| For the week of July 9, 2007 |
Messengers of Agriculture |
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“No matter the importance of the message, without a reliable and effective messenger the meaning is lost.” That is one of the timeless principles of effective communications. Although not a new concept, this is a poignant reminder of the importance the messenger has in conveying accurate and educational information regarding today’s agriculture.
As thousands of students with college degrees in agriculture compete for spots in more than 300 agricultural career fields, only about 3 percent possess a background in agricultural communications. The field is expanding as more companies and interest groups realize the importance of communicating accurately about agriculture.
Agricultural communications graduates go on to find rewarding careers as journalists and as communicators at commodity and trade organizations and related interest groups. To these individuals, communicating the significance of agriculture is a daily mission. With a slim slice of our population engaged in farming and ranching, the challenge to be an effective messenger for agriculture becomes even more complex.
Most young people learning about agriculture today at the collegiate level have not grown up on farms, but share pride in the industry upon which America was built. As these young people realize the significance in bridging the gap between people involved in agriculture and those removed from it, they take on the challenge of reviving national interest, knowledge and respect for agriculture.
One subject they’ll be communicating about is how agriculture is expanding its capabilities, as new foods are developed and farmers and retailers attempt to fill the many new markets created by the influx of immigrants and other consumer demands. As a result, passionate and educated communicators will be needed to help consumers understand how public policy decisions about agriculture affect the environment, the nation’s economy and food sources.
Agriculture is no longer a world limited to cows, plows and sows. These three things represent the core values of agriculture; however, issues such as plants and foods enhanced through biotechnology, renewable resources and alternative farming have all become important issues on the farm, to consumers and in the political arena. Due to this expansion it’s more important than ever for the many facets of agriculture to be presented accurately by the media and in educational settings.
You could also say as the world continues to grow smaller through globalization, it is vitally important that people know where their food comes from. And, maybe more importantly, today’s consumers want to know.
This all points to the need for agriculture, as an industry, to continue its investment in professional communicators. Farmers and ranchers will always remain agriculture’s best messengers, but helping them tell their stories is a job that today’s agriculture cannot do without.
Hollie Elliott, a student from Missouri State University, is a public relations intern at the American Farm Bureau Federation.