Michele Payn-Knoper’s Weblog

A note from the author, Michele Payn-Knoper, Principal and Chief Champion, Cause Matters Corp.

“If you’ve come to this page, chances are you’re either an agriculturist who’s frustrated by rhetoric out there about your business or you’re an individual seeking facts about the agrifood business. Whether you’re in the barnyard, boardroom, a rural neighbor or a concerned consumer, I hope you’ll take time to educate yourself and share this information with others.

I deeply respect individual opinions about the way animals are raised, grain is grown and food is processed around the world - as long as those opinions are based on actual facts. A myriad of misinformation bombards consumers and key influencers on a daily basis.  My concern - and the reason I founded Cause Matters Corp. eight years ago - is the lack of voice agriculture has had in combating false information.   My colleagues and I take pride in delivering agricultural advocacy motivation, training and consultation for a variety of clients.

It’s the faces behind the food plate that have inspired this blog.  As a professional speaker, I have the privilege of working with an array of people across the agrifood system.  This interaction gives me firsthand knowledge of the overwhelming amount of misinformation working against the science, business, and technology of feeding the world.   The clients I work with provide insight on how misinformation has impacted their part of the agrifood business and many colleagues send links with yet another detractor on a daily basis.  

Cause Matters Corp. works to inspire and incite a change so that agriculture starts working together to champion our cause.  You can learn more at www.mpk.info or www.causematters.com.   As I frequently say to audience members, I don’t care if you raise 5000 acres of beans, own a feedlot, milk 100 cows, work for an ag input supplier, or farm small acreage - I simply care that you stand up and champion agriculture!”

So why does agriculture matter?

In a generic sense, that’s an easy question to answer - we all need food, clothes, energy, and a myriad of other products agriculture provides.  It becomes more complicated in today’s sensationalized society driven by the misinformed.  The “cause” of agriculture matters not only because of the products provided for society, but because of the people involved from the farm gate to the consumer plate.  Those people  have been constantly attacked by anti-agriculture activist groups, including HSUS, Farm Sanctuary, PETA, ALF, ELF, Greenpeace, PCRM, et al. 

My hope is that a blog filled with resources, commentary, and research will help agriculturists explain why our cause matters - and build a stronger connection between the farm gate and consumer plate.  98.5% of farms are still family owned and farming is one of the most highly respected occupations in the U.S.  According to an AFBF study, 75% of consumers say that agriculture does only a fair or poor job in communicating about our business.   According to ERS, the agrifood system employs 20% of the U.S. population and produces nearly 20% of our GNP - yet we wield a seemingly small voice.

We in agriculture can blame misinformed consumers who are likely 2-3 generations removed from the farm OR we can take a look in the mirror and realize times have changed.  Modern agriclture is not all about business shifts in the production, processing and selling of food; the changes have to also include agriculturist’s desire to reach out to the people who are purchasing our products and making decisions that will impact our businesses long-term.  They want to hear from us and agriculture deserves to have our side of the story told!

This blog is designed to give people involved in the agrifood system the tools and resources to educate others about what happens from the farm gate to the consumer plate, as well as references and messages from anti-ag activists.   Feel free to let me know if it’s helpful or if you have suggested links to share!