For Immediate Release / Contact: Fred Stokes, Organization for Competitive Markets 662/476-5568
Kansas City, MO&A landmark agricultural event, bringing together academicians, rural sociologists and representatives from various coalitions from across the nation occurred in Kansas City April 29 - May 1.
Designed as a "think tank" of experts in various fields, this unprecedented event engaged a field of leading authorities within the agricultural industry including Dr. John Connor, Purdue University; Dr. Neil Harl, Iowa State University; Dr. John Ikerd, University of Missouri; Dr. Bill Weida, Colorado College; Dr. Bill Heffernan, University of Missouri; Dr. Dick Levins, University of Minnesota; Dr. Peter Carstensen, University of Wisconsin; Dr. Cornelia Flora, Iowa State University; Sen. Paul Maggee, Oklahoma; Dr. Daryll Ray, University of Tennessee; and Jim Horne, Kerr Foundation, Poteau, OK among others.
Coordinated by the Organization For Competitive Markets, the group plans to bring forth a cumulative document from the event, providing a resource of solutions for policy decision makers. Fred Stokes, OCM President said, "We've accomplished something very significant during the past two days, and what I hope will be a turning point for agriculture in America. It is to our national shame that in this day of unprecedented prosperity in America, low commodity prices are driving farm families off their lands, while food processors and retailers make record profits. Even worse is the fact that we're displacing a vibrant rural culture with a feudal order. This event illustrates that there's hope as well as help out there for American farmers and food consumers. By bringing together this sort of leadership to focus on the problems and bring forth specific recommendations, we've created alternative thought processes for policy makers in this country and we plan to put that to work immediately."
The group spent two days in retreat sessions at the Heartland Presbyterian Center near Platte City, MO discussing today's crisis in American agriculture and rural communities. Culminating in final sessions the group established values and principles within the sector and charted specific recommendations regarding areas of concern that include vertical integration and centralization of food systems, rural sociological issues, environmental affairs, antitrust enforcement, shifting land grant university roles within agriculture, global marketing, information transparency between agricultural disciplines, diversity, and the balance of power between producers and markets.
"This was an unprecedented think tank of individuals who can certainly make a difference in American agriculture today. We're losing thousands of independent food producers in this nation to various influences like market inequities and centralization, and thats a threat to our food system. We need more American farmers, not less," said Dr. Bill Heffernan. "This event brought together a diverse range of academic backgrounds to focus on the changes we must make in this country to bring about a more sustainable and just food and agricultural system. There's an enormous farm crisis today involving many complex issues. It's imperative that leadership step forward and begin making the urgent changes needed."
Dr. John Ikerd, University of Missouri agreed saying, "This event takes us beyond conventional agriculture and brings forth concepts that not only restore competitive markets but also provides methods that will help prepare us for the coming decades. It's very important that as agriculture emerges from current trends towards industrialization we foster a food system that meets the needs of both society and the producer. As leaders, we need to challenge the fundamentals of centralization, restore independence to producers and move forward with an agricultural system that provides safe, abundant food sources to consumers while enhancing the economics of rural America. There's a strong sense of urgency about this. We must create an awareness among consumers. We're losing lives and ways of life as this crisis perpetuates itself. People need hope, and I believe we've taken beginning steps towards providing that during this event."
"There are severe economic problems within the agricultural sector today comprised of really three areas," said Dr. Neil Harl, Iowa State University, "Low prices; structural transformation which is couched in concentration in input supply and output on one hand and vertigal integration on the other; and GMO's (genetically modified organisms) which the consumer is resisting on a global basis. Any combination of these has created economic changes that are not in the best interest of independent producers. In recent years there has been a dramatic transformation of rural America related to agriculture. Today's independent farmer has become a serf on the land who is really just a cog in a machine implementing farming methods that are regimented and prescribed. We absolutely must restore meaningful competitive marketing options for their products while focusing on the full range of problems that agriculture and rural society faces today.":
