As each of these texts make an argument about what agriculture is and what it should look like, all focus on conveying a sense of “natural”. Both conventional and alternative agriculture rely heavily on the use of “natural” through text and design to make their claims. All four texts use many of the same color and similar word choice to claim that their way of production is right. While terms like “natural” and “sustainable” are used differently between conventional and alternative agriculture, the words are used for the same purpose: to persuade and defend their own production methods. There are two problems with this debate; first, it continues to complicate public opinion about agriculture, and second, it does not solve the pressing issues that agriculture has to deal with. Using the same language and imagery to describe two different types of practices only confuses consumers. Especially when it comes to labeling, unclear definitions do not help consumers make informed decisions.
What makes this issues most problematic is that it fails to solve problems with lack of resources and food. The debate that pits conventional agriculture against alternative agriculture is not productive. Too much time is spent arguing which practice is better instead of addressing and finding solutions to the real problems. There is value in both kinds of farming practices and there needs to be an open dialogue between them. It is clear that we are going to have to figure out a way to grow more food with less water, soil, and other resources. Farming needs to adopt practices that conserve resources. Both conventional and alternative agriculture practices need to be utilized to meet these needs. Realistically, America needs the ideas and commitments from both conventional and alternative agriculture in order to address these issues. Once the squabbling stops between the two sides, progress can be made in the field of agriculture and the real issues can be tackled. Until this happens, the agriculture industry cannot fully address or solve problems of limited resources with an ever increasing demand for food and other products.