By Dori Modney with files from the Beef Cattle Producers

Revamped Beef Advocacy Program helps producers beef-up communication with consumers

Dec 1, 2021 | 3:59 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB. — The Canadian Cattlemen’s association is always working to dispel misinformation about beef production and product quality. To that end, the Beef Advocacy Canada Program was revamped and relaunched in October.

Lynsay Beavers, is a member of the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association Public and Stakeholder Engagement team. She explains the program is an online educational opportunity that people can do at their own pace.

“It’s designed to empower and connect beef advocates to help them answer the most common consumer questions we have about beef.”

According to Beavers, the program is designed to create a positive beef image among consumers and hits some of the main consumer demands head-on in the program.

“We talk about things like methane, land use, antibiotics and hormones, painful procedures, even the helpfulness of red meat. We’re giving the advocate a lot of facts and science in the program but, we’re also equipping them with a lot of communication skills throughout the whole program because we know just presenting facts and science isn’t a way to win an argument or win a discussion with consumers about beef.”

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Beavers urges producers everywhere to take part in the beef advocacy program and believes they will find it a great benefit.

“The key thing that I think producers would get out of it, is how to communicate about those, sometimes, touchy subjects with consumers. Other partners or stakeholders in the industry could learn about beef and consumer concerns. Maybe restaurants that serve certified, sustainable beef, maybe some of their staff want to brush up on what exactly sustainable beef means or some of the consumer messaging.”

Beavers estimates that if you took the program from start to finish of the whole course, it would take about three hours. You don’t need to do that in one sitting – it could be done at your own pace. At the end of the program, there is a certificate to show that you completed it.”

To sign up, go to beefadvocacy.ca