Interest in farming is a great communications opportunity

The world’s food needs are under the microscope and we hear near-daily pleas from groups such as the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization for greater investment in feeding hungry people. So why are development agencies such as USC Canada dedicating scarce resources to hackneyed anti-corporate promotions such as this latest poll?

That’s what I’m pondering in this week’s Urban Cowboy column in the Guelph Mercury. The poll shows people want to know more about farmers and farming…so farmers need to use the opportunity to explain what they do, and why they use technology and research. Farmers have long lamented the urban media gets things wrong or doesn’t listen to them. But people learn by being taught. Farm community, it’s time to ramp up communications.

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Comment by Roadrunner on October 31, 2009 at 4:06am: Good points...the challenge is that farmers only talk to a few consumers directly and the marketing resources are with the food companies and grocery chains.... We also grow corn, soys and wheat and most consumers don't relate with those crops... Big challenge in the future as the city kids are even more distant to the farmer and their food production.