SPANNING politics, science and advocacy, three women with a passion for cattle and a belief that the best way to be heard is to turn up and speak up are leading the way in ensuring wider society knows, understands and values the Australian red meat story.
Advocacy veteran and current Agforce president Georgie Somerset, Queensland senator Susan McDonald CQUniversity agriculture lecturer Jaime Manning have shared their ideas on building bridges, connecting and making sure the real story of beef is reaching people.
Speaking at a virtual Meat Women Business event hosted by the Australian Meat Industry Council, the three key influencers in red meat advocacy spoke about everything from social media to labour shortages and misperceptions within Australia's education system.
For three decades, Mrs Somerset has juggled work on her South Burnett family beef farm with demanding roles in influential organisations and is known as one of the country's toughest acts to follow.
She encouraged 'finding your voice on social media in a way that is genuine and authentic and has a degree of understanding.''
"The kindness thing on social media is critical for me," Mrs Somerset said.
"Social media is not a 'quickly done' thing. You must be thoughtful about how you engage.
"There are a lot of people interested in what we do in our industry and we can be quick to judge them on their lack of understanding. When you are engaging, be as explanatory as possible - take others on the journey.
"I know that people want to stand up for their industry and what they believe in but do it in a kind way."
Producers, and all in the red meat industry, also need to be out on the ground too and not be afraid to have conversations and have them with plenty of people, she said.
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A simple tip: At social events, stand in a horse shoe shape, not a circle, so someone else can join the conversation.
The key steps: Know and build your story - everyone has a unique story. Invest in yourself - build your skills and capacity. Build your network and make sure that it runs outside the meat industry as well. Turn up - decisions are made by those who turn up. And when you do turn up, speak up. Find the courage to put together the questions you have. Make full use of the time and resources you are investing to turn up.
Asked how to get the balance right between being active on social media and being obsessed, Mrs Somerset said there were certainly things that should be let go through to the keeper.
Little steps, was her advice.
"If only one cow turns up for feeding you don't give them the whole truckload. Maybe just give people a bale of hay at a time. If they are interested they'll come back for more," she said.
Think like retailers
Senator McDonald, who grew up on cattle property south of Cloncurry and took a first job cooking for a stock camp, is now the government's special envoy for Northern Australia and chair of the Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee.
She said two key changes were taking place that the red meat industry should be grasping.
"One thing we can be excited about is the post-COVID equity of access we have through the normalisaton of virtual meetings," she said.
"I can pull together a group of producers, regional development associations, councils - whoever - right across the country and nobody has to leave their home which means our voice regionally, and from this industry, is growing and is equal to those in Canberra and Sydney."
Secondly, we are now living through 'the great resignation'. People are reflecting on where and how they work and whether it gives them meaning and purpose.
"This is a time employees really have to think about how to attract workers," Ms McDonald said.
"We have workforce shortages right across the country and in every industry and it will take us a long time to fill all those roles.
"I saw a business the other day offering brekky and lunch as a means to secure a workforce."
Thinking like a retailer - focusing on the consumer and the marketplace - would be key to successful advocacy for beef producers, Ms McDonald believes.
"I'm an account by trade and when I went into retailing (running the family's SuperButcher business), I thought this will be straightforward but that was not the case," she said.
"The retail sector is particularly fast paced.
"We spend a lot of time talking about breeds and margins and not enough time thinking about selling the product to the consumer."
Now was an extremely important time for the right advocacy, amid a new environment of people not understanding how sustainable, healthy and nutritious red meat is, Ms McDonald said.
"We have spent thousands of years being designed to do well on red meat, along with a range of other foods," she said.
"We now see plant-based proteins making a push into the market on claims around sustainability. We need to do more around asserting the nutrition, sustainability and employment benefits of the meat industry.
"Speak, even when your voice is shaky and you feel nervous. That's possibly when what you have to say is most valuable."
Her advice for women wanting to go into politics is to reach out to someone already in the job - then get stuck in.
"There has been a dearth of women in politics, particularly from regional areas, because there is a sacrifice involved," Ms McDonald said.
"I sleep in the house where my children are just three to four nights a month.
"But it is so important because if we do not stand up and talk about what is real, what is practical and what is important, then we leave a vacuum to be filled by those with no idea."
Teach the teachers
Dr Manning's cutting-edge work is playing a huge part in how the red meat industry attracts the next generation of workers.
She believes strengthening partnerships with teachers will be critical - particularly for filling those jobs that don't even exist today.
Her research shows many teachers can't identify what red meat processing is.
Preliminary data from a CQU project, in conjunction with the Australian Meat Processor Corporation, shows a significant number of teachers were unable to link the sector with an abattoir.
Their response fell into three categories: they either associated it with a butcher or supermarket, with pre-farmgate activities like monitoring and measuring animals or thought it was the entire supply chain, that is the paddock to place concept.
"While that last response isn't completely incorrect it highlights a huge issue that affects everything from workplace shortages to informing society of what the sector does," Dr Manning said.
"If teachers can't identify what this sector is, how can they identify what careers are available."
An interesting 'side' finding was the presence of a local processing plant in their town was enough for teachers to recognise the sector as a huge employer and give them a positive perception.
"Teachers are a key influencer of student career pathways," Dr Manning said.
"They see students on a daily basis so the conversations they are having are going to have a big effect on young people's knowledge of, and perception of, different industries.
"They also determine the content included to meet curriculum outcomes. If you're not confident on a topic you don't even bring it up."
She advised industry leaders to think about what barriers exist and what support teachers need.
"The most effective thing that will get people to our industry is talking to people already working in it," she said.
- This story is part of a special print and digital series. Ag Influencers is a new publication that aims to highlight the many people making an impact in agriculture across Australia. This special liftout will be inserted into all ACM Ag publications on May 26.
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