible, and seemingly necessary when you consider the facts. For instance, there are 7 billion people in the world right now, and there are plenty of hungry people throughout the planet. The population is expected to spike to 9 billion by 2050, and with that growth, there's bound to be an even bigger population of hungry people. How are we expected to feed these hungry people without SOME adjustment? The answer is simple. We cannot. But, with genetic engineering, we're able to grow crops that are drought and frost resistant, crops that are able to grow in places they've never grown before, and places where conditions aren't ideal. This leads to higher production, and less crops being lost due to uncontrollable weather conditions. The idea of genetic engineering does sound scary, but the facts are reassuring. Not one single person has ever been killed at the hands of genetic engineering, but 21,000 people die everyday because of malnutrition. Genetic engineering may be our key to success and nutrition in the future, and the science and technology behind GMOs is only improving everyday.

Of course, people will always have their opinions, and I will always respect those opinions. But, when an industry provides so much for so many people worldwide, it's difficult to let the facts and the truth go unnoticed. So, the next time you're convinced the agricultural industry is nothing but evil, remember everything that this industry provides, and be sure to keep your facts straight.