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Arnot: Animal agriculture is enduring strong attack
<b>By MEGGIE I. FOSTER<br>Assistant Editor</b> </p><p>

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — From massive meat and food recalls to milk labeling debacles to the strongest animal rights movement in recent history, the animal agriculture industry is fighting like never before for its freedom to operate, according to Charlie Arnot, CEO for the Center for Food Integrity.<br>
Arnot, who presented a gripping one-hour speech at the Indiana Cattle and Forage Symposium on Feb. 16, discussed new elements of building trust and confidence in the U.S. food system.<br>
“Freedom to operate … at the end of the day, that’s what you want, right?” Arnot paused and questioned the beef, dairy and forage producers in the room. “To do this, you have to earn a social license, by means of operating in a way that builds trust with those who grant the license.”<br>
Arnot pointed to three key elements that drive trust: influential others, or “people that share my views such researchers, scientists, academics, people like me;” competence and confidence, meaning “I can count on you.”<br>
“One of the biggest factors in why we are seeing such a social change in our food system is that we’ve switched from an agrarian model to an industrial model, where brands are now replacing regulatory and legislative bodies as agents of social change,” he explained.<br>
Highlighting several examples in 2007, Arnot mentioned the Jan. 25 Smithfield announcement that they were phasing out gestation stalls, on Feb. 23 Dean Foods said they would not accept milk from cloned cows or the offspring of clones, on March 28, Burger King announced it would begin sourcing more pork and eggs from suppliers who do not use stalls or cages and on Aug. 1, Kroger announced it was moving to certified rBST-free milk in all stores.
“Global brands are now the ones establishing policies that impact livestock production practices in increasing numbers and frequencies,” Arnot warned.<br>
He said that the top 10 food retailers sell nearly 75 percent of the food supply, “so activists know exactly who to target with their campaigns.”<br>
“HSUS (Humane Society of the United States) boasts nearly 10 million members and they want to show that they’re just like you and that they know what’s best,” Arnot said.<br>
“They’ve been very successful and have no intention of slowing down, their philosophy is, ‘We can dance with you or on you.’ We are the weakest link here.”<br>
Trusting ‘people like me’<br>

In a recent study of “who do you trust”, 57 percent of surveyors said that they trusted activist and advocacy groups the most, 53 percent trusted business, 43 percent trusted media and 38 percent trusted government, he discussed.<br>
“If people trust you, most likely they’ll do business with you,” Arnot claimed.<br>
On a positive note for farmers a 2000 survey looked at “who is it you (a consumer) trusts when it comes to food issues,” and found that consumers rated farmers and food companies the most responsible, with significantly higher trust than other groups such as the USDA and academics. “This is a huge asset for you to build on,” he said.<br>
According to David Pelzer, senior vice president of industry image and relations at Dairy Management Inc. (DMI), which manages the nation’s dairy checkoff, another research study shows that consumers rank dairy farmers close to firefighters and teachers in regards to trustworthiness.<br>
However, Pelzer did add that consumers have lingering concerns about on-farm practices.<br>
“For a growing minority of consumers, there is a tie-in between their perception of how milk is produced on the farm and their purchase of dairy products,” Pelzer said. “DMI research indicates that 14 percent of consumers say they care enough about animal welfare practices that their perceptions have changed the amount or type of dairy products they purchase. And 15 percent say they care enough about environmental practices in the same way.”<br>
Arnot further explained that values and ethics are taking dominance in a traditionally science-based culture. He pointed to five global values that will help build trust with consumers: compassion, responsibility, respect, truth and fairness. “Consumers want to know … are you someone like me, do you care for your animals,” he said. “Instead of saying, ‘of course we do, if we didn’t we wouldn’t make money,’ or ‘science says we can,’ tell them you care for the well-being of your animals because its important to you.”<br>
Activist groups such as HSUS, PETA, the Farm Sanctuary, Pheasants Forever, Sierra Club “have a way of channeling the passion of their members, because they share a commitment to a common principle or belief,” he said. “These communities of ‘people like me’ claim the moral high ground of any argument and that ground cannot be taken by science or public relations alone. To compete at that level, we have to demonstrate our commitment to similar principles and share values. We have to give consumers permission to believe animal agriculture is consistent with their values and expectations,” he concluded.<br>
To combat the increasingly concerned consumer base, DMI launched www. dairyfarmingtoday in 2006, a virtual online experience at a dairy farm that has become the leading source of web-based information about the dairy industry.<br>
Another key program hoping to effectively communicate a positive public image of dairy farmers is the Dairy Farmer Spokesperson Network, which has resulted in hundreds of dairy farmer media interviews across the country.<br>
“In order to be trusted, you have to be credible and relevant,” Pelzer said. “There is no one more credible and relevant to communicate the story of dairy farming than farmers themselves, they are the best messenger.”

2/20/2008