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There was always a group of friends I “hung out with” as a child. We not only played together, but we would walk into town together – from where we lived in the country, that was saying something. If we needed “special” permission to do something, we asked together. Kids always know how to work the best angle.

Depending on the request, or the “audience,” we would designate the role of spokesperson, a role that was given to the person deemed most likely to succeed for that particular situation. We understood from an early age that there is strength in numbers. It’s much the same premise behind the state livestock coalition development program.

Why does a coalition work better than a single organization? One organization might hold sway in one venue and another in a different arena. There is also the understanding that if a large group can reach consensus on an issue, there must be validity to their decision, creating a strong foundation for moving forward.

As my group of friends knew, each member of the group brings unique expertise and insight. More importantly today, individuals bring their existing professional relationships. As like-minded organizations form coalitions, they can provide farmers and ranchers with a centralized resource to help them grow their operation and navigate important issues such as understanding and adhering to their state’s regulations. Coalitions can also offer proactive programming to help engage consumers about today’s farmers and animal agriculture.

A central location for seeking assistance, strength in numbers and a wide range of experience and expertise are all reasons why Livestock Coalitions work.

It’s a simple concept... Even a child can figure that out.

Posted by Allyson

I think most consumers have a love-hate relationship with food. Here’s my theory:

According to the 2002 Census of Agriculture, there were more than three million farm operators in the United States (operating about 2.13 million farms). Sounds like a lot. But when you consider that the total U.S. population was nearly 300 million in 2002, we’re talking about less than two percent of us who actually grow/produce the food we eat.

With that, we can assume that the interaction of the remaining 98 percent of the population has with food and food production includes one or more of the following:

• Growing a garden (if they’re fortunate to have the land or a space for a container garden and can dedicate time to its upkeep)
• Visiting a farm (if they know a farmer)
• Making purchases at a farmers’ market (if they have access, resources and can fit it into their schedule)
• Selecting foods from the produce department, deli, meat counter or shelves at their grocery store, convenience store or butcher shop (the majority of people fit in this category)

What do consumers get with the above scenarios? This... 

 ... and this ...

... and this ...

... and this ...

 Looks like a whole lot of fresh, beautiful food, friendly interactions with farmers who care, and an abundance of options to fill their refrigerators and pantries.  

Add to that, the fact that the cooking craze has really caught on over the past few years. The Food Network offering everything to do with food, reality cooking shows like Top Chef, celebrity-inspired cookware and food-focused talk shows like The Chew contribute to our obsession with fantastically fresh food, creative cooking and delicious dishes.

That’s a LOT to love!

So, what is it about the food system that some “hate?”

Obesity: These maps show how obesity has increased throughout the U.S. from 1985 to 2010, with some states reporting rates higher than 30% and the lowest rates coming in between 20 and 24%.

“Toxins” in food: Many sources are focused on calling out their perceptions regarding what’s wrong with today’s food system – things like pesticide use, additives, hormones and inferior ingredients – like high fructose corn syrup or even flavoring in milk. Even food companies assert claims of antibiotic-free, organic and natural.

Big ag”: In a world where, by and large, “Bigger = better,” there really is a double standard when it comes to food production. My hunch is that this is largely because when people see large-scale agriculture in popular press, it’s not to tell the story of how well animals are treated, or how consolidation of resources can actually benefit animals and consumers alike.

Confused? So are they. Try to put yourself in a the shoes of someone unfamiliar with how food is raised.

• The majority of your interaction with bringing food into your home consists of selecting it from a produce bin, a meatcase or the grocer’s shelves.
• There are new labels, seals, verifictions, scores and meters coming out all the time to help you understand the best food choices available… but they’re all different, so you don’t know which one to trust.
• Your friends tell you to avoid specific types of produce, to always purchase other forms of meats. When asked their reason, they may claim their favorite talk-show host told them so.
• Advocacy organizations flash undercover video of animal abuse and claim it’s the industry norm.
• You’re extremely busy. Spending time deciphering food labels, researching who’s telling the truth when it comes to food animal care, and deciding whether the latest research claiming an industry practice presents a danger to your family before checking off your grocery list (along with balancing a career, family and sanity) is JUST NOT POSSIBLE.

SO… consumers do what any of us would do when they don’t have all the facts and they don’t have time to research them. They err on the side of caution, ensuring that risk is limited as much as possible. They buy the best they can afford, they avoid products that have even an unfounded potential to cause harm and they may spend too much money in the process. But this is their family’s health. Ultimately, they are responsible for keeping them safe and healthy. So if believing what they’ve heard is the worst that happens, so be it. They’d rather be safe than hope their choice hasn’t adversely affected their kids.

So what’s the middle ground? What do those of us in the food industry need to do to connect and build trust with consumers?

1. Listen. Epictetus’ saying “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak,” doesn’t only hold true when rationalizing with our kids. We need to remember that consumer concerns are valid and need to be considered when we think about improvements in today’s food system.
2. Be honest. Consumers can handle the truth. If we’re not up-front about what’s going on, how do we expect to build trust over time?
3. Provide access. Whenever there’s an opportunity to be give a glimpse into today’s food production, offer it up.
4. Reach out. Don’t assume that consumers will be bold enough to ask for access. Go to them – online, in person, through your product marketing – wherever they are, in a way that’s easy for them to engage.
5. Understand that perception is reality. Although consumers may not know the ins and outs of food production, we need to focus on what they think is true and decrease the balance.

Posted by Roxi

I love all kinds of food; beef, pork, fish, pasta, bread, all ethnic foods and I even enjoy my vegetables! 

To me, food is a reflection of life. It’s communal, bringing together family and friends and sharing the joy and fulfillment only a good, hearty meal can bring. We love to cook at home, but one aspect a restaurant can bring is quality food and service with an ambiance that supports the mood and also ensures NO DISHES to wash afterwards!  We also enjoy restaurants that provide selections we wouldn’t create for ourselves at home. 

I’m fortunate to often travel across this country and have had amazing meals at restaurants from Washington to Rhode Island and Florida to California. Many of these I could rationalize as “the best meal I’ve had,” but I think a favorite restaurant is one that you frequent often and get a “feel” for. 

Here in Kansas City, we are fortunate to have one of Lidia Bastianich’s restaurants. Lidia’s Kansas City is a sister restaurant to those in Pittsburgh and Manhattan, NY.  You probably know Lidia from her numerous PBS television food series. Everything about Lidia’s feeds into my interpretation of what a quality, but highly-imaginative restaurant should be, set in a relaxed atmosphere. 

Your meal begins with their assortment of orange-infused Italian mixed olives, accompanied by four different kinds of freshly-baked breads and two types of olive tapenades. Lidia’s delivers amazing parings of flavors from Italy and Germany, a result of Lidia having grown up on the border. The food is fresh with nearly everything being made in-house. The wait staff is attentive and knows the intricacies of the menu and all of its seasonal ingredients. This is not your typical “red sauce and meatball” Italian, Lidia uses combinations of flavors and ingredients not often considered by other chefs. This is what makes their food unique, delivering what I consider “the feeling of food.”

Restaurants around the world have made me wish I lived next door to them, but Lidia’s is our Kansas City restaurant that delivers, time and time again. 

CFI is all about food. We understand what it takes to bring EVERY meal to your table; whether that’s breakfast, lunch, dinner, a restaurant meal or one you enjoy at home. It’s all because of a food system that has committed to bringing a safe, abundant and efficient supply of food to consumers of ALL types. 

Posted by Cliff

In the movie “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close,” the lead character believes the earth’s current population is greater than the total number of people who have died throughout history. The character is a 9-year old boy pondering his own mortality while coping with the death of his father after the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center. 

Some quick research reveals the boy’s assertion is probably not accurate. However, demographers estimate the number of people who have died since the pyramids were built approximately 5,000 years ago is fairly close to the earth’s current population of between six and seven billion people. That’s a daunting statistic too. It caught my attention because of the ongoing debate on how to go about feeding a planet of nine billion people by mid-century.

United Nations projections show that increased wealth in the developing world suggest we need to double food production by mid-century. Others contend we must produce more food in the next four decades than the previous 10,000 years combined.

It’s apparent the only way to meet this surging demand is through the responsible use of technology and innovation that will allow us to produce more using fewer resources. But some advocate a return to food production methods of decades gone by.

Would those who prefer food production methods of 50 or 60 years ago be willing to do the same in other areas? Consider this:

• In 1950 the average automobile in the United States got less than 14 miles per gallon. Some of today’s hybrid models are getting in excess of 40 mpg.
• The first portable computer released in 1975 weighed 55 pounds with 64KB of RAM. Compare that to the array of features on your smartphone that fits easily in a purse or pocket. 
• The average life expectancy of the U.S. population in 1950 was 68 years. Thanks to medical advances it was almost 77 by 2000 and is forecast to approach 84 by mid-century.

Much like limiting the development of technology would have denied our access to such advances, limiting the ability of agriculture to continue to innovate and improve productivity will work against our ability to feed a growing population. Doing so will also increase the cost of food, limit its availability, and put the environment at risk when less-than-suitable land is forced into food production. 

Today’s famers have been doing their part to meet the challenge. An analysis of data from the Natural Resources Conservation Service shows farmers in 2008 produced 262 percent more food with 2 percent fewer inputs compared to 1950.

We should be celebrating the array of food choices we have today in modern society. We are able to buy conventional, local, or organic. But isn’t it overly simplistic to assert that a certain type or size of farm or food production system is inherently better than another? The fact of the matter is that we are producing safe, nutritious, and affordable food in a variety of ways.  

There’s too much at stake to continue shouting past one another as polarized camps cling to “I’m right and you’re wrong” positions. Meeting the needs of a growing global population requires an informed discussion of food system issues that supports continued innovation, responsible production, processing and distribution. Isn’t that the ethical choice?

Posted by Cliff.

We just returned from 10 days in London and Dublin with our three young adult children plus one girlfriend. What a whirlwind – cathedrals, galleries, Roman ruins and the Crown Jewels, plus a few pints here and there. I have a cousin in London and we were also fortunate to able to stay with her and her husband for a few days during our visit.

After a day full day of sightseeing and negotiating the tubes and trains in London, we returned each evening to my cousin’s flat around six o’clock ready for a break. Over plates of dry sausage, cheeses, olives and homemade marinated artichoke hearts, we spent an hour or so talking about our day and what we had seen, while planning our next foray into the city. By 7:30, someone started cooking and we ate dinner an hour or so later, wrapping up by 10:00.

After a couple of days of this routine, I apologized to my cousin for delaying their dinner every night. Nonsense, she said, this is how we eat every day. She told me their meals are typically divided into at least two courses, starters and mains. Each course is meant to be enjoyed on its own with plenty of time in between. Likewise, in restaurants we never felt rushed to finish and leave our table. Plates were not cleared immediately and we usually had to ask for the check. Instead of being expected to eat and leave, we were expected to eat and stay.

Vacation is over now and back here in the real world I know three-hour dinners won’t become the new normal. But during those late night dinners, I was reminded that time spent together at the table is important to making and keeping connections with those we love the most, no matter whether it’s a pizza at home or my cousin’s stuffed sea bass. For me, I’ll be eating like the Brits more often.

Posted by Randa