This article discusses some primary concerns Europeans seem to have with American farming. Germany and France stated that agricultural trading with America is important for both economies, however, the European nations were very skeptical about the GMO’s and pesticides that are being used on the American-grown crops. Many of the chemicals that are being used on crops in America are already banned in Europe. Therefore, by importing such chemical-infested crops, theses European nations are still not successfully avoiding the issue at hand.
The author also mentions that he feels the European agricultural system is different than that of America because it is older and therefore more traditional. Do you agree with this statement? Do you feel that this “more traditional” reasoning could contribute to Europe’s disapproval of GMO’s/pesticides?
First of all, this article has made me SO EXCITED to be able to live and eat in Europe next semester. To respond to Sammy’s question, I definitely think tradition is a huge factor that distinguishes American Ag from European Ag. It is evident that holding on to ancient culture and tradition is valued over huge profit margins in Europe. This makes a lot of sense when you look at how many of these European countries have formed cultures in comparison to how the US did. The US industrialized because people with money saw ways to make even more money. This caused our agriculture sector to become more concentrated and function more as a product of economic gain rather than a staple for human existence. I think a lack of respect for what nature has to offer separates US from Europe in terms of agriculture.