Opinion
Agvocacy, agvocate, advocating for agriculture…
As a farmer or rancher, do you like these words? Do you embrace these terms?
Whether you embrace “agvocacy” or avoid it, what would the implications be in five years if the entire sector adopted your position?
Producers tend to have strong positive and negative reactions to the activity of advocating, however it’s defined. It has created many discussions among industry members on the impact and value. No doubt that that some of the impact has been overstated — to both the positive and negative.
I discussed advocacy with Candace Hill of Agriculture More than Ever to take a look back at the first five years of the program and how advocacy evolves longer term.
Terminology and semantics aside, it can’t hurt to talk about your industry in terms of the positive impact it has in every person’s daily life when they open the fridge or visit the grocery store or order off a menu.
Asking questions and spreading truth about agriculture is not boasting or lecturing or being condescending. It’s about communicating with people in the value chain. A value chain that includes producers, processors, retailers and consumers.
If we all spent as much time communicating with value chain peers as we did as an industry fighting over the value of advocacy we would be a little further ahead I am guessing.
Related:
- Finally, The Right Kind of “Agvocacy”
- The Noisy World of Agvocacy: Tangible Benefit Is Key
- An Agvocate’s Guide to Effective Communication
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