In this article by Will Verboven entitled “City folks hypocrites about farm land” published by the Calgary Herald on November 7th 2010 the author argues that purchasing a large piece of land in Alberta in order to farm it can positively impact society. Verboven’s article analyzes the sale of 6,500 hectares of public land located north of Bow Island in Alberta to a private “potato” farming company. This sale would consist in transforming native prairie land home to several endangered species into farm land for agricultural purposes. Verboven argues that converting this land into farm land is a good idea because it would positively impact society by creating more food for the growing population, therefore increasing human welfare and societal benefits. He also argues that the benefits of local industrial farming outweigh the cost of losing prairie land. Verboven, as the editor of Alberta Farmer, a very popular agriculture magazine, has much knowledge about agriculture but also brings a biased approach to his article. It will be made evident that Verboven’s arguments are un-justified because he fails to acknowledge the effect of farming on nature, the importance of societal beliefs and the importance of biodiversity and sustainability.
Anthropocentric view towards nature and societal benefits
Verboven begins his article by addressing the effect of farming on society. He claims that this type of industrial farming is the most productive way to use this piece of land compared to others, such as city housing developments, highways, mines, oil and gas exploration and development, etc. I believe that the conversion of 7,000 year old native prairie land to agricultural land is not the best way to use the terrain. This land shelter’s 70% of endangered species and should be preserved in order to conserve biodiversity. Only 5 per cent of native prairie lands are left in Alberta and they should not be destroyed for the production of processed foods such as potato chips. Some of environmental lobbying groups believe that if this land must be converted to agricultural land sustainable agricultural practices would have much less impact on biodiversity.
To strengthen his argument Verboven says “If you want to preserve land for non-food production perhaps you need to start by advocating for a world with fewer people” (Verboven). This claim targets the readers by making them feel that farming is the only efficient land use. He makes the audience feel that the land must be used for agricultural purposes and that conserving it would be shameful. The author has an anthropocentric view towards nature. Verboven considers ecosystems and endangered species as a mean to an end, and not ends in themselves. It is obvious that the author acknowledges that only humans have intrinsic value and moral standing and that land conservation and ecology have no importance. I believe in an Eco-holist ethical point of view where the impacts on endangered species and ecosystems are important. Native prairie ecosystems are valuable as many wildlife species depend upon these habitats for survival. In addition, prairies are the most endangered ecosystem in America and much of it has been lost to human activities such as farming, development, and others.
Societal beliefs
The establishment of this private farming company on the land has clearly caused much disapproval by local green groups and other lobbyist groups. These groups would like to conserve biodiversity and oppose the sale of this land to the farming company. The author states that “city folks still cannot understand that food is grown on land and does not magically appear at grocery stores everyday”. He believes that these local lobbyist groups are naive and self-righteous and don’t understand the importance of farming. These groups do not have naive perceptions of agriculture; they are protesting the importance of grassland habitats. These green groups are arguing for a more sustainable use of the land instead of for “potato chip farming”. Many of these people are aware of the issues and some are even farmers who have a different opinion from Verboven. These lobby groups are also critical as they highly influence the decisions taken by our government.
Sustainability and biodiversity vs. farming
Verboven also comments about “city folks” wanting local foods produced, and when given the opportunity to have it they don’t want it. As stated, the land is being used for “junk-food” production, not quite the perception of local farming that city folk’s have in terms of supporting agriculture. Many consumers are demanding local food that is produced on small-scale organic or sustainable farms. They are searching for diversity in agriculture and foods. Unfortunately, this private farming company called SLM Spud Farms could be detrimental to the the environment by establishing monoculture crops on this piece of land. By doing so much of the valuable benefits of biodiversity will be lost and this farming method is far from sustainable as it uses a large amount of pesticides. Local farmers grow their crops for the local population trying to provide for the needs of the local society only, which is a more environmentally friendly option. Potato chip factory and farming aims to produce for worldwide consumption of increasing population and harms the environment by producing too much to quick. The sale of this land is not just a matter of more food production but an environmental dilemma.
Conclusion
Verboven argues that the conversion of this piece of land into agricultural land is justifiable for human purposes. I believe that this is the wrong approach to this type of agricultural farming. We must not only think about human benefits but we must consider conserving and protecting the environment which we live in as well. I disagree with Verboven’s arguments as I believe that he has not considered fully the impact of this sale on the environment. We should approach this dilemma from an Eco-holist point of view and also value the importance of public opinion on governmental decisions.
References
"Digging into Potatogate." Calgary Herald 27 Oct. 2010: n. pag. Web. 7 Nov 2010.
Verboven, Will. "City folks hypocrites about farm land." Calgary Herald 7 Nov. 2010: n. pag. Web. 7 Nov 2010.http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/City+folk+hypocrites+about+farm+land/3790108/story.html
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