Farm sector needs producers to speak up and respond to criticisms and consumer misperceptions, says industry official
Most Canadian farmers are ignoring the massive public relations challenges within the agriculture industry, says the head of the Baking Association of Canada.
Environmental groups, scientific organizations and policy makers are challenging farming practices like never before.
For example, an agency of the World Health Organization said March 20 that glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide in the world, probably causes cancer.
Days later, the Ontario government introduced draft regulations to severely restrict the use of insecticide seed treatments in the province.
Paul Hetherington, president of the baking association, said in an interview that many producers are closing their eyes to the incessant attacks on conventional agriculture.
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“The first step to addressing a problem is recognizing you have one. I’m not convinced that the farming community recognizes it has a problem,” he said.
“That denial may not exist with the leadership … but I just don’t see that’s there’s the urgency or the acknowledgement that there are serious challenges facing the food supply chain.”
Hetherington told the Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association meeting in Winnipeg this winter that agriculture and the food industry have entered a new era in which consumers have more information than ever about food production.
Some of that information is deeply flawed, but Canadians have developed expectations and perceptions based on their fragmented knowledge.
“We’re in a new world folks, and transparency is all the rage. We’re all going to get scrutinized, more and more,” Hetherington said.
“Producers are going to have to accept it. They may not like it, but that is the new reality.”
As part of that reality, it’s now easy for consumers to compare Canadian agricultural practices to other parts of the world, he said.
“Wait a minute. This practice is not allowed in the EU but it’s allowed in Canada? Why?”
Hetherington said he hasn’t heard of initiatives such as Agriculture More Than Ever, which encourages farmers and “agvocates” to cultivate a positive dialogue around Canadian agriculture.
“I don’t see any of this farmer engagement. I’m not aware of it,” he said. “Our organization has not been contacted … to say this is a communication tool for you.”
Owen Roberts, who teaches agricultural communications at the University of Guelph, said agriculture needs more spokespeople.
“I think what’s missing to some extent, maybe to a major extent, are the numbers of people who are in a position to respond to these (criticisms),” he said.
“There are a fixed number of farmers who have a fixed amount of time for communication … (but) just like farmers have traditionally gotten involved in farm groups, I think they need to also get involved in agricultural communication.”
Roberts said agriculture needs engaged and persuasive producers because people trust farmers but are skeptical about farming.
“Agriculture has been villainized as an industry that is not particularly helping (society),” he said.
“It’s the ultimate dichotomy. What are farmers a part of? They’re part of the agricultural sector. But the activists … have managed to get people to forget that the agricultural sector is made up of farmers.”
Nadine Sisk, who leads the communication department at CropLife Canada, said the farming sector responded slowly to the criticisms of agricultural technology and food production practices.
“I don’t think the (ag) community ever believed this would get this bad … because the people who work in agriculture are well intentioned people.”
Producers and farm groups have stepped up in the last few years to counter the negative narrative, she said.
“I think there are an awful lot of really engaged farmers,” she said.
“When I take a look at when I first started with CropLife (seven years ago), it’s been absolutely momentous how much more engagement there is with communication.”
Hetherington said a shift in thinking is needed to effectively deal with the public relations predicament.
“I think producers need to … put themselves in the position of a consumer,” he said.
For example, many consumers who buy a new half-ton want a truck with outstanding gas mileage and tremendous power. Those two features are contradictory, but vehicle manufacturers have devised engines to satisfy the expectation.
If truck buyers aren’t willing to give up on their demands, why should consumers forgo their expectations around food production?
