Education is essential in the age of communication

The days of black and white television don't seem that long ago (well, not to an oldie like me) but since those times there has been an explosion of ways we all communicate – either through television, newspapers, iPad, e-mail, mobiles, Facebook, Twitter, internet and so on (my goodness, what are half of these things?).

Yet in this modern world the populace seems to be ever detached from where and how food is produced.

That said, does it matter provided the supermarket shelves are always full, and competitively priced?

Well, for something that life itself is totally reliant on there should, surely, be a minimum of knowledge and understanding.

Having been (as in most years) to a number of agricultural shows either as a livestock judge, commentator or just visitor, I am heartened to see how many people make the effort to visit the livestock lines to see "the animals".

Do they relate to the stock because they have their own dogs, cats, pets in general or because they don't see farm animals at close quarters and it's a bit of a novelty?

Whatever the reason when you have a captive audience which is receptive to learning should we as an industry make more effort to try and portray farming and food production in all its guises in a simple easy to learn way?

Or should we work on the premise that ignorance is bliss and just let our customers keep going to the supermarket and spend, spend, spend?

My view is that education, in the main, brings understanding and with understanding you have a much stronger chance of breaking down barriers and a more logical view to every aspect of life and the way we live.

The organisers of every agricultural show across the nation should be congratulated on their effort, hard work and commitment on setting up their individual shows year after year, but should we as an industry and as a "bolt on" to our local and regional shows be thinking about taking our "wares and our shop floor" into the towns and cities and try in a very basic and understanding form to tell our customers what we are about.

City Farms, from what little I know about them, seem to be doing a fantastic job as is the great idea of Open Farm Sunday. It gets people interested.

Would inner city councils be interested in a mini agricultural show in their park and would the people who live in high rise flats be interested to come and have a "butchers" at what's going on?

What would they make of a funny looking man in a white coat shouting so fast you can hardly understand him – what did I say about coming to look at "the animals"?

Communication is not just about playing with computers and suchlike – mouths and facial expression has been around a long time and should still be the best medium for communication.

* Clive Roads is partner, auctioneer and chairman of the Agricultural Department at McCartneys