Industry integrity communications

PROGRAM OBJECTIVE	KPIs	OUTCOMES	BENEFITS	FUTURE
Maintain high levels of community trust and pride in Australia’s cattle industry	Maintain consumer trust scores at 71%	Trust scores maintained at high levels (new methodology makes direct comparison difficult)	Increased community understanding, pride and trust in beef industry and production	Continue activities at major shows, work with NFF on uptake of agriculture in schools and continue support for Farm Day nationally

Farm day helped build consumer trust in our industry by providing city families with the chance to experience farm life

Although we enjoy strong levels of community trust in Australia’s beef industry, the lack of a strong foundation for that trust leaves the industry vulnerable. The industry integrity communications program aims to build a strong foundation of trust by building basic knowledge of, creating a human bond with and providing an experience of beef cattle production.

Building basic knowledge

We ran and participated in a number of activities to help build basic knowledge of beef cattle production within the urban community. We were the major participant in ‘The Food Farm: Where does our food come from’ pavilion at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, which featured live cattle, sheep and goats, displays of meat cuts and carcases, and cooking demonstrations all under the one roof. Over 240,000 people visited the exhibition – an encouraging sign that families were interested in learning more about the origins of their food.

Survey results showed that 74% of respondents rated the beef industry highly, with a rating of 8+ out of 10, and 41% of visitors left with an improved opinion of the beef industry. We also participated in the major agricultural shows in Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne.

An important part of building knowledge is the inclusion of agriculture on the school curriculum. This year we worked with the National Farmers’ Federation, industry bodies, government and educators to set up an independent body to facilitate agriculture in schools Australia-wide. A case study focusing on the beef industry’s use of science and systems for global differentiation was included in the Australian Financial Review’s Business Case Studies reaching up to 300,000 students Australia-wide.

Providing experience

As part of Landcare Week in September 2006, we hosted 120 Sydneysiders for a day on a cattle property. The event succeeded in raising awareness of the cattle industry and demonstrating cattle producers’ concern for their animals and the environment. Most importantly it received extensive media coverage estimated to have reached an audience of 5.6 million people.

We were also the primary sponsor of the inaugural national Farm Day on 26 May 2007. The event saw 181 city families visit 181 farms, all of whom stated they would recommend the experience to family and friends. Farm Day again attracted excellent media coverage, estimated to have reached an audience of 12 million people. Both events played a key role in maintaining consumer trust in our industry.

Human bond

Building empathy with the people behind our cattle industry is a major part of the industry integrity communications program. In 2006-07, we worked with the Australian Women’s Weekly to find ‘inspiring women of the land’ and showcase their achievements. The promotion attracted over 70 nominations and generated media interest around the country. The inspiring stories of the five finalists were remarkable in different ways, leading to all five being named as winners.

< Back | Top | Next >

Recipient's email:
Sender's name:
Sender's email:
Subject:
Message:	I think you will be interested in this page from the MLA 2007 Annual Report. Just click on the following link. http://mla07.designate.com.au/industry.php

	Click the larger "A" to make the text bigger and click the smaller "A" to return to the original size.
	To print out the annual report pages you are viewing click Print. You can also use your default print function from your keyboard.
	If you would like to email a reference to the page you are viewing to a colleague or friend click Email. The email message will already be setup for you with a link to the page and you can add additional information if you wish.
	Click Downloads to access a complete set of PDF files of the annual report. You will also be able to download a single PDF file of the entire annual report here.
	To view the complete sitemap of the Annual Report click the Sitemap button.
	To search for a particular word or phrase enter the criteria in the search field and either click on the Search button or simply hit Enter or Return on your keyboard.