Bob Dylan og landbruget

De færreste forbinder nok Bob Dylan med landbrugspolitik. Men den 75-årige nobelpristager har faktisk været en engageret og vigtig stemme i den amerikanske offentlighed, for at familiebrugenes vilkår og vanskeligheder ikke skulle blive glemt.

Nøjagtig ligesom i Danmark og mange andre lande verden over bliver de små familie-ejede brug trængt og opkøbt af - eller slet og ret nedlagt for at give plads til - de store koncern-ejede industri-landbrug.

Ingen steder har det dog givet anledning til konflikter, som dem man har kunnet læse om i USA. Landets historie og stærke ideologiske prægning af begreber som frihed og uafhængighed, har givet de amerikanske familiebrug en relativ stor opbakning blandt meningsdannere, intellektuelle og kunstnere. Friktionen mellem de store koncerner på den ene side, på mange måder personificeret i Monsanto, og den selvstændige amerikanske landmand på den anden, er portræteret i film, bøger og sange. Og Bob Dylan er en af dem der synger.

Heartland

WRITTEN BY: BOB DYLAN AND WILLIE NELSON

There's a home place under fire tonight in the Heartland

And the bankers are takin' my home and my land from me

There's a big achin' hole in my chest now where my heart was

And a hole in the sky where God used to be

There's a home place under fire tonight in the Heartland

There's a well with water so bitter nobody can drink

Ain't no way to get high and my mouth is so dry that I can't speak

Don't they know that I'm dyin', Why nobody cryin' for me?

My American dream

Fell apart at the seams.

You tell me what it means,

You tell me what it means.

Sangen om banken der tager hjemmet og jorden fra landmanden er fra albummet Across the Borderline med Willie Nelson, en anden af de amerikanske sang-koryfæer, der har gjort landbrugets vilkår til sin mærkesag.

Både Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson og Neil Young har været initiativtagere og organisatoriske drivkræfter bag organisationen Farm Aid.

Her er begyndelsen beskrevet på Farm Aids hjemmeside.

"Farm Aid started as an idea at the Live Aid Concert when Bob Dylan said on stage, “Wouldn’t it be great if we did something for our own farmers right here in America?” Willie Nelson, Neil Young and John Mellencamp agreed that family farmers were in dire need of assistance and decided to plan a concert for America. The show was put together in six weeks and was held on September 22, 1985 in Champaign, Illinois before a crowd of 80,000 people. It raised over $7 million for America’s family farmers. Performers included Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Bonnie Raitt, B.B. King, Loretta Lynn, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and many more."

Siden 1985 er den årlige 'red landbruget'-koncert kun vokset og er i dag blevet en af de vigtigste musikbegivenheder i Amerika. Stort set alle kendte musikere med noget på hjerte har spillet på Farm Aid.

Tidligt i organisationens historie blev det besluttet at den ikke skulle bo et sted, men repræsentere Amerikas landbrugs diversitet, derfor foregår både de årlige koncerter og de mange andre aktiviteter, som indtægterne fra musikken genererer, hele tiden i nye stater og brændpunkter. Farm Aid er vokset til at blive en - om ikke indflydelsesrig politisk spiller, så i hvert fald en organisation, der gør et stort politisk arbejde, for at sikre familiebrugene nogle politiske og juridiske rammevilkår, der beskytter dem mod at banker og de store koncerner går sammen om at overtage fødevareproduktionen i USA.

Denne kamp er ikke nem og det amerikanske familebrug er meget udfordret af både långiverne, de store koncerner, men også af de meget ustabile fødevarepriser og klimaforandringerne.

Jeg bringer her en lille pamflet af nogle af de politiske kampe, som Farm Aid har kæmpet over årene. Jeg mener bestemt, at der er paraleller mellem forholdene for det danske familielandbrug og det amerikanske - derfor kan disse politiske indgreb også være værd at overveje, som indsatser der kan understøtte en demografisk og samfundsøkonomisk sund landbrugsstruktur herhjemme.

"Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp went with a group of family farmers to testify in front of the United States Congress about the state of family farming in America. As a result of the efforts of Farm Aid and family farm leaders, Congress passed the Agricultural Credit Act which said that the Farmer’s Home Administration (FmHA) could not foreclose on any family farmer unless the FmHA would make more money through foreclosure that they would by investing in making the farm profitable. This was a major step toward fair treatment of family farmers." (1987)

 “Economic Recovery starts in the Heartland with Family Farmers” was Farm Aid’s theme for 1992. Farmers Home Administration sent out 40,000 foreclosure notices to troubled farms. The impact of the loss of these farms on rural communities was devastating. Every five farms that closed down took one small business with them. Small towns across America were being boarded up. Schools, hospitals and farm houses were left empty. Willie Nelson and Farm Aid helped to bring this to the attention of the new Clinton Administration. Farm Aid joined family farm organizations in expressing hope for greater access to this administration in order to change federal policies to support family farming." (1992)

                        

 "During 1994, our country lost over 500 farms a week. Because of the urgent situation on thousands of farms, Farm Aid continued to fund a network of support for family farmers in financial distress. Attention was brought to the plight of farm families through the publicity surrounding the case of the Krikava family. Ernest Krikava, a 60-year-old Nebraska farmer, was sentenced to prison for illegally selling his hogs during his farm’s bankruptcy proceedings. The family had acted out of desperation. They had no food for themselves, their hogs were starving and the bank refused to release funds to operate the farm. Ernest Krikava was later pardoned by President Clinton, due in part to the advocacy work of Willie Nelson and Farm Aid."

"Farm families across the country struggled in 1997 as weather related disasters including blizzards, floods and late frosts struck with a vengeance. Farm Aid’s task was to mobilize support for farmers and ranchers that were struggling to feed their livestock. This year also included a rally led by Farm Aid President Willie Nelson on March 20 in Des Moines, Iowa, that drew hundreds of farmers to the door step of the National Pork Producers Council delivering the message “Family Farms – Yes, Factory Farms – No”. " Willie Nelson stated “In rural America, the farm economy is the economy. If we don’t pay attention right now to what’s happening to farmers, we’re not just going to lose them, we’ll lose the thousands of schools, businesses, and churches that depend on family farming for their survival.”

Farm Aid har ført kampagner, retsager, finansieret forskning, udgivet bøger og meget mere. Læs om nogle af organisationens indsatser her.

Her kan du læse Farm Aids '4-punkts-program'

Farm Aid is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to keep family farmers on the land. Farm Aid accomplishes this mission by:

PROMOTING FOOD FROM FAMILY FARMS

We know that to keep family farmers on the land we have to increase the number of people buying their good food. From our annual concert event that features family farm food and unites farmers, artists, and concerned citizens, to our inspiring and informative tv, radio, mail and web campaigns (including our HOMEGROWN.org website), we are building a powerful movement for good food from family farms.

GROWING THE GOOD FOOD MOVEMENT

In order for family farmers to thrive we have to create more markets for them, giving more people the opportunity to access family farm food. Farm Aid fosters connections between farmers and eaters by growing and strengthening local and regional markets and working to get family farm food in urban neighborhoods, grocery stores, restaurants, schools and other public institutions.

HELPING FARMERS THRIVE

Since 1985, Farm Aid has answered 1-800-FARM-AID to provide immediate and effective support services to farm families in crisis. Now Farm Aid’s online Farmer Resource Network connects farmers to an extensive network of organizations across the country that help farmers find the resources they need to access new markets, transition to more sustainable and profitable farming practices, and survive natural disasters.

TAKING ACTION TO CHANGE THE SYSTEM

Farm Aid works with local, regional and national organizations to promote fair farm policies and grassroots organizing campaigns designed to defend and bolster family farm-centered agriculture.We’ve worked side-by-side with farmers to protest factory farms and inform farmers and eaters about issues like genetically modified food and growth hormones. By strengthening the voices of family farmers, Farm Aid stands up for the people upon whom we all depend. Farm Aid’s Action Center allows concerned citizens to become advocates for farm policy change.

Eller som Neil Young sagde ved årets koncert udenfor Washington DC.:

"There's a revolution starting! It's called eating good food that your neighbors made for you. … Let the earth bring us all together, back to the roots. Eat good food. You don't need the drugs anymore. It took us a long time to get this far. We have a long way to go. But with people like you, we're going to make it!"