NACM Agricultural Suppliers Meeting, Jan 20, 2017 at the Hilton Conference Center in Gainesville, FL. The slides accompany a presentation about how to explain agricultural concepts to the public, borrowing from what has been learned from psychology, crisis communication and public service.

1. Talking Biotech: Connecting
Consumers to Agriculture and
Science
Kevin M. Folta
Professor and Chairman
Horticultural Sciences Department
kfolta.blogspot.com
@kevinfolta kfolta@ufl.edu
www.talkingbiotechpodcast.com

2. How do we learn from our mistakes,
from social science, from psychology,
to better share what we do in
agriculture?
1.Why I do this
2.Why we have a problem
3.What works in contentious issues
communication
4.How you can be more effective in
communicating in social media space

3. Research
Funding and Reimbursement: www.kevinfolta.com/transparency
Slides: www.slideshare.net/kevinfolta

4. Consumers are seeking information
Where do the
ingredients
come from?
Is it nutritious?
Will my family
like it?
Do I trust the
company?
Is this a good
value?
What are these
long words on
the label?
Is this one of
those GMO
things?
Is it full of the
glutens?
What would Dr.
Oz think?

5. Consumers are reacting to information
Pesticides
Antibiotics
Hormones
Fertilizer
Gluten
Neonics
GMO
Dihyrogen
monoxide
BPA
MSG
Understanding
makes me a better
consumer.
I don’t know what
to believe, so I just
won’t buy it.

6. Consumers are seeking information
Where do the
ingredients
come from?
Is it nutritious?
Will my family
like it?
Do I trust the
company?
Is this a good
value?
What are these
long words on
the label?
Is this one of
those GMO
things?
Is it full of the
glutens?
What would Dr.
Oz think?
THIS IS A
VERY GOOD
THING.

7. Why are we not
their trusted
sources?

8. We are not their trusted sources.
We are looking for
honest answers
about food and
farming!
We’re actually ag
producers and
scientists, but we’re
too busy and don’t
want to get involved.
How can we help
you? We’re sorta
farmers, producers
and scientists.

9. FEAR FACTS
When we engage, we do it wrong.
Television doctors,
documentaries,
websites, internet
celebrities, media
chefs, absence
labeling.
Scientists, farmers,
ag industry

10. FEAR
FACTS
An Abundance of Soft Science
Activist groups,
fragile celebs with
empires, etc
Scientists, farmers,
ag industry
ERODE
TRUST
One-off studies, misinterpretation,
extrapolation, poor quality, bad
design, weak stats, unpublished.
Facty-Looking
Things

11. People love farmers and scientists.
They just don’t trust farming and
science.
How do we change that?
Innovation ApplicationCOMMUNICATION

12. Scientists, ag producers, ag-related
industries failed to bridge that gap.

13. Scientists, ag producers, ag-related
industries failed to bridge that gap.
1.How do we do it effectively?
2. Where do we engage?

14. How do all of us become more effective
in communicating with a concerned
consumer?
Audience – Empathy – Values – Evidence

15. Consumers are reacting to information
Pesticides
Antibiotics
Hormones
Fertilizer
Gluten
Neonics
GMO
Dihydrogen
monoxide
BPA
MSG
I don’t know what
to believe, so I just
won’t buy it.

16. WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?
Most of the time these are
people that don’t know about
science and are concerned
about food. Share science with
them.
WHO IS NOT YOUR
AUDIENCE?
Many have no interest
in understanding facts.
They are not a good
investment of your time.

18. Must start with empathyMust start with empathy
Active listeningActive listening
Others have to feel a sense ofOthers have to feel a sense of
power and control in thepower and control in the
conversationconversation
Only move to next steps onceOnly move to next steps once
you understand their concerns,you understand their concerns,
and they know it.and they know it.

19. is a methodological presumption
made in seeking to understand a point
of view whereby we seek to
understand that view in its strongest,
most persuasive form before
subjecting the view to evaluation.
Help your opposition devise the
strongest argument you can.
Intellectual Charity

20. We live in a post-
truth world. Facts
don’t matter.
Post-truth politics (also called post-
factual politics) is a political culture in
which debate is framed largely by
appeals to emotion disconnected from the
details of policy, and by the repeated
assertion of talking points to which factual
rebuttals are ignored.
Truthiness

21. Lead With Your Ethics.Lead With Your Ethics.

22. State your priorities up front
Farmers
The Needy
Environment/Conservtion
Consumers

24. Old Way of Engaging
Engage deniers.
Here are the facts.
Here’s where you are
wrong
Ugh, you don’t get it.

25. Old Way of Engaging
Engage deniers.
Here are the facts.
Here’s where you are
wrong
Ugh, you don’t get it.
New Way of Engaging
Engage the curious.
I’m listening.
Why do you feel this way?
I understand why you’d feel
this way, right?
Here’s what is important to
me.
Here is the evidence that
supports my values.

26. What Evidence Do We Use?
Facts don’t matter (until you’ve established
trust).

27. Keep Factual Information Simple.
Natural? -- Humans have always affected plant genetics. Nothing is
natural
Practical. Engineering (GMO) is a precise extension of plant breeding.
Risk “The techniques used pose no more risk (actually less risk) than
conventional breeding.” (NAS, AAAS, AMA, EFSA many others)
Safety. In 20 years of use in plants, there has not been one case of
illness or death related to these products.
Presence. In the USA there are several traits used in only 10 (- +)
commercial crops, four (corn, soy, canola, sugar beet) that are commonly
found in 70% of grocery store products.

28. Don’t start with glyphosate tolerant and
insect resistant crops.
Producer benefits most, not consumer
If you do use these traits and can
personalize the message, it is useful.
What appeals to shared values?

29. Genes to Produce Vitamin A
Precursor Added to Local Staples
Cassava
Rice
Banana

30. Added genes can cure plant disease
Citrus Greening Disease
Banana Xanthamonas wilt
Cassava
Stone Fruits
Papaya

31. Suppression of allergy-inducing proteins
WheatPeanut

32. Engineering resistance to weather
extremes and climate change
Drought tolerant cornFlooding tolerant rice

33. Watch the video on Al Jazeera or
Cornell Alliance for Science
Bangladesh Eggplant (brinjal)

34. Farmers
Consumers
Environment
Needy

35. Scientists, ag producers, ag-related
industries failed to bridge that gap.
1.How do we do it effectively?
2. Where do we engage?

36. Social media has been a
conduit for bad
information.
We need to take it back.

37. Dedicate 15 minutes a week to promote your
operation, discuss farming, food, or associated
science/technology– in social media space.
The 15 minute challenge.

38. Obtain a separate email account for this work.
Free ones at gmail, yahoo, etc.
Use your real name.
Develop a professional Facebook page, make your
personal one private
THREE POINTS-- Content, Amplification, Network
The 15 minute challenge.

39. Where to participate?
Comments-section discussions of news
articles
Facebook discussions
Twitter Reddit Linked In
The 15 minute challenge.

40. Content
Start a blog. Share your experience.
Write a story on LinkedIn
Do interviews with others in ag
Post photos of your operation
The 15 minute challenge.

41. Content
Engaging with others is important content.
The 15 minute challenge.
1. Show them that you understand
2. Share your values, credentials
3. Tell your story.
Be nice. Represent ag/science with grace.

42. Engaging:
The 15 minute challenge.

43. Engaging:
The 15 minute challenge.

44. Engaging:
The 15 minute challenge.

45. Engaging:
The 15 minute challenge.

46. Amplification
You can make a tremendous difference by staying
current in the news and amplifying important
messages.
News, blogs, scientific findings, reports…. Share!
The 15 minute challenge.

47. #farm365
AMPLIFICATION

48. Amplify messages from experts.
Jennie Schmidt
Brian Scott
Sarah Schultz

49. Networks
Networks are powerful ways to disseminate
information
Strive to build your networks
Get out of your echo chamber
The 15 minute challenge.

50. The Power of Amplification and Networks
Pre-Internet
Now
10 k contacts

51. The Power of Amplification and Networks

52. The Emergence of Tribes and Echo Chambers

53. The Power of Amplification and Networks
Farmer Bloggers
Foodies Scientists
Mom Bloggers Triathletes

54. How do you get into those tribes?
Offer to write for them
Participate in the discussion sections of news
articles and websites.
Share your stories and experiences.
Ag producers are viewed as trusted and competent-
if you are not telling the story, someone will tell it for
you!

56. Always Remember:
Avoid “feed the world” rhetoric
Always discuss strengths and limitations
Don’t ever claim there is a single solution!
Never forget the real audience
Always acknowledge your blind spots.

57. Conclusion
Know your audience
Listen and understand their concerns
Talk about your values, your motivations
Discussion ag innovations that can satisfy your common
values
Participate in social media discussions
Be nice. Represent ag/science with grace.
Practice radical transparency

58. I don’t know what
to believe, so I
just won’t buy it.

59. kfolta.blogspot.com
@kevinfolta
kfolta@ufl.edu
www.talkingbiotechpodcast.com
iTunes, Stitcher, Player FM
Thank you.
All funding, reimbursement:
www.kevinfolta.com/transparency
All slides:
www.slideshare.net/kevinfolta

60. “Don’t tell me it can’t be done,
tell me what needs to be done
and help me do it.”