Listen, ask and share to connect with the consumer

    In my June 2017 Extension column, I introduced the concept of “agvocacy.” Agvocacy simply put means to become an advocate for agriculture. While it is important to have your “elevator” speech about agriculture ready to go, it is also equally, if not more important, to be ready to actively listen to those who may not be directly tied to production agriculture. After all, only 2 percent of the U.S. population are farm and ranch families — those who are not directly involved with the production of food make up the remaining 98 percent.
    The Center for Food Integrity has a three-step approach for communication: Listen-Ask-Share. Listening is very often the hardest step. However, CFI’s research shows that “communicating with shared values is three to five times more important to earning trust than simply providing facts and demonstrating skills.”
    With that in mind, how well do those involved in production agriculture know their consumer? Do you know what’s important to them, what’s driving them to make their food-related decisions and do they want to learn more about farming and how their food is produced? The answer to the last question, according to CFI’s 2016 Consumer Trust Research Survey, is a resounding yes. Eighty percent of consumers surveyed indicated they want to learn more about how their food is produced. How can agriculturalists take advantage of this opportunity?
 

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