By KEVIN WALKER
Michigan Correspondent
 
CHESTERFIELD, Mo. — Last week the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) announced that John Deere & Co. had joined its effort to reach out to American consumers with more positive messages about the safety of the nation’s food supply, and about agriculture generally.

The USFRA, a consortium of agriculture groups, was formed last year for this reason. Its latest campaign is called Listen Up! Farmers Are Raising Their Voices.

“It is very important that the agriculture industry unite for the common goal of enhancing public trust in the U.S. food system to help ensure healthy choices for people everywhere,” said American Farm Bureau President and USFRA Chair Bob Stallman.
“With sponsors like John Deere, USFRA will achieve its objectives of enhancing consumer trust, maintaining and enhancing the freedom of U.S. farmers and ranchers to operate in a responsible manner and strengthening collaboration within the food production, processing and distribution systems.”

Don Borgman, director of industry relations for Deere, issued a statement Aug. 4 on the company’s support: “John Deere is honored to support USFRA’s efforts on behalf of the hard-working and dedicated farmers and ranchers of America. We are committed to USFRA and working with all sectors of the agriculture industry to tell the accurate story of today’s production agriculture.”
Likewise, last June DuPont threw its hat into the USFRA ring: “DuPont is proud to support the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance as they bring together an unprecedented group that crosses all boundaries in modern agriculture with a single goal of building understanding about the dependable, abundant supply of food produced by today’s farmers and ranchers,” stated DuPont Vice President James Borel.

“There is an increased need to reinforce the importance of agricultural contributions and its value to society and promoting the merits of a career in agriculture also are essential to recruiting tomorrow’s farmers and innovators.”

The USFRA website features a brief promotional video that starts with the words, “Let’s change the perception of modern farming and ranching from negative to one that inspires a nation.” The site features menu items designed for farmers, including a form that asks, “Tell us what you want Americans to know.”

Another item invites the participant to take part in a survey, and still others offer brochures and online information that can be shared. The website also asks people to participate in the promotion and outreach program by providing comments on social media sites, such as Twitter and Facebook.

It’s all about perception, according to Hans Johr, corporate head of agriculture at Nestle and Director of the Sustainable Agriculture Alliance.

“As we have now, media online, so you know immediately what is happening in each corner of the world, and that generates this kind of perception (that) we have really a bad situation with food safety,” Johr said.

To look into the campaign, go the USFRA’s website at http://usfraonline.org