Why We Must Hear from 'The Other Side' (Whoever they are...)

The newsletter for professionals cautiously approaching the discussion about climate, but pretty sure they should.

Issue Number : 3

I always return home from an international trip with something pretty cool. I’m not talking about the usual shopping items or a large credit card bill. Rather, I return home with the feeling that something–however small–has shifted in my mindset because of the experience. Last month, I was honored to participate as a session moderator for the Women in a Food and Agriculture (WFA) Summit held in Frankfort, Germany. WFA is a global initiative to advance the roles, leadership opportunities, and impact made by women in these sectors. We’re talking about major players at this event and all the big food and ag brands you know.

I had a blast and met wonderful people. The connections were exceptional, too. I’m often amazed at how generous people can be with their time and talents when they are in an environment that fosters the idea of lifting each other up. Several new contacts made in Germany have helped us garner top-notch speakers and sponsors for our upcoming ‘Ag as the Solution’ Climate Summit back home in Indiana.

Now then, the more interesting aspect of the event... i.e., ‘hearing from the other side.’

While the WFA event was not centered around climate, the climate conversation was ever-present. Being an American in agriculture at an event with mostly European counterparts is an interesting position. I received many questions like:

“What are you (Americans) actually doing in the climate space?” “How do we get more Americans interested in climate?

Some questions and comments came with a specific point of view: “Do Americans even care about the climate crisis?” And, my favorite: “What is it with the ‘Yank’s love of fossil fuels? Is it just so you Americans can drive big, fancy SUVs?” (The same gentleman shared that he would love to have an F350... but he wouldn’t want his neighbors to know).

All of these remarks at the agriculture meeting! Most questions were out of genuine curiosity and in good humor but there were certainly a few extreme viewpoints presented. For example, one individual told me that biodiversity in our diets is the key to saving the planet. She advocated consuming a healthy dose of insects and the eradication of beef. (Admittedly, she was very thin, something I envied a bit...)

Anyway, compared to being at an ‘ag and food meeting’ in the States, the number of differing views around topics of similar interest was notable. Sometimes, at industry meetings, we get pretty complacent–we grouse about the same things and glad-hand each other about the same basic known values. Not so at this event-the environment was made for discussion–and we made good use of that opportunity whether over coffee, right after the session I moderated, at the receptions, and in late night conversations where we met up with strangers for drinks and left as friends.

There is a lot I don’t yet understand about the global discourse around climate and there are definitely things I disagree with being tossed around as ‘solutions.’ I do know that there is room for a variety of approaches and we have got to talk in order to explore those. We tend to believe that we are far apart from ‘the other side.' Actually, we’re really just two sides of the same conversation.

(Except for maybe when it comes to eating bugs; I’m sticking with beef.)