Americans Are More Concerned Than Ever About the Quality of Their Lives. We Ve Come To

The Agricultural Issues Forum, a It is designed to make today’s citizen program of the National FFA more aware of the issues faced by the Organization, is designed to help FFA world’s largest commercial industry, Introduction members educate their community on American agriculture. One of the major agricultural issues that may be of local, objectives of this educational program is Americans are more concerned than state, national or international concern. to increase the awareness of ever about the quality of their lives. agricultural issues among agriculture We’ve come to expect the highest students and the “non-agricultural” public. To accomplish this task, possible standard of well-being for AGRICULTURAL ISSUE TOPICS ourselves and our children. Any threat agricultural issues are integrated into regular agricultural classes. Agriculture to that well-being, real or imagined, ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES evokes a strong response. students will learn how to analyze AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY ISSUES agricultural issues and to formulate propositions on them. They will Unfortunately, in our increasingly ANIMAL ISSUES construct arguments from evidence urbanized nation, consumers can often about the issues, and discover how AGRICULTURAL CAREER ISSUES be misled about the American system of problems become issues. food production and its concern in ECONOMY AND TRADE ISSUES assuring us all longer, healthier lives. AGRICULTURAL POLICY ISSUES FFA members are encouraged to share their findings with others in the Groundwater contamination problems FOOD SAFETY ISSUES community, ultimately hoping to raise caused by agriculture are widely public awareness of the issues facing broadcast in the media. Hysteria has agriculture through a 20-30 minute arisen over food safety and the use of “forum style” presentation about an pesticides in food production. agricultural issue which they have researched. Most presentations will be However, persistent presentation of the conducted by a small group of students, facts about our food supply protection normally 5-7, with each participating system can boost public confidence in member contributing to the overall the quality of our food supply. effort.

The FFA Mission The Agricultural Education Mission FFA makes a positive difference in the lives of students The mission of Agricultural Education is to prepare by developing their potential for premier leadership, and support individuals for careers, build awareness personal growth and career success through and develop leadership for the food, fiber and natural agricultural education. resource systerms. COMMENTS ON FFA’S AGRICULTURAL ISSUES FORUM ...from Tri-County High School Wolcott, Indiana

Jason Kilmer, Student “There’s nothing you can do in this program that’s not going to help you later in life.”

Karen Minniear, Student “I think this is something that everybody should get involved in, because it just opens your eyes to so many new ideas and interests.”

Rick Nagel, Instructor “I think what was most exciting was the fact Sponsored by: Elanco Animal Health, a Division of Eli Lily An educational program for that they could apply some skills that are as a special project of Team AgEd. community awareness on selected learned in other classrooms throughout the agricultural issues. school. Those being communications skills and the ability to put a research paper together and present it in a logical form.”

Eldon Getz, Wolcott, Indiana—Farmer “To get enthused about a topic, and research a topic and to find out more in-depth about it is very beneficial. ere’s a tremendous amount of resources out there and I think that we need to get our facts straight.” Prepared and published by the National FFA Organization in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Education as a swervice to state and local agricultural education agencies.