Rebranding

[Jerry]

Know this is probably pie in the sky but does UK Ag need a rebrand?

Approx 104,000 farmers in the UK, Each one chips in £100 or £200 so a fund of up to £20million. (Would that buy much though?)

Attempt to change the narrative around UK Ag

-The importance of good food produced in the UK to health and wellbeing
-CO2 and Methane and how the cycles work within the Climate and are not an issue compared to fossil carbon
-Changing Environment and the positives ag gives
-public perception
-livestock farming - quality protein good for people and environment
-Farming being part of the solution in climate change
-Highlighting the positive work farmers do for the environment through both stewardships schemes and voluntarily
-Showcasing the technology and science behind us, its not just farmers sucking on a straw and walking around with a stick
-Properly promoting red meat, showing its part of a balanced diet
Etc etc etc

Would be nice to take that levy money to do add to the pot and have a real go at it.

A balance approach across mainstream and social media over a couple years

Emphasis on targeting the the young generations, the under 40's.

Produce data packs for schools and get food properly back on the national curriculum

Get some well respected public figures onboard to champion cause.

Discuss.....

 

[cows sh#t me to tears]

Here's a novel idea.... All chip in £500 quid and buy a majority share in Tesco or the like. Drive change practically.

 

[Formatted]

Approx 104,000 farmers in the UK, Each one chips in £100 or £200 so a fund of up to £20million. (Would that buy much though?)

I think everyone underestimates how much money you need to shift the dial on this stuff - Tesco's alone spent £81.15 million in 2021 on advertising, which doesn't include the money spent in creating the adverts or other marketing that is just £ spent on placing adverts. Thats 1 supermarket. £20 million wouldn't be a drop in the ocean.

Much better to focus levy money on export promotion. New Zealand does this really well https://silverfernfarms.com/us/en

 

[Formatted]

All chip in £500 quid and buy a majority share in Tesco or the like. Drive change practically.

Tesco's market cap is £20.33 billion, you'd need 20 million people to chip in £500 to buy half.

 

[cows sh#t me to tears]

Tesco's market cap is £20.33 billion, you'd need 20 million people to chip in £500 to buy half.

Yeah, OK. Just a thought... Here Wesfarmers grew from a coop of west Australian farmers to a multi billion dollar business.

Our businesses

www.wesfarmers.com.au

 

[Still Farming]

Eat food or starve?
Catchy or what.

 

[Jerry]

I think everyone underestimates how much money you need to shift the dial on this stuff - Tesco's alone spent £81.15 million in 2021 on advertising, which doesn't include the money spent in creating the adverts or other marketing that is just £ spent on placing adverts. Thats 1 supermarket. £20 million wouldn't be a drop in the ocean.

Much better to focus levy money on export promotion. New Zealand does this really well https://silverfernfarms.com/us/en

Yes. I feared £20m might not be a big budget. (NFU have a £100m plus in reserves mind I believe )

But there could be ways to get a bit of bang for the buck. Social media campaigns would be cheaper I’d imagine and it would focus more on our future potential customers.

 

[WasNM]

Farmers should all join an already established fringe group that seems to get more attention than it should eg Green Party,RSPB, to help steer policy. Democracy in action!

 

[neilo]

Farmers should all join an already established fringe group that seems to get more attention than it should eg Green Party,RSPB, to help steer policy. Democracy in action!

Green Party ag policy is to reduce red meat production and encourage more plant based food.
That's the same as stated in the retailers' WWF basket, the subject of another thread on here.

Sustain perhaps? Oh no, they want the same.

RSPB? No, they're for rewetting prime ag land to create more habitat.

 

[texelburger]

Know this is probably pie in the sky but does UK Ag need a rebrand?

Approx 104,000 farmers in the UK, Each one chips in £100 or £200 so a fund of up to £20million. (Would that buy much though?)

Attempt to change the narrative around UK Ag

-The importance of good food produced in the UK to health and wellbeing
-CO2 and Methane and how the cycles work within the Climate and are not an issue compared to fossil carbon
-Changing Environment and the positives ag gives
-public perception
-livestock farming - quality protein good for people and environment
-Farming being part of the solution in climate change
-Highlighting the positive work farmers do for the environment through both stewardships schemes and voluntarily
-Showcasing the technology and science behind us, its not just farmers sucking on a straw and walking around with a stick
-Properly promoting red meat, showing its part of a balanced diet
Etc etc etc

Would be nice to take that levy money to do add to the pot and have a real go at it.

A balance approach across mainstream and social media over a couple years

Emphasis on targeting the the young generations, the under 40's.

Produce data packs for schools and get food properly back on the national curriculum

Get some well respected public figures onboard to champion cause.

Discuss.....

Surely all this is the responsibility of the NFU and AHBB is it not ?

 

[Jerry]

Surely all this is the responsibility of the NFU and AHBB is it not ?

It certainly should be, after all we fund them...but do you think they have the motivation to do it on our behalf?

 

[Yale]

#BFU.

 

[Exfarmer]

What a brilliant idea, why was it never tried before. Farmers in control of their marketing and advertising.
they could do so much, how about sponsoring some major sporting events, we could try say a major football trophy, possibly a major cycling event like the tour de France but around Britain.
oh sorry just remembered it has been just as so many farming co operative ventures it falls apart in bitter recriminations, but hey ho lets try it again , why maybe we could even devise a simple assurance scheme

 

[Grass And Grain]

Green Party ag policy is to reduce red meat production and encourage more plant based food.
That's the same as stated in the retailers' WWF basket, the subject of another thread on here.

Sustain perhaps? Oh no, they want the same.

RSPB? No, they're for rewetting prime ag land to create more habitat.

L Authority meeting I went to on Tuesday, chap said the national target was 30% of land in conservation. This was the ecologist in charge of East Yorkshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy.

Included SFI, C Stewardship, Biodiversity Net Gain, SSSI, etc.

 

[neilo]

L Authority meeting I went to on Tuesday, chap said the national target was 30% of land in conservation. This was the ecologist in charge of East Yorkshire Local Nature Recovery Strategy.

Included SFI, C Stewardship, Biodiversity Net Gain, SSSI, etc.

With folk like @Clive crunching numbers on turning the whole farm over to SFI, might that figure not be achievable?

 

[Grass And Grain]

With folk like @Clive crunching numbers on turning the whole farm over to SFI, might that figure not be achievable?

Yes, I'd say it is.

Doesn't say much for the profitability of growing crops, but there you have it.

Loss of neonics a big driver, as SFI safer than growing rape.

The full farm in SFI and feet up might be attractive to some (IHT allowing). 30% or even 50% SFI might be common for arable.

Grassland. Goodness knows. Pure grassland farms in England have lost most of their BPS, because any SFI grassland options don't really cover the lost output. Possible exception is leaving grass to set seed over winter for (I think) £475/ha.

 

[Muddyroads]

Why does land either have to be in conservation or food production? Why can’t it be both?
If British ag were to shrink by 30% it will become unviable due to loss of critical mass, unless the reduction is focused in a very small number of areas.

 

[neilo]

Why does land either have to be in conservation or food production? Why can’t it be both?
If British ag were to shrink by 30% it will become unviable due to loss of critical mass, unless the reduction is focused in a very small number of areas.

Surely it can be, just in different production to the intensive, monoculture ag that some practice.
GS4 is a typical example of that. I know quite a few on this side of the Dyke that are extremely envious of that option. Most of us would be putting a good chunk of it in asap if we could draw that sort of money for a good forage crop requiring minimal inputs.

 

[Muddyroads]

Surely it can be, just in different production to the intensive, monoculture ag that some practice.
GS4 is a typical example of that. I know quite a few on this side of the Dyke that are extremely envious of that option. Most of us would be putting a good chunk of it in asap if we could draw that sort of money for a good forage crop requiring minimal inputs.

Exactly, it doesn’t need to be either/or.

 

[unclescrooge]

Why does land either have to be in conservation or food production? Why can’t it be both?
If British ag were to shrink by 30% it will become unviable due to loss of critical mass, unless the reduction is focused in a very small number of areas.

Why not designate a mile stip all the way round London, Edinburgh and Cardiff to be rewilded let the politicians think that's what the whole of the UK is as the never venture much further out the city and let the rest of us actually get on with looking after the environment and producing food for the country which we are trying to do anyway.