7/2/2012

Advisor Newsletters - AEM Advisor

A Traditional July 4th: Ignorance on the Grill? AEM Sets the Table for Agriculture Advocacy

In a few days, millions of families across the U.S. will observe traditional Fourth of July celebrations with outdoor cooking of hamburgers, chicken, brats, ribs and sweet corn on the grill. They are fortunate enough to enjoy this bounty of American agriculture and do so with little thought of what was required to place their meal before them.

Few Americans truly appreciate the marvel of modern production agriculture that allows us to benefit from the safest, most abundant and affordable food supply in the history of human civilization while continuing to improve upon environmental stewardship. This disconnect between the food we eat, how it’s made and where it comes from represents a very real threat to the long-term health of the agricultural equipment industry.

Ironically, this unfortunate reality has arisen directly because of the tremendous success of American agriculture, which allows so few to feed so many without the fear of shortages that still plague much of the world. Sadly, today these very successes have created an opportunity for the opponents of modern agriculture to prey upon the ignorance of the general public and lawmakers to enact policies that unintentionally, and intentionally, harm our ability to produce the food needed to meet the demands of a growing world population.

This challenge to the future of agriculture is why AEM has mobilized considerable resources to confront these attacks both in the minds of the public and in the halls of Congress and federal agencies.

To educate the public on the facts of modern agriculture, AEM is engaged with the U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance, a broad coalition of commodity and livestock producer groups, to aid them in their efforts to make the American consumer an informed buyer. AEM is also actively involved with The Hand that Feeds U.S., an educational resource conducting outreach efforts with urban journalists to open lines of communication, so when they write or produce a story on agriculture/food, they have easy access to our point of view.

We will continue to take a more visible and active role in agriculture advocacy to combat ill-conceived legislation and regulations, as well as advocate for our own initiatives. We will deploy all the tools at our disposal, including the I Make America campaign, AEM’s Political Action Committee (AEMPAC) and direct lobbying of decision-makers.

Whether it’s pushing for a farm bill that maintains its commitment to providing producers with an adequate safety net or to prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from mandating needless rules, AEM will be there defending American agriculture.

Wiping away ignorance on such passionate issues as the food we feed our families and animal welfare will not be easy or quick. But I assure you AEM is in this fight for the long haul and will continue to work with our partners in the agricultural community to tell our side of the story about the wondrous marvel of modern production agriculture.

So enjoy your Fourth of July, and take a few minutes to share with your friends and family what is really on the grill.

AEM Advisor Categories

All Categories
Advocacy & Legislation
AEM News
Agriculture News
Education
From the President's Desk
Market Information
Membership
Safety, Regulatory & Technical
Trade Shows
Workforce Development

Email Communications

Get the Latest from AEM and the Industry
Get AEM and industry news delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up for AEM newsletters, industry news feeds and other important announcements.

Sign Up Now

Twitter

Follow AEM on Twitter
AEM is on Twitter as @aemadvisor. Follow us for AEM and industry news updates, public policy developments and more.

Follow Us