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2010: What’s In Store for Farmers and Foodies?
By Sarah Hubbart, Communications Coordinator, Animal Agriculture Alliance
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Food. Everyone loves it; very few understand how it makes it from pasture to plate. Despite the many economic challenges that 2009 brought, the year also ushered in a new wave of ethical eaters, people wanting to feel good about their food choices.
Now, farmers and ranchers are stepping up to the plate to share their
stories despite having suffered one of the toughest years on record. It’s
no surprise that many folks are happy to say goodbye (and good riddance) to
2009, but arguably no one had it harder than food producers, thanks to
plummeting prices, the unfortunate misnaming of H1N1, and increased media
attacks from activists.
The Food Channel’s 2010 Food Trends List reflects consumers’ increased
interest in ethical eating. Number six on their list of hot topics for the
upcoming year is food vetting, “the constant need for assurance that we are
eating the right things, that our food is safe.” While it is encouraging to
see that people are more interested in food than ever before, it reminds
those in the food industry that the time is now to provide accurate,
factbased information about where our food comes from before it gets to the
grocery store.
No one could be better at telling the story of food production than the
farmers and ranchers that grow and raise it. But how many people have
actually met a farmer? Less than 2 percent of Americans grow food for a
living which makes the odds of an encounter with a farmer pretty slim for
the other 98 percent. Many people’s exposure to agriculture has been limited
to Facebook’s popular "Farmville" game which features a world where pink
cows produce strawberry milk and soybeans are ready for harvest in two days.
Not exactly realistic.
Farmers have to wear many hats not only must they act as business owners,
animal caregivers, resource conservationists, agronomists, and
meteorologists, now they must find time to educate others about their
profession.
Luckily, social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook are making it
easier for farmers and consumers to connect. The official "Follow Farmer"
list includes 673 different farm and food folks that use Twitter to share
news stories and daytoday updates. A weekly #agchat and #foodchat bring
together foodies and food producers to discuss hot topics ranging from
biotechnology to animal welfare. These platforms help those in the food
industry reach an audience – there’s over 200 million people on Facebook
alone that they could never achieve before. The goal? To put a face to
America’s farmers, to help others understand the ways that food producers
care for their animals.
2010 is sure to bring its share of challenges, but it’s up to everyone
involved in food production to be proactive in educating others about the
safety and quality of our food supply. Get involved, stir up discussion,
encourage others to think about the products that they buy.
As one California dairyman
explained: "If you're not part of the discussion,
then you are the discussion, and if you're being discussed, you might as
well be there.”
Sarah Hubbart serves as
the Communications Coordinator for the Animal Agriculture Alliance, a
national nonprofit organization consisting of individual farmers, ranchers,
producer organizations, suppliers, packerprocessors, scientists,
veterinarians and retailers. The Alliance educates consumers about the
important role that modern animal agriculture plays in preserving our
nation’s security and vitality using reliable, science based information.
Sarah also discusses agriculture on the Alliance’s Twitter and Facebook. For
article feedback, contact Sarah at shubbart@animalagalliance.org
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