American Agriculture Tells Its Story

In a recent posting  we discussed the importance of framing the debate and empowering stakeholders as opportunities to defend modern agriculture.

The U.S. livestock industry has been vocal in its response to stories which recently aired on the CBS Evening News. Two six-minute reports by Katie Couric attempt to link the use of antimicrobials with MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and positions Danish swine production – which has restricted the use of antibiotics – as a model for the U.S. 

As Ron Hays noted on a recent Oklahoma Farm Report, comparisons between U.S. and Danish pork production miss a larger point. Hays quotes Dr. Lyle Vogel of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) in testimony before a U.S. Senate Committee.

“While the total quantity of antimicrobials used in food animals in Denmark has decreased by 27%, the increase in disease has resulted in a 143% increase in the quantity of antimicrobials used for therapeutic purposes,” Vogel says. “And the antimicrobials now used more frequently are in classes which are also used in humans, such as tetracyclines.”

Click here for more on the AVMA’s Senate testimony.

This is an excellent example of framing the debate by discussing how the strategic use of antimicrobials helps prevent and control disease.

A new Web site introduced last week by the National Pork Producers Council will also help. The site – http://www.porkcares.com/ – highlights the industry’s “We Care” initiative and puts a face on modern agriculture by allowing individual pork producers to tell their story in their own words. An important part of this strategy is that it’s targeted not only to consumers but also to other channel partners – i.e., packers, retailers and food service organizations – to empower them to discuss the benefits and safeguards of modern agriculture.

Who’s doing a good job of helping agriculture tell its story? What works and what doesn’t work? Join the conversation.