The phrase “The voice of agriculture” has actually been copy written by the American Farm Bureau Federation, so I guess that makes them the official voice of agriculture. Yet, many other groups lay claim to that title in either print or practice.

While many farmers and rural residents feel they have no voice in world or national affairs, in reality they have lots of voices; and, if I may be so bold as to suggest, perhaps too many voices.
To use a musical analogy, a chorus is many voices singing together but singing the same song. There is harmony as each set of voices sings their musical line, but they blend together to complement the whole. A group of voices all singing together but singing a different song is bedlam, or what modern rap music sounds like to me.
At a time when agriculture needs a strong clear voice in energy and environmental affairs, the industry is divided and discordant in its message.

Take the ethanol industry for example. When the food manufacturing industry launched a well-funded and coordinated attack on ethanol, the response came from the Ethanol Promotional and Information Council (EPIC), the Renewable Fuels Assoc. (RFA), the National Corn Growers Assoc. (NCGA), the AFBF, the National Farmers Union (NFU) and a host of other organizations with a bewildering array of acronyms. Is it any wonder we have had so little impact on the food vs. fuel debate?

In response to this a group of ethanol manufacturers have organized, yes - you guessed it, another group. Growth Energy is a group committed to the promise of agriculture and growing America’s economy through cleaner, greener energy.

I asked Dave Vander Griend, CEO of ICM, one of the charter members of the group, why we need another pro-ethanol organization. He said ethanol producers wanted to bring unity to the industry.

“We believe we need to have a unified message,” he said. “We think we should be unified as an industry and not have a lot of different people all telling their own story.”

While he makes a good point, his group, thus far, has not brought any unity to the industry. EPIC is reportedly ready to join with Growth Energy, but other major players are not jumping on board, yet.

Growth Energy plans to push for increasing flex-fuel vehicle production, increasing blending of ethanol with gasoline to 15 percent or 20 percent, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions with the increased use of ethanol.

But, will other groups support these policy objectives? And what about funding? Will we continue to see each group pour money into their own programs or pool resources into a coordinated program of policy reform?

Last week while attending the National Assoc. of Farm Broadcasters convention, I talked with literally dozens of different farm organizations, all representing the same industry but with differing opinions and policy objectives. They were all very willing to talk to me and the other media, but less willing to talk with each other.
Until agricultural organizations can find some common ground, put away the egos and turf battles, and begin to work together, the environmental radicals, the bunny-hugging animal activists, and the anti-ethanol forces will continue to misinform the public and marginalize agriculture.

Just think of how strong our voice could be if we all started singing the same song.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Gary Truitt may write to him in care of this publication.