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Agriculture: Telling the Other Side of the Story. April 2011. Our CHALLENGE. Lifecycle of U.S. Beef. Farming is Mysterious. Declining number of farmers and ranchers in the United States. Consumers increasingly removed from farming and ranching roots.
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Farming is Mysterious • Declining number of farmers and ranchers in the United States. • Consumers increasingly removed from farming and ranching roots. • Decreased consumer familiarity with agriculture industries.
$224 mil “We have the potential to be one of the most powerful forces in politics.” – Wayne Pacelle
74% American Red Cross 72% Better Business Bureau 70% Habitat for Humanity 70% American Cancer Society 69% Salvation Army 69% HSUS 68% Big Brothers/Big Sisters 66% American Heart Association 66% St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital Top-Rated NGOs
“Our goal is the abolition of all animal agriculture.” –John Goodwin, HSUS Coordinator “It would be better if human beings would stop killing, eating, enslaving, and exploiting animals.” – Whole Foods CEO John Mackey “Organic agriculture is the only sustainable solution for the future…that is our goal.” – Greenpeace director Peter Melchett
Challenging Perceptions “They’re just doing it to make more money” • “What goes into the cows, goes into me” “I feel conflicted about beef” “It’s unnatural” “[Beef is] A relatively doomed diet, because of environment & health implications”
Challenging Perceptions Up from 49% in 2008 “Factory Farming”? 61% YES 48% associate with beef cattle 58% believe beef comes from “factory farms” 33% concerned about safety of “factory farmed” beef
Consumers Want to Know Farmers & Ranchers Interest in knowing where beef comes from 74%
Knowledge = Favorability Percent favorable based on knowledge 88% 33%
10 Most Trusted Ways a Company Can Communicate with Me Source: GolinHarris’ 2005-2009 “Corporate Citizenship and American Business”
The Beef Checkoff Program • Established within 1985 Farm Bill, became mandatory in 1988 • $1/head assessed every time a beef animal is sold • Cattlemen’s Beef Board administers program, subject to U.S. Department of Agriculture approval
ImportersPay $1/head or equivalent Dairy, Beef, Veal ProducersPay $1/head StateBeefCouncils Cattlemen’s Beef Board 50¢ 10 50¢ Federation State Beef Councils Operating Committee 10 PromotingResearchingEducatingSafeguarding
The Beef Checkoff Program • Promotion • Research • Consumer Information • Industry Information • Foreign Marketing • Producer Communications
Beef Issues Management Protect consumer confidence, and therefore, the marketing climate for beef, by leading unified and effective industry responses to critical issues; and Pave the way for demand-driving programs by strengthening the reputation of the beef industry and its farming and ranching members.
Less than 2% of U.S. population raises food. • We’re using fewer natural resources to raise beef today. • Our efforts are helping supply a growing population with great tasting, nutritious beef.
Denver: JBS donated 16,000 lbs of beef to area food banks Missouri: Donated nearly 15,000 lbs of food to state food banks
“Agvocate” Training • Take advantage of cattlemen’s credibility • Give industry training, tools and confidence to speak up and speak out • Put a face on modern beef production
Earning Your MBA • MBA Courses • Modern Beef • Beef Safety • Animal Welfare • Environment • Beef Nutrition • The Beef Checkoff
MBA Gains Notoriety 2,040 MBA graduates in 47 states since April 2009.
Be an [Agriculture] Activist • Show your passion • Don’t let misinformation go unchecked • Stay on top of current events, be informed • Understand the “other side”
Make Yourself Heard • Online • Everyday conversations • Presentations • Media interviews
Make it Compelling • Keep it simple • Make it easy for others to understand and remember • Tell YOUR story
Them Us Speak Out Early and OFTEN
