Reclaim the authority about agriculture
Bob Ruth knows it’s time to bust myths about pork. An industry leader and vice president of the National Pork Board, Ruth uses logic to connect with consumers and dispel the negative talk about pork.
“We’ve got to do a much better job of getting our story out on what we do and how we care for our animals and the environment,” Ruth says.
NPB Gets the Word Out About Pork
Aimed at teaching consumers and the public about how real pork is raised, the National Pork Board’s Mythbusting 2.0 campaign is all about setting the record straight about production practices, nutrition, safety and the environment.
NPB is promoting new video content generated from focus group conversations with real consumers in New York City. Ruth watched behind the scenes while a hidden camera captured footage of the conversation.
Participants thought they were being interviewed about a five-star hotel with physician services, personalized nutrition plans and extensively trained staff.
Then the moderator revealed they were hearing about everyday standards and protocols of modern pig farming.
Ruth had the opportunity to speak with focus group members after the reveal. He said it was eye-opening and further emphasized the need for pork producers to recover the dialogue with the public and start sharing their side of the story.
“We are going to have to be very patient because you don’t wave a magic wand over public image and make it change,” Ruth explains. “It’s going to take a lot of information and a lot of work for us to begin to change the image of farming to the American public.”
Mythbusting: A Grassroots Effort
While patience is key in changing consumers’ views on pork, Ruth says a grassroots effort is needed from producers to tell their story.
“We’ve let the opposition get the speaking platform, and it’s very important we take it back and tell them what is happening out on the farm,” Ruth says. “We’re all extremely busy in what we do and in trying to run our businesses, but I think it’s so important for each one of us to get in front of people. We can become what we used to be — the authority about agriculture.”
From consumers to retailers, it’s time to engage.
Talk about your stewardship. Talk about the environment. Talk about your production practices. Talk about it.
Be proud of what you do and share your pork story.
