Did you eat today? You can thank a farmer for that. America is no longer an agrarian society, but many people still rely on farming as their primary income. The average farmer feeds 168 people a year while comprising two percent of the population (“Fast Facts About Agriculture”). Farmers represent a small minority of the American population, but are the key component for American society to operate; this is why farmers should get the representation they deserve. Farmers around the world do not earn as much money as they deserve; however, many solutions exist to solve this problem.
Farmers are not rich; they have plenty of years with little or no money coming in, so it is important that farmers should earn enough money to justify all the work …show more content…
Chemicals or pesticides such as herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides can greatly impact the yield of the crops. Some of these chemicals can cause damage to varieties of crops such as Roundup. Roundup will kill any plant/crop that does not have the genetics to withstand it. There are genetically modified crops such as corn and beans that are known as “Roundup ready.” Roundup ready crops can survive being sprayed by Roundup while the weeds cannot; less weeds means less competition for nutrients, water, and in some cases sunlight (when the weeds grow faster than the crops and shadow the crops). Off brands of Roundup do exist and work equally well, but farmers typical refer to crops as Roundup ready even if Roundup is not the brand being sprayed on the field. Roundup is a Glyphosate herbicide, so any herbicide containing this chemical will work equally well in killing weeds. Farmers must take precaution in continued use of Roundup on the same plot of land in order to prevent weeds from creating a genetic resistance to the chemical (“How Pesticide Resistance Develops"). Moderation is the key to farming successfully. Effective use of fertilizers can improve the yields of crops. The two main ways of fertilizing are organic and inorganic (“Here's the Scoop on Chemical and Organic Fertilizers”). Organic fertilizers are popular for livestock farmers because that is the only use of the manure …show more content…
One issue many consumers have with agriculture is the “excessive” use of antibiotics and hormones in livestock production. Antibiotics are used in the livestock industry for the same reasons humans are administered antibiotics--to cure and prevent diseases or infections. AnimalSmart, a livestock educational website, states, “with fewer infections, animals receiving preventative antibiotics are, in most cases, healthier” (“Why Are Antibiotics Used in Livestock Production?”). Hormones are a natural occurring substance in living organisms; many farmers inject or feed their livestock a hormone supplement. The supplement intensifies the action of that hormone and will help the animal lay more eggs, produce more milk, grow faster, or come into heat (enter the estrus cycle). Hormones are beneficial to farmers trying to improve feed to product ratio or getting livestock bred. Hormones are not dangerous: “the implant (hormone) does not enter the food chain. Implants work by increasing the amount of growth regulating hormones, which are naturally produced by the animal” (“The Facts about Hormones and Beef”). GMO’s are another controversial topic in agriculture. Dr. Atli Arnarson, a nutrition PhD graduate from the University of Iceland, states, “People’s opinions of GMO foods are often based on ethical, philosophical or religious views” (Arnarson). These views are not based on facts; GMOs
Farmers are not rich; they have plenty of years with little or no money coming in, so it is important that farmers should earn enough money to justify all the work …show more content…
Chemicals or pesticides such as herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides can greatly impact the yield of the crops. Some of these chemicals can cause damage to varieties of crops such as Roundup. Roundup will kill any plant/crop that does not have the genetics to withstand it. There are genetically modified crops such as corn and beans that are known as “Roundup ready.” Roundup ready crops can survive being sprayed by Roundup while the weeds cannot; less weeds means less competition for nutrients, water, and in some cases sunlight (when the weeds grow faster than the crops and shadow the crops). Off brands of Roundup do exist and work equally well, but farmers typical refer to crops as Roundup ready even if Roundup is not the brand being sprayed on the field. Roundup is a Glyphosate herbicide, so any herbicide containing this chemical will work equally well in killing weeds. Farmers must take precaution in continued use of Roundup on the same plot of land in order to prevent weeds from creating a genetic resistance to the chemical (“How Pesticide Resistance Develops"). Moderation is the key to farming successfully. Effective use of fertilizers can improve the yields of crops. The two main ways of fertilizing are organic and inorganic (“Here's the Scoop on Chemical and Organic Fertilizers”). Organic fertilizers are popular for livestock farmers because that is the only use of the manure …show more content…
One issue many consumers have with agriculture is the “excessive” use of antibiotics and hormones in livestock production. Antibiotics are used in the livestock industry for the same reasons humans are administered antibiotics--to cure and prevent diseases or infections. AnimalSmart, a livestock educational website, states, “with fewer infections, animals receiving preventative antibiotics are, in most cases, healthier” (“Why Are Antibiotics Used in Livestock Production?”). Hormones are a natural occurring substance in living organisms; many farmers inject or feed their livestock a hormone supplement. The supplement intensifies the action of that hormone and will help the animal lay more eggs, produce more milk, grow faster, or come into heat (enter the estrus cycle). Hormones are beneficial to farmers trying to improve feed to product ratio or getting livestock bred. Hormones are not dangerous: “the implant (hormone) does not enter the food chain. Implants work by increasing the amount of growth regulating hormones, which are naturally produced by the animal” (“The Facts about Hormones and Beef”). GMO’s are another controversial topic in agriculture. Dr. Atli Arnarson, a nutrition PhD graduate from the University of Iceland, states, “People’s opinions of GMO foods are often based on ethical, philosophical or religious views” (Arnarson). These views are not based on facts; GMOs