The ingenuity of the farmer in the 21st century
Farmers truly have one of the hardest jobs out there. They get up every morning, put on a dozen different hats (carpenter, mason, plumber, electrician, mechanic, accountant, negotiator, and the list goes on) in an effort to grow food for the world and try to turn enough profit to go at it again next year.
All this in the face of an uncontrollable Mother Nature who really has their fate in her hands but they do it, every day, and they love it. They take on this risky endeavor, and as a result, we can enjoy far more stable lives and careers that don’t come with the worry that if the rain doesn’t fall tomorrow, or if the insects arrive overnight, that we won’t get paid this year.
It’s these curve balls that Mother Nature loves to throw at the farmer that makes them amazing innovators and trailblazers, developing and adopting new and creative technologies and farming methods to manage the challenges of growing food in the 21st century.
Technological advancements in farming have always captured my imagination. Growing up on a potato farm in Prince Edward Island I watched my father embrace many new technologies in an effort to make our farm more efficient and sustainable. Innovations like GPS tracking and insect resistant crops really demonstrated to me that science could be an important factor in addressing on farm challenges.
This inspiration drove me to study agriculture in order to better understand how science has a role on the farm. Now, working in the industry, I am very encouraged and optimistic about the future when I consider all the new innovations that are currently in the pipeline. Farmers will soon be able to add these new tools to their ever growing toolbox so they can better manage the complex challenges they encounter every day.
This includes new insect-protected and herbicide-tolerant crops. These new and improved plants will be yet another tool in farmers’ integrated pest management toolbox.
Drought-tolerant crops will reassure farmers that even if the rain does not come their crop will not necessarily be lost; nitrogen efficient crops will help reduce crop inputs; and new crops, such as enhanced omega-3 low saturated fat profiles, will create new markets and provide for healthier food overall .
Beyond what these advancements can do for Canadian farmers is what they can do for the world at large. Farmers in developing countries have the same drive to be innovative as farmers here in Canada and they are eager to embrace these new tools. In the near future drought-tolerant and water efficient crops will improve yields in difficult growing environments while nutritionally enhanced crops will help address health crises in countries where adequate nutrition has been problematic.
As we look toward 2050 and feeding a world of nine billion people in the face of a changing climate, I truly believe agriculture is prepared for the challenge. Although Mother Nature throws a wicked curve ball the ingenuity of the farmer, breadth of tools at their disposal and new innovations on the horizon puts them in a great position to keep hitting the ball out of the park. I guess that is just another hat they wear, baseball player.
Ian Affleck,
Managing director, science and regulatory affairs, plant biotechnology
CropLife Canada