Spring Break
Agricultural issues at a crossroads with social justice
Teach-in to address agricultural issues such as supporting small, local farms
By: Chris Hokanson
Issue date: 2/28/08 Section: News
Hall said social entrepreneurship in agriculture means eating organically to help the environment, eating locally to reduce greenhouse gas emissions caused by transportation and supporting small farmers who get pushed around by large agriculture companies.
"You see a lot of bullying in agriculture," Hall said. "Look at Monsanto: They buy up seeds, they patent them and then they own them. They then go out and prosecute farmers that have those seeds on their farm, even if it's unintentional. These are the kind of pressures that big agriculture businesses use today."
Hall used the example of Enron and WorldCom to say that large agriculture companies, with their fleets of lawyers and accountants, manipulate markets and get out of tight spots of the law so they can push out the small farmers.
Today's agriculture teach-in, then, allows students and faculty to discuss these and other issues. Unlike traditional panel discussion, said senior anthropology major and Chapter Coordinator of ASE, Annie Behrman, the teach-in substitutes the question and answer session with small-group discussions, so attendees can interact more closely with the experts and with each other.
The first teach-in ASE had, about the Fair Trade movement, exceeded attendance expectations, Hall said, and the group hopes the agriculture teach-in will garner similar interest.
The Association for Social Entrepreneurship agriculture teach-in will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday in Koldus 110.
"You see a lot of bullying in agriculture," Hall said. "Look at Monsanto: They buy up seeds, they patent them and then they own them. They then go out and prosecute farmers that have those seeds on their farm, even if it's unintentional. These are the kind of pressures that big agriculture businesses use today."
Hall used the example of Enron and WorldCom to say that large agriculture companies, with their fleets of lawyers and accountants, manipulate markets and get out of tight spots of the law so they can push out the small farmers.
Today's agriculture teach-in, then, allows students and faculty to discuss these and other issues. Unlike traditional panel discussion, said senior anthropology major and Chapter Coordinator of ASE, Annie Behrman, the teach-in substitutes the question and answer session with small-group discussions, so attendees can interact more closely with the experts and with each other.
The first teach-in ASE had, about the Fair Trade movement, exceeded attendance expectations, Hall said, and the group hopes the agriculture teach-in will garner similar interest.
The Association for Social Entrepreneurship agriculture teach-in will be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday in Koldus 110.
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