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Winning Back Animal Welfare Put a Face on Agriculture

Winning Back Animal Welfare Put a Face on Agriculture. Presented by: Whitney Carman Kentucky Beef Council. How Consumers View Agriculture. Activist Groups Want Consumers to Believe…. Our farms are dirty. Our farms are factories. Our farms pollute the environment.

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Winning Back Animal Welfare Put a Face on Agriculture

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  1. Winning Back Animal WelfarePut a Face on Agriculture Presented by: Whitney Carman Kentucky Beef Council

  2. How Consumers View Agriculture

  3. Activist Groups Want Consumers to Believe… • Our farms are dirty. • Our farms are factories. • Our farms pollute the environment. • We don’t care about our animals. • We don’t care about our land. • We don’t care about the families around us.

  4. “Rather than just doing the sort of story where you do 50 percent on one side and 50 percent on another … we’re getting a lot of stories that are more angled towards the point of view of the writer.” Bryan Walsh, Time Magazine

  5. The Activist Mindset • Purpose • Not satisfied with the status quo • Willing to work for change • Passion • Dedicated to a cause • Willing to literally “bare it all”

  6. $224 mil

  7. What is Going On? Legislation banning battery cages, veal crates and gestation crates in several states – CA, FL, AZ, CO, MI Issue 2 in OH passed and development of Animal Care Standards Board begins Partnership with KY Horse Park to adopt horses Creating a Livestock Commission in KY SB 105 HSUS Ballot Initiative in OH Watching other states – MO next target

  8. The Challenge of Animal Welfare • Cultural confusion regarding the role and function of animals in our society • Horses • American Horse SlaughterPrevention Act • Companions? Competitors? Athletes? Livestock? Meat animals?

  9. The Challenge of Animal Welfare Our Connection with Pets • We project our values, desires, emotions and needs onto our pets • Pet expenditures have more than doubled in the past 12 years to $40.8 billion+

  10. Consumer Concerns • Why is beef produced in factory farms? • Do beef producers mistreat animals? • Are cows causing global warming? • Is beef safe to serve to my family? • Does eating beef increase your risk of heart disease and cancer?

  11. What Do Consumers Want? • They want to know their food is produced by someone who cares. • They want to feel good about the way their food is produced. • They want to know how their food is produced and to see where it is produced.

  12. Consumer Affluence • We spend the smallest percentage of our income on food • We can demand where, when & how our food is produced We are voting with our dollars

  13. Becoming a Beef Advocate • Purpose • Not satisfied with allowing others to tell our story for us • Willing to stand up for our industry • Passion • Dedicated to preserving a way of life • Willing to speak out and be heard(fully clothed, of course)

  14. The Two Cs • We CARE • We’re CAPABLE “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

  15. Beef Safety • We Care • We eat the beef we raise on our farm/ranch and care about providing safe beef for our family and yours • We’re Capable • We have invested millions of dollars in beef safety research and developed safeguards from farm to fork

  16. Animal Care • We Care • We know that providing care for our cattle is an obligation, not an option because raising healthy animals is the first step in producing safe, wholesome beef • We’re Capable • We have standards for animal care and provide training for everyone who handles cattle to ensure proper treatment

  17. Environmental Stewardship • We Care • Caring for the land is our livelihood and our legacy to future generations • We’re Capable • We follow best practices for protecting the environment and promote conservation efforts through education programs and the Environmental Stewardship Award

  18. Discovering Your Influential Power Who Influences You?

  19. Influential People

  20. Sharing Your Story • One of the most trusted sources • You must speak up and be heard • Be the face of modern beef production

  21. Everyone is Responsible! • Farmer • Trucker • Auction Market • Stocker • Feeder • Packer • Consumer It Starts With OUR Actions!

  22. Get Your Masters of Beef Advocacy (MBA) • Self-directed online training • Six session on the beef industry • Equips you with information to be an everyday advocate • Helps you to understand the “other side”

  23. Presentations/panels Civic groups Producer meetings Legislative/regulatory hearings Online Facebook, Twitter and blogs Commenting on news stories On the farm Become BQA Certified Host a field day for consumers and media Everyday Conversations Across the fence At work, church, and/or school Read accurate Ag books Tell stories Dinner parties, cookouts Letter-to-the-Editor Opportunities to Tell Your Story

  24. Close Encounters Answering tough questions in one-on-one conversations

  25. Listen • Listen first…then talk (80/20 rule) • Ask probing questions • Why do you feel that way? • Where did you hear that? • Find out as much as you can about them • Where did they grow up? • Have far removed from the farm? • Do they have kids, pets, etc.?

  26. Connect • Find common ground/shared values • What do they care about? • What questions do they have about beef? • Recognize and respect differences • Don’t get personal or argumentative • Remember that others may be listening!

  27. Share • Acknowledge their viewpoint and ask if they’d be open to hearing yours • Share your personal story • Suggest resources • ExploreBeef.org • BeefItsWhatsforDinner.com • Kybeef.com

  28. Discovering the Power of Social Media Being a beef advocate in the online environment

  29. Online Advocacy • Monitor activist and news sites • Choose your battles wisely • Does this issue affect my business/livelihood? • Which am I most concerned about? • Am I the best person to respond? • Decide how to respond (send a letter to the editor, post a comment, etc.) • Save a copy of your response

  30. Earth Day Letters-to-the-Editor

  31. Responding to Negative News and Misinformation • Take the high road • Get personal and share your story • As a beef producer… • As a regular consumer of beef… • As a mom/dad/grandparent who serves beef to my family… • We CARE and are CAPABLE

  32. Blogging • A blog is a good way to share your story with friends, family, and the world • You have to decide how much you want to share • Free blog sites • Blogspot • WordPress

  33. Social Networking • Facebook • Create your own “page” • Join groups (Young Producers Council) • Become a fan (Beef. It’s What’s for Dinner) • Post updates on your “status” • Follow other Ag groups and people • Become a fan of KY Cattlemen’s Association or Beef It’s What’s For Dinner

  34. Social Networking • Twitter • Follow others and be followed • Instant updates on the here and now • Use to mobilize, disseminate information quickly • www.twitter.com/kybeef

  35. Make it Compelling Keep it simple Make it easy for others to understand and remember Make it Personal -Tell YOUR story Why do you do what you do?

  36. Why Us? • This generation has more influence today. • 2nd largest only to Baby Boomers! • Ag students are becoming less and less--- they are our voice! • Future leaders Agriculture • Animal Welfare is NOT going anywhere soon.

  37. “Your passion for a subject will save you.” — William James Harvard Professor of Psychology

  38. Thank You Whitney Carman Director of Consumer Affairs Kentucky Beef Council wbrown@kycattle.org 859-278-0899

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