FROM NRDC DOWN ON THE FARM

摘要

My experience helping to run a coffee farm in Central America has taught me that farming is a very tough job. There are lots of unknowns. You can do everything right, and bad weather can still hurt the crop. One part of the farm can do well, while another doesn't. The experience has also helped me understand how farmers' obligations to their workers can affect their willingness to make changes. If your farm goes under, it doesn't just affect you; everyone who works for you loses his or her job. So there's a commitment to keep the farm running that's about more than money. That may explain some of the conservatism in farming. If you have 10 or 100 or 1,000 people working for you, you are naturally cautious.