U.S. Farm & Ranch Alliance: The Fox

in the Chicken Coop

Presentation Prepared by John Hansen

OCM Annual Meeting

Kansas City, MO

August 10, 2012

Since 1980 the U.S. Lost…• 42% of all Beef Producers -538,960 Beef Producers

• 91% of all Pork Producers -606,060 Pork Producers

• 82% of all Dairy Producers - 275,270 Dairy Producers

• 33% of all Sheep Producers -40,000 Sheep Producers

Why Did All These Farmers &

Ranchers Stop Raising Livestock?

• Were they forced out of business

because of a lack of income caused by

non-competitive ag markets?

• Was the compliance costs of meeting

livestock waste regulations too high?

• Or….

• As USFRA claims, was it because of HSUS

driven livestock production standards?

Since 1980… There has been a dramatic shift in livestock

ownership

More corporate ownership of livestock

More meat packer ownership of livestock

More indirect meatpacker ownership and control of

livestock

Since 1980… More vertical integration of livestock

Proliferation of CAFO’s (Confined Animal Feeding

Operations)

Massive consolidation of cattle, hog, and sheep

meat packing

Local and neighbor opposition to large CAFO’s

because of water quality, air quality, & smell

Since 1980… Local, state, and national media coverage of

conflicts between mostly corporate CAFO’s and local residents

Local, state, and national media coverage of concerns about water contamination from CAFO’s

Local, state, and national media coverage of concerns about the animal production methods used by some CAFO’s—including gestation crates for hogs, battery cages for chickens, and tail docking of dairy cows

Since 1980… Growing consumer concerns about where the food

they consume comes from, and how it was

produced

The growing consumer concern about livestock

production practices has been directly proportional

to the corporate takeover of traditional

independently owned and operated family farmer

and rancher livestock production.

Ag Market Reforms & Ag

Livestock Ownership Structure Common links between these two issues

Same ag market players dominate both issues

Same shared economic interests

Same world view of food production

Same use of public affairs management firms

Ag Market Reforms & Ag Ownership Structure

Common links between these two issues

Same use of money to influence elections

Same approach to influencing laws & legislation

Same approach to influencing regulation

While they meat packers fight over market

share, they work together for their common interests

The Corporate Response Circle the wagons of the corporate ag supporters-Form

U.S. Farmer & Rancher Alliance

Create a false threat to all agriculture that can be used to misdirect the focus and attention of consumers while appealing to the fears and prejudices of farmers & ranchers to justify the creation of the USFRA

Include the agribusiness players

Include the livestock commodity organizations –NCBA, NPPC, etc.

Include as many ag related and ag organizations as possible—Farm Bureau, National Corn Growers Association, American Soybean Association, etc.

The Corporate Response Hire a top quality public relations firm to poll

consumers about their concerns

Develop a process of engagement with consumers

to put their issues of concern on the table within a

controlled format so a unified message can be used

to answer the consumer concern

Utilize all forms of the media to spread and repeat a

consistent and uniform message

The Corporate Response Use farmers and ranchers whenever possible to answer

the consumer and public concerns about corporate

livestock ownership and production issues

Use farmers and ranchers own checkoff monies and

organizational monies as much as possible to finance

the corporate response to corporate agricultural issues

Use farmers and ranchers as much as possible to put the

friendly smiling face before consumers to answer their

concerns resulting from the corporate takeover of

traditional livestock production

Our Response Seek and tell the truth however inconvenient that might

be

Build broad based coalitions with players of common interests

Develop our own game plan

Get the necessary resources and commitment to implement it

―Never give up. Never give up. Never give up‖

Winston Churchill

Nebraska Farmers Union

1305 Plum St.

Lincoln, NE 68502

Website: www.nebraskafarmersunion.org

Phone: 402-476-8815

Fax: 402-476-8859

Contacts: President - John K. Hansen