With less than three per cent of Canadians having a direct connection to agriculture, there’s a gap in understanding what producers do – but they want to learn more.
According to a May 2016 survey by the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity, 93 per cent of consumers know little or nothing about Canadian farm practices, but 69 per cent of them want to hear more from producers.
It’s a call to action, said Todd Klink, Farm Credit Canada’s chief marketing officer.
“They want to learn,” he said. “They want to learn from farmers and for us as an industry, it’s really important that farmers do speak out and tell their story about why they’re passionate about farming and what we do on their farm to help bridge that public perception gap about what we are actually doing as our industry.”
There’s one simple thing all producers could do to help close that gap, Klink said.
“I think the thing we can do as an industry is just talk to people and tell our story,” he said, adding that farmers could tell the story about their farm and how they produce food when they’re at places like the curling rink, hockey arena, church, and store. “I think that’s the easiest way to do it, is just talk about their story and why they are so passionately involved in agriculture.”
There are other ways producers can help inform the public: writing letters to the editor or columns in newspapers, doing interviews with the media, using social media like Twitter and Facebook, and even getting involved in a program like Ag in the Classroom.
Klink suggested that producers check out what others are doing on social media. There are also resources that can help. Agriculture More Than Ever’s website has tips for those interested in promoting the industry, while Farm and Food Care Saskatchewan is hosting a media interview workshop in February.
The chief marketing officer said there are a few items to avoid while educating consumers about agriculture.
“The best way to connect with people with questions is not to get in an argument with someone or a philosophical discussion,” he said. “I think it’s about sharing ideas and common ground in that all of us in the industry care about high quality food for our families and the consumers that we get to produce it for.”
If someone a producer is talking with has a misconception about what happens on the farm, Klink said that working to prove that person wrong isn’t necessarily the best way to convince them.
“I think there’s no value in making people wrong,” he said. “I think there’s value in understanding what people’s concerns are, finding out where our common ground is and engaging in a conversation from that perspective.”
In the end, Klink said, agriculture is important for this province and country and producers have to share their stories to increase understanding with the public.
“Together, we can amplify the message to consumers and it’s not up to one group or one individual, it’s up to everybody in the business to share the story,” he said. “With all of us sharing our voices, we can have an impact.”
