Being humble - the tendency of most people in the cattle business - was not going to cut it in this fast-emerging world of confusion created by those trying to shut beef down.
Average producers had to get comfortable with being uncomfortable, the chair of Australia's peak grassfed cattle producer group told more than one audience at Beef 2024 in Rockhampton.
Cattle Australia's Garry Edwards urged producers to "get out there and talk to people who don't look like you and don't understand what you do but are the consumers of your product."
Mr Edwards first issued the call to action in launching the CA Breakfast Symposium, which featured speakers from around the world who had many insights and one particular message in common.
That was: Never before has it been so vital to the business of beef to win the hearts and minds of the average, middle-class person.
"As an industry, we need to embrace this reality and proudly tell the story of the cyclical nature of carbon in our production system, our world's best practice in regards to animal welfare and the efforts we take daily to improve and protect the vegetation on our properties and the forage production systems that the humble cow chews," Mr Edwards said.
"She chews on a daily basis to convert human-indigestible plant material from the vast grasslands and rangelands we have in this country to the high quality red meat protein that we know simply as beef.
"That is something to be incredibly proud of and it is a story we need to communicate very, very clearly."
There was no argument at the symposium, and indeed through the big Rockhampton event, that beef now faces a big challenge in explaining to those outside the farming community, both domestically and abroad, how it goes about its business and why it will be the backbone of both the climate change solution and the need to feed a growing world.
"Their concerns often come from confusion created by others or those seeking to gain from our hardship," Mr Edwards said.
The beef industry did "a tremendous job of talking to ourselves" but now needed to step outside the comfort zone, he said.
CA was just a small team but worked tirelessly to "do everything Beef Australia is not allowed to", Mr Edwards said.
"That is we seek advance the interests of the entire industry. We speak proudly on matters where it matters on behalf of the largest levy-paying contributor in the agriculture sector.
"Beef needs to be vigorously represented."
Former New Zealand prime minister Sir John Key was the keynote speaker at the CA symposium.
Amid plenty of colourful yarns and insightful anecdotes on the life and times of a politician, he reiterated the message to get talking and to have those conversations with the middle class, not those who were at the extreme edges and "would never change their minds".
He also expressed optimism for the future of livestock farms in both Australia and NZ, hanging much of that on expected per capita growth in beef consumption in places like Indonesia and China where the middle class was expanding.
"As soon as you get wealthy, you buy protein and you buy it from a country you can trust - and that is Australia and New Zealand," he said.
Shan Goodwin
Shan Goodwin steers ACM’s national coverage of the beef industry. Shan has worked as a journalist for 30 years, the majority of that with agricultural publications. She spent many years as The Land’s North Coast reporter and has visited beef properties and stations throughout the country and overseas. She treats all breeds equally. Contact 0427686187. E: s.goodwin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Shan Goodwin steers ACM’s national coverage of the beef industry. Shan has worked as a journalist for 30 years, the majority of that with agricultural publications. She spent many years as The Land’s North Coast reporter and has visited beef properties and stations throughout the country and overseas. She treats all breeds equally. Contact 0427686187. E: s.goodwin@austcommunitymedia.com.au
