On Tuesday, two young activists tried a novel approach to changing the eating habits of folks in Paris. They bought coupons for veggie burgers and handed them out to diners entering Burger King, convincing some to try an alternative to a hamburger.

The activists, both from the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals, used their own money to promote their cause. That’s true conviction.

PETA’s desire to see more people choose vegetables over beef is motivated by what it sees as animal abuse for food, clothing and entertainment. If the group succeeds in converting meat-loving Americans into full- or part-time vegetarians, how will we meet the demand for raw materials?

American farms are closing at an alarming rate. In Maine, dairy farmers have been vocal about the economic pressures they are facing and tax reform activists have made the point that farms are valuable to communities because they subsidize single-family homeowners’ property taxes. Corn farmers have turned in greater numbers to growing feed crops.

The Paris activists – Lindsay Leavitt and Harley Maxim – are right to promote increased consumption of vegetables and grains because producing them is more cost effective than producing beef, it is better for the environment and arguably healthier for human life.

But, if PETA is serious about raising consumption of veggie burgers, farms have to come first.

We’re not suggesting that PETA become agriculture’s newest lobbyist because the group can be extreme.

Early this week it officially approached the town of Hamburg in New York and offered $15,000 worth of non-meat patties to local schools if the town would change its name. In 1996, it asked Fishkill officials to consider re-naming the town to Fishsave.

There are publicity stunts that have no lasting effect and farmers don’t need that kind of support.

They need public policy support, including concentrated research and development of new technologies and farming practices.

In 1940, about a third of America lived on farms. In 1980, the figure was close to 2 percent. As the number of farms dropped, the population exploded in this country and farming went corporate. A lot of PETA’s concerns are founded in large-scale farming practices, practices that never would have been found on family-owned farms.

This nation has moved away from producing its own food in favor of importation. We’ve seen the damage that has already done to apple growers, and dairy farmers fear imported dairy products will hasten their economic decline. Maine’s Legislature provided some relief to dairy farmers this session, but the help is minimal and temporary.

Farming is a grueling occupation by any standard, and the economic and environmental obstacles of the agriculture industry are obscured from the public conscience because grocery stores are full and food appears plentiful. It’s a dangerous illusion.

We export high quality merchandise to take advantage of profitable market prices overseas and turn around and import lesser quality food in equal quantities.

Preserving American farms is more than an economic issue. It’s one of safety and supply.

The United States must start viewing farms as necessary public resources, not scenic additions to the landscape.


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