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Why should we be concerned about inclusion and diversity in agriculture?
In response, Jennifer Kyle says, "In rural places, it's sometimes simple to suggest that these are city issues that don't pertain to us. "It's crucial for the longevity of our communities and industry, particularly with Homosexuals who have never felt safe being themselves."
Several commodity groups have answered that being diverse and inclusive is not part of our mandate. Regrettably, that is necessary when dealing with human concerns, and occasionally you need to outline the business case in order for some individuals to get why.
"We will suffer if we alienate people of different backgrounds. When you're able to convey that message, it can make the problem more relatable to people who struggle with comprehension.
What options are there for a more inclusive agriculture?
Being inclusive need not always entail significant adjustments or the exclusion of people who do not belong to different groups in our communities. Sometimes it entails evaluating your approach to interacting with other groups in order to connect. Beef cattle farmer and BFO director Joe Dickenson explains how improving communication may make society more inclusive.
Even though there are substantial portions of Ontario with rural inhabitants that speak a lot of French, all of our contact has been done in English because the province is bilingual. We've started striving to make more resources in both languages accessible so that we can communicate with our French-speaking members more effectively.
"There has been a renewed emphasis on strengthening our relationships with the inclusion of indigenous people across Canada. There are many moments in Ontario where agriculture and our first nations truly meet and we've been trying to make more inroads with different first nations communities. It has been difficult because each must be dealt with separately because they don't form cohesive groups.
Jennifer explains how BFO is trying to increase consumer participation from a social media and communications viewpoint.
"We've made an effort to make sure that the people we work with are a varied bunch when we collaborate with influencers, partners, and companies on marketing tactics. About 50% of the influencers we dealt with in 2021 identified as BIPOC or LGBTQ. The same is true for firms run by women and people of color.
"This strategy is essential to ensuring that we are establishing genuine connections with various audiences. Partnering with other communities enables us to share knowledge and authentic recipes with people of various racial and ethnic backgrounds; two examples would be supplying Ukrainian dishes for immigrants now entering the country and authentic recipes for our Asian communities near Toronto.
How do we make sure that alliances aren't self-serving?
In looking back on the events of June 2020, Joe states, "When we introduced the concept of making a statement in the wake of George Floyd, we first identified that if we make a statement, it cannot be self-serving or one-and-done." Hence, we decided against releasing a comment right away.
"Our statement was developed over the course of seven months of reflection and learning; that was the first stage. The next issue to address was not being self-serving. To do this, we had to learn and receive DEI training.
"Our DEI committee, which is now a permanent member of our board, has assisted the organization in beginning to forge ties and relationships outside the conventional agricultural world. These connections are necessary so that we may evaluate concepts before they are made public and lower the possibility that our activity will be self-serving.
"The most important thing is that we attempt to be where people from different cultures need us to be. Prior to publication, we have started our training slowly and verified our work.
"We hope we do things right," Jennifer continues, "but understand there are times when we do and other times where we'll have to start over. We don't claim to know all the answers or always get things right because we are continuously learning as we go.
How do we talk to businesses about inclusion, equity, and diversity in agriculture?
Joe said that when agriculture groups and leadership are contacted about working on diversity, equity, and inclusion, there would likely be a natural backlash. In his opinion, this results from a desire to avoid "rocking the boat" with changes.
Joe remembers, "When we brought this forward, we had to acknowledge that, even though we as farmers appear to be non-diverse, our sector is highly diverse - processors, chefs, merchants, and customers all contribute diversity to the table. We want them to be pleased with the work we do and eager to keep cooperating with us.
When it comes to clients appreciating your work or people feeling included in your business, sometimes it takes a while to see any impact or outcome. Sometimes the question to ask isn't how much it will cost us to do something, but how much it will cost us if the community doesn't support us. Will it be more challenging for us to accomplish our political, consumer, or other goals?"
As a member of the organization's staff, Jennifer says she appreciates her board members for raising the issue and being prepared to undertake the work.
yedo astmastmastmastmastmastmastmastmas Whether you start small or big depends on how transparent your leadership is. It won't be easy without their support. To begin started, organizations may think about forming partnerships with people who are undergoing training or education. Sometimes, it's crucial to simply speak with the people carrying out the work.
Joe provides a significant retort to a common criticism made by people who disagree.
"We frequently hear that we don't need DEI and that we should only adhere to the golden rule. They are correct, but the issue is that we DO need DEI because the golden rule isn't being followed. That is the obvious approach in some circumstances. Since we aren't doing it right now, how can we make it more comfortable?
How can farmers continue to promote inclusion, equity, and diversity?
Despite the fact that they have begun, according to Joes, the organization is far from finished.
We will need to constantly evaluate where we stand, where we are sitting, and where we need to be as long as there are people, according to reality.
"Since we have to triage, when we talk about DEI as an organization, it might be a dispersed approach. We must assess the region that requires the most attention at this time. Which sector, though, requires it? Can that be tomorrow? We can't put it off indefinitely, though.
"I am pleased with the response and success we have received while interacting with our customers. I'm also appreciative of the work being done by other agricultural organizations as they advance or think about getting their own DEI training.
"Many hands help with light work. We can learn from one another and offload some work if several groups and organizations are all actively learning at the same time. We can also learn from them in different ways.
In the end, Jennifer says, "We're aiming for a culture shift, and that will take time and a lot of work. On some days, it seems like we are merely herding cats; on other days, it appears like we are not moving forward.
"We're actively reviewing our current programs to make sure everything is in order. Do we need to consider a hybrid format, for instance, for our upcoming Annual General Meeting to ensure that attendees may have their voices heard there? Are we collecting bids from many businesses for procurement to make sure we're not just choosing the one we've always worked with? Also, we've made accessibility upgrades to our office, such as installing automated doors that are wheelchair accessible.
By taking part in indigenous training and awareness-raising initiatives and assessing how we start those talks, "We are working on indigenous relations and how we approach these groups. We are now considering how we might collaborate with each country and connect with what matters to them. As they were the first stewards of the land, there are a lot of wonderful potential synergies.
"We frequently get inquiries about quotas for achieving diversity goals. Because we are a producer organization with a small talent pool, it is challenging for us to apply quotas. We are contacting varied groups during the application process and recruitment opportunities to make sure we have diversity represented in our organization. By doing so, we can make sure we are asking the correct folks from the beginning rather than just checking boxes.
We are attempting to pose the proper queries. If we had quotas, those who didn't identify with a certain group might not take advantage of our opportunities. But, we increase the likelihood that diversity will be represented and actively engaged if we reach out, including to our diverse communities.
"We are examining the logistical aspects of how our board operates. Can we combine meetings that take place virtually and in person? Younger families that are unable to travel to every in-person meeting may benefit from this. Although it appears straightforward, doing the right thing often requires persuasion and asking the proper questions when dealing with issues that are deeply ingrained in history and the way things have always been.
An illustration for other agricultural organizations
The model established by Beef Farmers of Ontario for how our agricultural organizations may approach diversity, equity, and inclusion gives me great hope. And I also hope other people throughout the sector take the initiative to put this advise into practice and take action.
We sincerely appreciate Joe and Jennifer sharing their experiences with DEI in this discussion.