In today’s Sydney Morning Herald newspaper Paul Myers, freelance journalist and former Rural Press General Manager, former editor of The Bulletin and R.M. William’s Outback Magazine, has written an excellent piece on the woeful state of the general public’s image of Australian farmers and graziers.
Paul rightly points out that the world only grows enough food to feed 5 billion but we have 6 billion; yet the world view of farmers and graziers is increasingly negative. ‘Biting the hand that feeds them’ isn’t a strong enough description! As Paul Myers points out, with the rare exception of those who grow absolutely all their own food, we’re totally dependent on farmers. Demeaning them is akin to the stupidity of a teenager deriding the parents on whom their existence is entirely dependent.
I wish it were not so; but I am afraid public opinion of farmers will only improve when city residents completely run out of food. When the larder is empty, they’ll suddenly respect those on whom their lives depend.