Without a doubt, livestock producers take care of their livestock. They continue to upgrade facilities, use the best animal feed and doctor their cattle, swine and sheep when the need arises.
Today, consumers are one, two, three and four generations removed from the farm and ranch where such animals are raised and cared for. If stockmen are able to continue to care for their animals and preserve their freedom to operate and maintain successful animal agriculture, they must understand how consumers think and feel. Get inside their heads, if you will.
Consumers consider farmers responsible for the humane treatment of farm animals. In recent consumer surveys, people rated animal well-being higher than the care and well-being of workers in the food system.
It is not science or ability that drives trust. Instead, it is whether consumers believe agriculture shares their ethics and values things like loving our families, caring for the environment or being a proud American.
We all know our industry is strong in science. Always has been.
Plenty of evidence demonstrates we’re doing the right thing, but we rely too much on that language. We need to reengage the public on a value’s basis.
Americans know very little about where their food comes from today. What they want is permission to believe that what we are doing is consistent with their values and ethics.
We applaud those industrious farmers and ranchers who invite non-farm people to their farms or share what’s happening via social media. When people are able to put a face to an industry and ask any question they might have – doors, minds and hearts open.
Too often we close the door and expect them to trust us. That is not today’s reality.
Livestock production or animal agriculture in the most affluent country in the world is faced with special challenges and opportunities. Among those challenges is that Americans spend such a small percentage of their income on food that they can demand food where they want it, when they want it and in the proportion they want it.
Many food stores and food retailers have announced implementation of third-party verification measures to ensure the animals from which food products are derived were treated humanely. In the near future, customers will demand third-party verification and if it doesn’t exist, the store providing the food is not going to be credible with the public.
Agriculture can win this battle for the hearts and minds of consumers. Farmers and ranchers must remember whom they are trying to influence. Customers and consumers need to hear from livestock producers.
It is not productive for the agriculture community to attack activist groups. Instead, agriculture must retake its rightful position as the people in charge of ensuring the humane treatment of animals.
Agriculture must inform people we share their concerns and we work hard every day to make sure our animals are treated fairly and humanely. Follow that by sharing with them how we meet our obligations to the humane treatment of the animals on our farms.
John Schlageck is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas. Born and raised on a diversified farm in northwestern Kansas, his writing reflects a lifetime of experience, knowledge and passion