The Alliance is celebrating more than 30 years of working to bridge the communication gap between farm and fork. To help us continue our mission for years to come, we are participating in Giving Tuesday, a global day of giving on November 27th.
As a 501c(3) nonprofit, the Alliance is the perfect charity to donate to if you support farmers, ranchers and animal agriculture! Our goal is to receive $15,000 from supporters and we are excited to have Cooper Farms matching all donations up to $5,000 and Morning Fresh Farms matching from $5,001 to $10,500 made on November 27th.
Here are just a few examples of how the Alliance team works hard in pursuit of bridging the communication gap between farm and fork.
Mainstream and Trade Media Engagements
One way we bridge the communication gap is by talking with the media. We have been working hard over the last year to build and maintain positive relationships with key opinion leaders in the agriculture industry. Between May 1, 2017 and April 30, 2018 the Alliance was mentioned in more than 1,275 articles, which is nearly twice the number of mentions during the last fiscal year. In addition, we issued 30 press releases during this time period. Our attendance at various media events, such as the Wall Street Journal Global Food Forum, is crucial in the amplification of our mission.
We also use these relationships to share reports and recent news from the Alliance, such as our Advances in Animal Agriculture report, the Alliance’s 2018 Annual Report and updates about our College Aggies Online scholarship competition. Building these mutually beneficial relationships helps the Alliance reach the public to provide access to factual information about agriculture.
Engagement with food chain opinion leaders
Restaurants, retailers, and food service companies are pressured by activist groups to meet unrealistic demands. That is why the Alliance has increased efforts to engage with these food chain opinion leaders to help them become better informed about animal agriculture and aware of the potential repercussions of these decisions.
The Alliance launched a series of Lunch and Learns for DC-area food chain opinion leaders to build relationships with these associations. Attendees have included representatives from the Food Marketing Institute, National Grocers Association, National Restaurant Association and National Council of Chain Restaurants. The Alliance also organized a “Farmers Thank Domino’s” campaign to thank Domino’s for supporting farmers and ranchers. We encouraged everyone to order a Domino’s pizza and post picture on social media using the hashtag #FarmersThankDominos. The hashtag was used more than 1,000 times!
The Alliance hosted a farm tour for food chain opinion leaders. We visited a poultry, dairy and pig farm in Maryland to encourage attendees to become more informed and involved in the animal agriculture industry. The tour was an excellent way to develop relationships with individuals in the restaurant, retail, and food service industry.
Monitoring activists and animal rights groups
The Alliance monitors activists and animal rights groups. We keep our members abreast with one-page group profiles to help them understand the goals and tactics of each group. The Alliance also sends representatives to the animal rights conferences every year, releasing a report afterwards of important takeaways from the gathering.
Not only are we proactive about learning new methods and tactics used by activist groups, but we also work to keep our members informed about how to protect themselves from possible threats. Through the Alliance’s Farm Security Mobile App, we arm members with security and crisis management advice and resources designed to keep their farms and animals safe.
Join the Alliance for Giving Tuesday
Help us continue these efforts and amplify our mission by supporting the Alliance for Giving Tuesday this year. By sending a donation, you are helping to give farmers and ranchers a positive voice to further engage with consumers. Visit our website on Giving Tuesday, November 27th, to donate and be sure to follow us on social media!
All posts are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily represent the view of the Animal Ag Alliance.
