Speak loud and clear... our opponents do!

Every producer has a position. You might be opposed to BST use; you might buy BST in bulk. Perhaps you have an organic operation. Maybe you even have a cloned cow or calf on your farm. All of these issues are at the heart of today’s consumer. If you’re walking down the grocery aisle with no prior knowledge of dairy or production practices, would you buy the gallon of milk marked ‘BST-free,’ or would you buy the package without the claim? Consumers make decisions like this every day whether they’re informed or not.

Whose voice enters a consumer’s head when they look at a product?

Surely you’ve seen or heard about the commercials, movies, and other campaigns attacking the way the dairy industry and other agricultural industries operate. Consumers see and hear these negative campaigns, too, and it directly impacts the decisions they make in the store. We, as food producers, must be a voice to be reckoned with when it comes to broadcasting these issues.

Spiral science is a term for the uninformed public hearing and seeing only one side of an issue (usually very vocal and extreme), thinking that everyone else is on that side since it’s the only voice being heard, and changing their view to that of the extreme. The recently blogged-about movie, Food Inc., is an example. The movie will debut, and consumers will watch as claims are made and the agricultural industry and its system will be questioned, but who will talk back? Who will speak truth and reason on behalf of our industry? Make your voice heard— it makes a difference.