A survery released by @Bayer4CropsUS during their annual forum in New Orleans shows how leary consumers are of agribusiness companies and their agendas.
David Hollinrake, Vice President, Marketing & Portfolio Management for Bayer, said that he’s been on the road talking to grower groups across the country helping farmers understand how to create dialog with consumers about what they do. He said that Bayer created a “fact pack” that aims to help farmers tell their own story. Response has been outstanding – and it may be happening just in time.
Hollinrake says consumers still believe and trust in farmers – but it’s not a relationship to take for granted. He said agribusiness must connect the head – and all the science agriculture relies on – with the heart, and what motivates not only consumers but most of us.
He noted that the simple way that farmers introduce themselves to the general public can send a critical message to anyone they’re talking to. Hollinrake says that his brother is an example of a farmer that’s learning that. Through Hollinrake’s encouragement, his brother and other farmers are introducing themselves as not “just a farmer”, but instead a dairy producer that puts milk, cheese and butter on your table. Connecting the dots at that first meeting can be critical.
#AgVocate – all of us need to!