The Beef Farmers of Ontario is setting out its commitment to diversity and inclusion in its industry.
In an announcement on its website, Beef Farmers of Ontario says the Ontario beef industry is an ally against discrimination based on race, sexual orientation, gender, religion, and ability (visible and invisible), as well as linguistic discrimination.
“We recognize that we are not always a diverse industry, but we believe in fighting racism and discrimination in all its forms,” the BFO says.
The organization has laid out an eight-point plan to address this commitment.
BFO says it is focused on advocacy and education within the organization, its activities, and among the membership, and are committed to development, including but not limited to the following:
- Listening and learning and speaking up against prejudice and discriminatory language, behaviour and actions
- Increased understanding of how policies and programs related to agriculture affect Indigenous peoples. We commit to working with these groups on contentious issues, such as allowing agriculture use on Crown land
- Advocating for more diversity, equity and inclusion in agriculture.
- Education within the industry, including educating our membership on racism and other prejudice as well as promoting diversity and allyship
- Ensuring our actions are not just self-serving, including promoting and using BIPOC-owned businesses, as well as developing more diverse and authentic recipes that appeal to and celebrate our diverse communities
- Working in collaboration with other groups and individuals who are more knowledgeable than us on fighting discrimination
- Evolving our commitments as we learn.
The BFO board and staff are actively looking at the organization and current activities, it says, to assess where the organization can “weave education and advocacy around diversity, equity and inclusion into existing activities and programming.”
