BY JEAN LONIE
Finding Agri-Marketing’s New Normal: The Silver Linings of a Global Pandemic
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few months ago, I joined the Texas Department of Agriculture to help guide their international marketing efforts. This was exciting to me for several reasons. It meant a return working in the public service sector, finding ways to contribute to an industry I love and the opportunity to serve the amazing families in the Texas agriculture industry. I also hoped this new post would mean I wasn’t on the road 60% of the time ... and from a strictly academic perspective I got my wish (and then some)! As I reflect on my professional life since March, it dawned on me that this unique and uniquely challenging time has brought with it some silver linings. Instead of filling my calendar with the meetings and travel and trade shows that would typically be happening, I have time to think about what we really want to accomplish in terms of putting Texas agriculture on a global stage. I can connect with people I’d never have gotten access to and can learn more about markets all over the world. I have the luxury of digging deeper into my ongoing Texas agriculture education, making me a better advocate and champion for you here at home and around the world. In short, I was forced to drop the busy-ness which is allowing me to really focus on the business. I don’t think these silver linings are limited to me. Please know that this isn’t written lightly, because this year has had devastating impacts on many people for many reasons. Yet I also see some bright spots coming out of this that I think will help positively shape our industry (at home and abroad) for decades to come: • Agriculture is essential. Over the past few months, consumers worldwide have been reminded that food doesn’t simply magically appear in the stores. There
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is a complex value chain that spans from producer to plate, and even when that system is taxed beyond measure our farmers and ranchers will step up to the challenges. There is a new appreciation for those who produce food. In some instances, the shift from eating at restaurants to eating at home has created the opportunity for producers to shorten the space between them and the consumer, meaning they keep a little more of the food dollar on the farm or ranch. There is also an increased awareness of what having agricultural operations in local communities mean. From an economic and workforce standpoint, our farms and ranches are critical businesses and we cannot overlook their importance. Jobs and dollars that are directly connected to production agriculture flow through small towns and big cities alike – which makes them very important lifelines for community members during times of challenge like this. • We’re in the relationship business. Friends who farm in New Zealand taught me a proverb that I will never forget. It comes from the Maori, who are the indigenous people of New Zealand. The translation to English is: “What is the most important thing in the world? It is the people, it is the people, it is the people.” Yes, we worry about production and markets and weather every day – but the reality is much of what we do has a human
