Thread by @eatcookwrite

THREAD
This is so important. Overselling comes with a price.

1/14
#fafdlstorm

https://twitter.com/paigestanley_ag/status/1311711216058818562

Overselling leads to debunking which leads to defensive defending which leads to unnecessarily rancorous debates.

2/14

This puts the whole thing into the framework of a culture war instead of a collegial search for truth and tools & solutions, all the while alienating potential allies.

3/14

As someone often in the camp of "The Debunkers" (and the pigeonholing designation is unfortunate but useful here), here is what's especially disheartening. I don't know of any Debunker who isn't rooting for the success of regenerative ag in some form or another.

4/14

However, in demanding:
• Strong evidence
• Right-sizing the actual impact
• Right-sizing the actual potential
• Disaggregating the impacts of the variables before putting them back together again (What practices are driving impacts?)
• Being clear on context-dependence
5/14

In demanding those things we can come across a bit negative. And then that perceived negativity is projected back as opposition. Being insufficiently enthusiastic can also be translated into opposition.

6/14

This gets compounded by the fact that, for 'True Believers', opposition can only be explained by bad or corrupt motives. How else could it be that someone disagrees with this amazing new project?

Alas, the shill charge is not far behind.

7/14

Even without allegations of shillery and shillhood, the conversation ratchets to rancor all too quickly.

It becomes hard, if not impossible on social media to work through a set of objections and critiques --

8/14

-- which is usually where the conversation starts, necessarily, because that's what's interesting -- it becomes hard to get around to laying out what you ARE in favor of, what you DO see as useful and important about regenerative ag (or baker's dozen other related issues).

9/14

Being less than enthusiastic about this new project must mean that you support the status quo and think that letting all the topsoil in the world end up in The Gulf of Mexico is a good idea.

10/14

It couldn't possibly be that you also find the status quo unacceptable but have a different take on what to do or the demonstrated impacts and potential of regenerative ag.

11/14

Nevertheless. Demanding:
• Strong evidence
• Right-sizing the actual impact
• Right-sizing the actual potential
• Disaggregating the impacts of the variables before putting them back together again
• Being clear on context-dependence

12/14

.. is critical to getting it right, whether it is to promote regenerative ag more effectively or to figure out how to do it more effectively or even where it can be done most effectively.

13/14

Don't let 'posture' or 'tone' (mood affiliation) get in the way of useful nuts and bolts conversations. Nearly everybody I know wants an evidence-based regenerative ag to succeed ...

12/14

marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolu…

... even while they may be skeptical of the most ambitious claims and sometimes personally hostile towards the biggest marketers.

14/14

~fin~

#fafdlstorm