FORT WAYNE, Ind. — While the public might relish the idea of stopping at a nearby farm for fresh meat and produce, a recently published author said not all farmers may be as keen on the practice.

“My father would say, ‘I’m a farmer, not a grocer,’ and when people showed up, he’d worry they’d get hurt around the farm,” Maurice J. Hladik said. “People came expecting food at cheaper prices. They were a nuisance and were really only interested in him for cheap food.”

The public is better off connecting with producers at a farmers’ market, noted Hladik, author of Demystifying Food from Farm to Fork, which was published earlier this year.

“The public doesn’t realize farmers aren’t sitting at home on the front porch waiting for them to come by,” he said. “But they can go there (markets) and rub shoulders with an actual farmer.”

This unfamiliarity with how a modern farm operates may explain why more consumers are interested in the concept of knowing where their food comes from and about the people who grow or raise it, Hladik said. “I think people are more remote from where their food comes from,” he stated.

“Modern agriculture took off after World War II. Before that, the majority of the population would have known a farmer. But after World War II, fewer in the population had that opportunity. They’ve lost that connection and they really feel as if they’re missing something.

 

“And it’s good that they’re thinking about food in a holistic manner. They’re concerned about it, they’re interested in it,” he added.

Agriculture has become more intricate over the years, though, and Hladik sees that change as leading to a lack of understanding on the part of the public and some interest groups.

“Farming is unbelievably complex, and I think the average person may think of it as simple,” he said. “The average person doesn’t appreciate how sophisticated and complicated farming is today.”

In his book, Hladik discusses topics ranging from weather and climate to animal welfare and biofuel. He said his wariness about organic farming and his pro stance on genetically modified (GMO) crops have led to some criticism of his book.

“There have been some who say I’m in the pocket of Big Agriculture,” he said. “They say I’m just an apologist for the agriculture industry. They’re so set in their thinking. They don’t want to be confused with facts.”

The book came about after Hladik said he grew tired of hearing negative comments about conventional agriculture and its practices from groups promoting organic farming and a lifestyle based on eating only foods grown locally. He said his goals with the book are to share with those who have open minds that there is another side to the story, and to inform them of issues in agriculture about which they may not be aware.

In his book, Hladik attempts to refute what he calls several common myths about agriculture. For example, he writes the notion that family farms are disappearing isn’t backed up by USDA statistics, which show nearly identical numbers of farms from 1997 to 2007 listed as “individuals/family, sole proprietorship.”

As for the idea that farms are getting larger, he again cites the USDA in noting the percentage of farms 99 acres or fewer increased from 1997 to 2007, while the average farm size decreased.

For those concerned the food system is broken, he cites statistics from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization showing the number of undernourished people worldwide decreased from 1969 to 2010, while the number of adequately-fed people doubled.

The ability to feed the world’s population – projected by many analysts to reach more than 9 billion by 2050 – will need technologies such as GMO crops, and more than just a reliance on locally grown produce and organic farming, Hladik stated. “To a hungry person, food from GM crops is immensely better than no food at all,” he wrote.

There is quite a bit of productive land available, especially in Third World countries, but the land is often used inefficiently, he said. Inadequate property ownership rights are also a concern.

In the United States and neighboring countries, the availability of food is often taken for granted, he said. “Ninety percent of us in North America have no food security issues,” he explained. “This highly complex industry is looked upon like the air we breathe – the industry isn’t getting enough credit for it.

“The farming sector, the whole food sector, is underappreciated by the average urban-dweller.”

Hladik, a native of western Canada, grew up on a farm. He has two degrees in agricultural economics from Canadian and U.S. universities, and was previously an agricultural diplomat in New Zealand, Germany, Thailand, South Korea and China. His book is available through booksellers and online by searching www.amazon.com