Agriculture: Telling the Other Side of the Story

April 2011

Our CHALLENGE

Lifecycle of U.S. Beef

Farming is Mysterious

• Declining number of farmers and ranchers in the United States.

• Consumers increasingly removed from farming and ranching roots.

• Decreased consumer familiarity with agriculture industries.

The Fuzzy Spot

Advocacy Group RevenueConsumers Union $252 mil

HSUS $125 mil

Sierra Club $82 mil

Greenpeace $40 mil

PETA $33 mil

CSPI $19 mil

Union of Concerned Scientists $32 mil

PCRM $7 mil

Farm Sanctuary $5 mil

$224 mil

“We have the potential to be one of the most powerful forces in politics.”

– Wayne Pacelle

“We have the potential to be one of the most powerful forces in politics.”

– Wayne Pacelle

1. 74% American Red Cross

2. 72% Better Business Bureau

3. 70% Habitat for Humanity

4. 70% American Cancer Society

5. 69% Salvation Army

6. 69% HSUS

7. 68% Big Brothers/Big Sisters

8. 66% American Heart Association

9. 66% St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital

Top-Rated NGOs

“It would be better if human beings would stop killing, eating, enslaving, and exploiting animals.”

 – Whole Foods CEO John Mackey

“It would be better if human beings would stop killing, eating, enslaving, and exploiting animals.”

 – Whole Foods CEO John Mackey

“Our goal is the abolition of all animal agriculture.”

 –John Goodwin, HSUS Coordinator

“Our goal is the abolition of all animal agriculture.”

 –John Goodwin, HSUS Coordinator

“Organic agriculture is the only sustainable solution for the future…that is our goal.”

 – Greenpeace director Peter Melchett

“Organic agriculture is the only sustainable solution for the future…that is our goal.”

 – Greenpeace director Peter Melchett

Challenging Perceptions

“[Beef is] A relatively doomed diet, because of environment & health implications”

“[Beef is] A relatively doomed diet, because of environment & health implications”

“I feel conflicted about beef”“I feel conflicted about beef”

“What goes into the cows, goes into me”“What goes into the cows, goes into me”

“They’re just doing it to make more money”“They’re just doing it to make more money”

“It’s unnatural”“It’s unnatural”

Challenging Perceptions

Up from 49% in 2008

“Factory Farming”?

48% associate with beef cattle

58% believe beef comes from “factory farms”

33% concerned about safety of “factory farmed” beef

61% YES

The OPPORTUNITY

Consumers Want to Know Farmers & Ranchers

20% 6%27% 47%

Very interested Somewhat interested

Not very interested Not at all interested

Interest in knowing where beef comes from

74%

63%42%

26% 21% 26%

25%

44%

45%

33%9%

Know verywell

Knowsomewhat

Know just alittle

Know almostnothing

Never heardof

Very FAV Mainly FAV

88%

33%

Knowledge = FavorabilityPercent favorable based on knowledge

45%45% Real stories about real people

44%44% Word-of-mouth from family, friends, co-workers

38%38% TV News, programs and their Web sites

36%36% Newspaper & magazine articles & Web sites

36%36% Company Web sites, reports, package info

35%35% My own research on the Internet

30%30% NGOs, govt., universities

30%30% Orgs/causes supported

29%29% Radio programs and news

Source: GolinHarris’ 2005-2009 “Corporate Citizenship and American Business”

10 M

ost T

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U.S. EFFORTS

The Beef Checkoff Program

• Established within 1985 Farm Bill, became mandatory in 1988

• $1/head assessed every time a beef animal is sold

• Cattlemen’s Beef Board administers program, subject to U.S. Department of Agriculture approval

PromotingResearching

EducatingSafeguarding

StateBeef

Councils

Cattlemen’s Beef Board

Dairy, Beef, Veal ProducersPay $1/head

ImportersPay $1/head or equivalent

FederationState Beef Councils Operating

Committee

50¢

50¢

10

10

• Promotion

• Research

• Consumer Information

• Industry Information

• Foreign Marketing

• Producer Communications

The Beef Checkoff Program

Beef Issues Management1) Protect consumer confidence, and

therefore, the marketing climate for beef, by leading unified and effective industry responses to critical issues; and

2) Pave the way for demand-driving programs by strengthening the reputation of the beef industry and its farming and ranching members.

SUCCESSES

www.YouTube.com/BeefPastureToPlate

Student Documentaries

• Less than 2% of U.S. population raises food.

• We’re using fewer natural resources to raise beef today.

• Our efforts are helping supply a growing population with great tasting, nutritious beef.

Missouri: Donated nearly 15,000 lbs of

food to state food banks

Denver: JBS donated 16,000 lbs of beef to

area food banks

“Agvocate” Training• Take advantage of

cattlemen’s credibility

• Give industry training, tools and confidence to speak up and speak out

• Put a face on modern beef production

Earning Your MBA

MBA CoursesMBA CoursesI. Modern BeefII. Beef SafetyIII. Animal WelfareIV.EnvironmentV. Beef NutritionVI.The Beef Checkoff

MBA Gains Notoriety

2,040 MBA graduates in 47

states since April 2009.

Agriculture’s CHARGE

Be an [Agriculture] Activist

Be an [Agriculture] Activist• Show your passion

• Don’t let misinformation go unchecked

• Stay on top of current events, be informed

• Understand the “other side”

Make Yourself Heard

• Presentations

• Media interviews

• Online

• Everyday conversations

Make it Compelling• Keep it simple

• Make it easy for others to understand and remember

• Tell YOUR story

Speak Out Early and OFTEN

Them

Us

QUESTIONS?

THANK YOU!