Feeding the Future Campaign
PSE is excited to announce a new upcoming campaign titled “Feeding the Future” that will aim to raise awareness of the impacts of COVID-19 on our industry and how that may affect consumers. There is an increased interest from Canadians about where their food comes from and the steps involved with getting those products into local grocery stores. This is a great opportunity to build an understanding of the beef supply chain and the reasons behind empty store shelves or higher prices being experienced.
Through personal stories of people who raise beef, especially young producers that have been hardest hit by market uncertainty, we hope to build that awareness and ultimately garner support from Canadian consumers. Food security for all Canadian’s is at stake if we do not support our local farmers and ranchers.
This campaign is designed to be complimentary to a national advertising campaign that will be launched through the Canadian Federation of Agriculture but be specific to the beef industry and aimed only at consumer audiences.
This campaign will include new videos, a microsite added to the Guardians of the Grasslands page, social media advertising and two media presentations aimed at a mainstream audience. Stay tuned for updates on the Feeding the Future campaign in the coming weeks.
Campaign Updates:
Feeding the Future: Update #3
The PSE program is excited to announce that their new video series, “To Leave Something Behind” has launched. These are part of the larger “Feeding the Future” initiative that included two media presentations focusing on the future of both young producers and our endangered native grasslands.
The three new videos strive to bring awareness to the connection between ensuring the future success of the beef industry and the iconic landscapes that could otherwise be jeopardized.
Participants include Luke and Frank Radau of Coulee Crest Farm, Evan and Tonay Hegedys of Hegedys Ranching and Kendra and Bryan Donnelly of Korova Feeders. As multigenerational operations, each discuss their hopes for the future of their family operation and what they hope to leave behind.
These videos will live on a new landing page off the Guardians of the Grasslands website to continue to build the brand and it’s key messages – namely, that without the next generation to carry on our farms we risk losing of the environments they protect.
These videos will also be used to garner support for the Canadian Federation of Agriculture campaign in raising awareness of the impacts of COVID-19 on the beef industry.
Those who are interested in accessing the material to share can log in through the Content Corral.
Feeding the Future: Media Presentation #2
The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA), along with the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, hosted a special media presentation discussing how COVID-19 impacts to the beef industry increase risk for Canada’s native grasslands.
After opening comments from CCA President Bob Lowe, Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University discussed how Canada, on average, loses about 5-6 percent of its farms each year. In 2020, that number could double or more due to the impacts of COVID-19. Leading conservation experts Karla Guyn of Ducks Unlimited Canada, Kevin Teneckye of the Nature Conservancy of Canada and Steven Price from Birds Studies Canada offered their thoughts on what the loss of beef producers would mean for the remaining 20% of intact native grasslands.
There was great participation from the media with both agricultural and mainstream publications attending. The takeaway from this presentation was that previous hardships in the beef industry, such as BSE, resulted in 26,000 producers leaving the industry and 5 million acres of grasslands being converted for other purposes. A healthy beef industry is vital to the preservation of these iconic landscapes and the wildlife that depend on them.
Feeding the Future: Media Presentation #1
The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association hosted a special media presentation on the impacts of COVID-19 on young families in the Canadian beef industry. Participants included Kendra Donnelly from Alberta, Maryjo and Rob Tait of Ontario and Geoff Larkin of Nova Scotia. Each told their personal stories of how the pandemic has affected both the industry and their businesses. There was great participation from the media with both agricultural and mainstream publications attending and asking engaging questions. Each participant indicated that while there are certainly struggles at this time, there is also hope. These inspiring entrepreneurs demonstrate that the future of the industry is bright – if they have the necessary supports in place.
Watch the video below to view.