Parallel universes: A rice farmer’s point of view on U.S.-European GMO attitudes
Wanted to share this post by Greg Massa, a California rice farmer who has exchanged with several farmers from our network. While he writes, "One [U.S.] farmer told me that it lets you ‘farm dumb’ so that you don’t actually need to think about farming anymore," farmers like Greg Massa, P' Samrat Thong-iam and Paw Man Samsee provide a powerful example of what it means to "farm smart." In the winter of 2007 - thanks to the work of ENGAGE - the three farmers (photo below, with Chris Westcott, ENGAGE member and former coordinator) were able to meet together and exchange about GMOs, as well as their movement for organic rice farming.
(Greg's irrigation system - a little bit different from Samrat's rain-fed paddies.)The example of past ENGAGE tours is a chance to present one of our new ideas - We're hoping to organize a U.S.-to-Thailand tour for U.S. farmers, consumers and organizers/activists. We invite you to come to northeastern Thailand and exchange further with our network about the global movement for sustainable agriculture as well as the global stuggle against agro-imperialism.
As folks here often say, "We're fighting the same fight!"
By creating new opportunities for exchange and movement-building, Thailand's Alternative Agriculture Network (AAN) can only grow stronger. If you or someone you know might be interested in a "Food Sovereignty Delegation"-type tour like this - for Jan/Feb 2010 - please contact us or feel free to comment on this post! All feedback is welcome!
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