The Annual National Food Policy Conference is a place to settle differences, establish compromise, and walk off—federal agency hand in federal agency hand—into the sunset.

Well, not quite. But it does provide a two-day platform for fair and open discussion about our nation's issues regarding food safety, nutrition, and of course, farming.

One panel titled, "Can the Local Food Movement and Traditional Agriculture Exist Side by Side?" got the attention of quite a few attendees who are anxious about the upcoming Farm Bill and the overall state of agriculture.

The first to address the crowd was Keith Jones, a Staff Director on the House Agriculture Committee. Keith said that the most important part about this debate lies in the question itself.

The question, explained Jones, is whether modern agriculture and post-modern agriculture can exist side by side. And if so, how can we ensure an open dialogue between the two camps?

The typical Washington approach is a binary discussion—yes or no, up or down. But with a booming global population—expected to reach 9 billion by 2050—we need to include everybody who is willing to produce.

"All food is grown locally… We just can't sell it there," said Jones. "I'm for anyone who puts a seed in the ground—whether it's a career farmer or not, we need them all."

Kathleen O'Hara Mathers, VP of Public Affairs for the Fertilizer Institute agreed, saying that so often different sectors in agriculture engage in a war of words, when really, we should be concentrating on how to feed a growing world by providing farmers access to quality inputs and the know how to use them in an environmentally responsible manner.

Kathy Mulvey, Policy Director for the Community Food Service Coalition, was there to represent the "local movement" which she says has evolved from what was once considered a fad, to a $1.2 billion business in 2007, and growing—the dollar value of local food purchasing is expected to double in 2012.

These locally grown, locally sold farming operations are "filling a gap in agriculture and reducing energy inputs in production, processing, and transportation," Mulvey said.

Thousands of acres of otherwise wasted land in urban areas are being farmed and millions of pounds of waste are being used as fertilizer through the community farm project.

And as a result of this growing business, we're seeing a rise of food policy councils—with or without government involvement—to help augment policy and create greater access to safe and healthy foods.

Elanor Starmer, with the USDA said that when it comes to any business or investment, there is security in a diversified portfolio—which is why the USDA works to support both local and large food production systems.

So, can both local and traditional, modern and post-modern agriculture exist harmoniously, side-by-side?

All panelists point to yes. And the destruction of either side makes no sense as greater demands are placed on the planet's food, fiber, and fuel supplies.

There has to be market demand and good conditions for either system, Starmer pointed out. There are some places where the local food system doesn't work, just as there are some areas that don't have a grocery store within a 30-mile radius. It's all about filling the voids to create one complimentary system.

The need cannot be met by locally grown and sold food alone, but with the global population reaching seven billion by the end of the month, our thin green line of 210,000 full-time farmers need all the help they can get in strong farm policy, strong food policy, as well as future farmers—local or large.