GRAIN growers need to do more to promote the benefits of crop protection products.
That was the message from a panel session at last week's Innovation Generation (IG) conference, hosted by Grain Growers and held in Ballarat.
Chair of Grain Growers Brett Hosking acknowledged management of the perception of farm chemicals, in particular glyphosate, was a challenge and said the ag sector needed to get better at telling its story.
"We need to work out when is the right time to step into the conversation and how to get our message to resonate," Mr Hosking said.
"It's clear that the science-based approach has not cut through with consumers, it has not taken away the fear of something going wrong, so I think we need to look at ways that we can really engage with the consumer."
Mr Hosking said he thought the idea of paddock inspections could be one way to graphically illustrate the benefits of crop protection products.
"You could go to paddocks that under conventional, cultivation-based cropping systems were tired and worn out.
"Where we have gone no-till, which features strategic use of herbicides, you now have a thriving eco-system, there's earthworms, there's mushrooms and they just weren't there before."
"We were destroying the soil structure and the biology and now it is rejuvenating and I think that is what we should be talking about as a proactive, positive message."
Grain Growers board member Julia Hausler said she thought more talk regarding the food system without crop protection products would be a good idea.
"Our food system would look very different without the use of farm chemicals and I don't hear that conversation promoted," Ms Hausler said.
National Farmers Federation (NFF) chief executive Tony Mahar said farmers had to work to address perception and social licence among consumers.
"Trust is a powerful thing, we have seen what happens when there is an erosion of trust, such as happened in recent times with the banks, the churches or even the national cricket team," Mr Mahar said.
"It is not something you can take for granted and it is a lot harder to regain than it is to keep, so we really need to make sure we continue to look at our social licence and that we are in step with the wider community."