Full honesty is the best policy for the dairy industry interacting with the public.
That was the key message of Katherine Teh White, Futureye, who has reviewed the issues management framework for Dairy Australia.
Ms Teh White said recent crises in the banking sector and fracking showed how emotions could drive the public’s responses to an industry and lead to stricter regulations.
She said the live export industry was a shining example of how to change communications to be more transparent; for example Australian Livestock Exporters' Council chief executive Alison Penfold was forthright in telling journalists and the public that there had been leakages in the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS) which had seen some animals slaughtered in prohibited ways during religious festivals. Ms Teh White aid this honest admission was reported by the media and the stories tended to focus on the positives of how the live ex industry had improved in recent years.
Her analysis showed that activists, which are people who want to change the status quo in dairy production, had great influence on public perceptions including about dairy’s nutrition, animals welfare and environmental impacts.
“Fifty-five per cent of all respondents do not believe they have a good understaning of how milk is produced in Australia,” she said.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a pasture-based system or in sheds, but you need to be able to explain why and how you’re managing it.
She said to resist the temptation to hide that some big dairies use sheds because if people uncovered this “secret” it can blow up to be a crisis issue over which the industry has no control.
Another interesting statistic she found was 47pc of respondents are opposed to separating cows and calves for people’s consumption. This is assumed knowledge for those in the industry, but it isn’t for others and animals welfare activists could “expose” this issue and use it as part of a narrative of animal cruelty.
Dairy Australia has had two farmer meetings to help them have positive discussions with people outside the industry. Such moves are supported by Dairy Australia’s programs including on animal welfare, and environmental issues.
David Basham, Australian Dairy Farmers’ animal health and welfare policy advisory group, said since the dairy industry agreed to phase-out routine calving induction nationally last April, a 2016 target has been set that routine calving induction would be limited to a maximum of 15 per cent of cows in a herd, unless an exemption is granted, either by implementing a herd fertility management plan or by obtaining dispensation for exceptional circumstances beyond the control of the herd manager.
He said industry agreement on the issue meant calving induction could not be used as marketing ploy to differentiate farmers or the processors whom they supply, to the detriment of the broader industry.
Jack Holden, Fonterra, said it was an example of the industry “inoculating the public” against alarmist campaigns.
Ms Teh White said it was important to continue engaging people and ensuring they were respected, particularly if they had issues with the industry.
Branxholme dairy farmer Allan Campbell asked the panel how it was possible to pay for best animal welfare and environmental standards , to which Ms Teh White said other industries had successfully “gamified” comparable issues and inspired those in the industry to compete to think of the best ways to address them.
