The Prince Edward Island Potato Board has joined a campaign aimed at improving perceptions of agriculture.
The organization has signed on as a partner of Farm Credit Canada’s “Agriculture More Than Ever” (or “Ag More Than Ever”) initiative, which launched in 2012. The campaign encourages farmers to be “agvocates” for Canadian agriculture and create positive dialogue about agriculture with the public.
“This initiative provides a forum for us to share good news stories and help us connect with the general public,” said Greg Donald, general manager of P.E.I. Potato Board.
Prior to the program launch, research showed farmers felt positive about the industry, but the general public had a more pessimistic view. “Typically when agriculture has been in the news, it’s been because of a challenge or crisis farmers are facing, whether it be a weather problem or BSE [mad cow disease],” said Lyndon Carlson, senior VP of marketing at Regina-based Farm Credit Canada (FCC).
“There was a major disconnect between the positive reality in agriculture and what the general public believed. And I don’t think it’s good for us. If we want to grow our industry, it’s important that the general public and producers themselves start talking more positively about and telling the real true story of modern Canadian agriculture.”
The website www.agriculturemorethanever.ca features stories and videos of farmers from across Canada, polls, facts, resources and an online shop featuring T-shirts with slogans like “Kiss Me. I’m a farmer,” as well as campaign signs and banners available for purchase.
FCC has now signed more than 300 partnership agreements with a variety of stakeholders, including private sector organizations, large processors and industry organizations.
While the first phase of the campaign focused on getting industry support, FCC is now ready for phase two. “Now that we’ve got such a good number of partners, we want to see what we can do to influence public opinion,” said Carlson. “We are starting to work on more public-facing initiatives and our partners are asking about what we can do together.”
