Communicators and public relations and marketing professionals across the country are volunteering their time and skills to support agriculture during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Farmwork to Feed Canada (F2FC) is a volunteer, not-for-profit initiative designed to support the farm and agri-food sectors by improving awareness of the food system.
“Our skills are in writing and in communications. As Canadians we wanted to do something that could help make a difference. We thought that farmers, farm organizations, agri-business organizations — we could help them,” said Mark Gregory, managing partner at Locomotive PR in Burlington, Ont.
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“We can help them by helping to create greater understanding of the issues that affect Canadian’s food supply and also to build increased support and trust in all those who bring the food that we depend on from farm to plate under some very, very challenging circumstances,” he said.
“Farmwork to Feed Canada is our way of giving back as communicators by creating a network and a forum to help our fellow Canadians understand food issues amid the pandemic.”
Gregory said he and a group of colleagues were stunned at the extent of disruption that the pandemic created in the early stages in health care and agriculture.
He helped found the group, which has quickly grown and includes about 40 industry volunteers across the country.
They set up the website at farmworktofeedcanada.ca, which provides links and stories to promote the value and importance of food sustainability and food security — top concerns for Canadians according to research.
The site is divided into categories that range from farm work and Canada’s food supply, to stories and news, as well as how to get involved.
The website offers help to farmers and examples of how farmers are moving to digital platforms. It also provides links to agriculture and agribusiness career opportunities.
Several industry players have supported the initiative, such as Agriculture Canada, the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, the Canadian Centre for Food Integrity, and provincial organizations like Horticulture Nova Scotia.
Gregory said the public relations and communications industry has been severely affected by the pandemic.
Many internship opportunities have dried up or been cancelled due to COVID-19 and it’s hoped that this volunteer project will help support new graduates.
“We’re creating opportunities for students in public relations, communications, in journalism to become volunteers and do real work and get real work experience. About a quarter of our members are students who are doing writing, working on our digital engagement, our website and social channels. And it’s really inspiring,” he said.
