Sharing Stories in Agriculture: Newfound Opportunities

Article by: Hari Yellina

The “city-country split” is frequently mentioned. People in our cities don’t comprehend agriculture and, as a result, aren’t supportive of it. However, it turns out that who you know matters far more than where you reside. As a result, everyone engaged in rural industries has a fantastic chance. Support for the sector was high among persons living in metropolitan regions in the most recent national study examining what Australians think about live exports. What had a greater impact on support was the number of persons the respondents knew who worked in a rural industry, not just in live exports.

While this goes against popular belief, it also fits the theme of people lamenting the fact that city youngsters no longer have an aunt or uncle in the country and don’t spend their school vacations helping on the farm. It demonstrates that we all need to improve our storytelling and sharing skills. According to the survey results, this must begin with individuals in the next town and nearby regional areas, not simply in our capital cities. The survey is the second in a series, and it demonstrates that community sentiment regarding the live export industry has improved little but significantly in the last two years. For individuals who work in the industry, this is reassuring.

When you expect to be yelled down for what you do, it’s difficult to speak up, and the results reveal that opponents of the deal are not the majority. A larger, calmer group is listening and wants to participate in the discussion. In this digital age, there’s even more potential to connect with people from all over the world – and most of us are captivated by those who live lives that aren’t like ours. Agriculture has such a diverse range of activities to draw from, as well as people who are enthusiastic about what they do and why they do it. Family, community, the land, animals, and providing nutrition to Australians and the rest of the globe are all fantastic places to discover common ground and make connections.

LiveCorp is helping those who are willing to share their story. This includes publishing its Ruminations journal, which features first-hand tales from people who work in live exports in the United States and abroad, as well as collaborating with The Livestock Collective on a virtual tour of a live export ship. The research’s message is clear: the greatest approach to bridge the gap is to get out there, have a conversation, and share your experiences if you’re involved in agriculture in any way. This includes conversations with relatives, friends, strangers at a barbeque, and other parents at your child’s school. The more people you can reach the more support you’ll get for all rural sectors, not just live exports.