Indiana’s pork industry is preparing to take its message directly to consumers and lawmakers as the debate over agricultural standards continues.
Josh Trenary, executive director of Indiana Pork, says while federal partners are working to communicate agriculture’s story in Washington, D.C., the industry also has a responsibility to educate Hoosiers at the state level.
He said, “So our federal partners are definitely trying to drive that message home in Washington, D.C. It’s our job to do it at the state level.”
Trenary says Indiana Pork plans to launch preemptive messaging on social media this fall and into the winter, explaining why farmers use certain practices and the standards already in place. Then, when Indiana lawmakers return to the Statehouse, the organization will closely watch proposed legislation.
He says farmers will need to be ready to speak up and contact their legislators when issues affecting agriculture emerge. “It’s our job as AG to defuse that and make sure we have realistic standards in place and just not whatever the latest talking point is.”
Trenary says there is currently a large “echo chamber” surrounding agricultural issues, and it will take active producers and constituents to push back against misinformation.
“But farmers and the districts of legislators that are really buying into the movement, they need to be ready to be vocal once we see what bills are out there and what’s getting proposed. It’s going to take a lot of active constituents to push back on that.” He concluded.
Trenary says the goal is to ensure Indiana maintains realistic, science-based standards for agriculture…not policies driven simply by the latest talking points.
