The Capital Times, WI
03-05-07
Patrick Fitzgibbons: Rural, urban values aren't that far apart
By Patrick Fitzgibbons
The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters held six forums
throughout Wisconsin in a quest to lay the groundwork for the future of our state's
agriculture and rural life. The first of these sessions focused on food production,
and it became immediately evident that this project is going to be a daunting
mission.
Fred Kirschenmann of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at
Iowa State University was the keynote speaker at the inaugural forum. He set a
tone of great challenges, but with an underlying optimism that there are solutions
for our problems.
Kirschenmann's main focus was the disappearance of "the farm in the middle."
Small-scale producers are finding niche markets, while mega-farms produce lowcost commodity products that are sold to the mass market. This leaves the midsized producer at a marketing disadvantage. (Kirschenmann's entire thoughtprovoking presentation can be found at www.wisconsinacademy.org/idea. Click
on "NW Forum Resources.")
While a recent report published by the Food Marketing Institute pronounces that
"price is the most significant factor consumers use in determining what type of
meat product to purchase," less price-sensitive consumers are often demanding
and paying for food based on other real or perceived benefits.
Organic and natural foods are the fastest-growing slices of the business, with
such food industry giants as Wal-Mart joining the movement. Some other
attributes that can command premium prices include: locally grown, humanely
raised or grass fed. Food companies may position themselves as
environmentally responsible; for example, Marks & Spencer, a large British
retailer, has said it will spend $400 million to become more environmentally
responsible.
Major food retailers are seeing the importance of these niche markets and
responding. The Wisconsin producer must remain cognizant of the needs and
wants of consumers and react to them.
All of this continues against the backdrop of a declining number of farmers - less
than 2 percent of the population nationally. Farmland is also decreasing, in part
due to urban sprawl.
Many of the solutions envisioned by this project will be shaped by our ability to
create an effective interface between our state's rural and urban elements. Urban
and rural communities share many of the same values. Food safety and the
security of our food supply chain are equally important to all of us. Concerns
about affordable health care cut across social divisions.
The symbiotic relationship shared by the people of Wisconsin needs to be
communicated to all. The diversity of our production capabilities needs to be
matched to the trends in consumer preferences. Above all, as project co-chair
Tom Lyon stated: "Sustainable rural life hinges on many factors, none more
pressing to our rural residents than the ability to make a living." We can all relate
to that.
So as we come up to the concluding statewide Future of Farming and Rural Life
in Wisconsin conference, to be held May 14-15 at Monona Terrace, we need to
focus on the things that bring us together, not the things that separate us. We
need to bring the diverse interests to the table to provide a game plan for the
future of Wisconsin, not just the rural component. We can do this. We need to do
this. We will do this.
Patrick Fitzgibbons is director of cattle procurement at Cargill's Milwaukee facility.
He has been involved in the meat packing industry for 40 years.
Published: March 5, 2007