It’s time for agriculture to have a critical conversation with consumers. That’s according to agricultural advocate and dairy producer Michele Payn-Knoper from Indiana. She said it’s time for cattle producers to explain to consumers why animal agriculture utilizes antibiotics.
“I’m not only a Holstein breeder, I’m a mom first and foremost,” Payn-Knoper said. “So, when I’m talking with other women, I relate to them as a mom, instead of just as a farmer."
Payn-Knoper encourages ag producers to make sure they are being relatable to consumers. She said this will show producers are a reliable source, that they care and this provides the opportunity to share some of their practices. For example, Payn-Knoper was talking to an audience about mastitis. She asked this female audience if any of them had ever had mastitis. This infection is very painful and hard on the human body. The same holds true for cows. This opened up a dialogue about the use of antibiotics to treat an infection.
“I cannot in good faith, as an animal care taker, not treat my cows if they have mastitis,” Payn-Knoper said. “Likewise, if a beef calf has an infection you need to treat them and take care of them. So I think it’s just helping people understand why we have the practices that we have today and then taking that to the other side of the plate and looking at the protocol that USDA and FDA have in place.”
Payn-Knoper said if consumers can begin to understand why ag producers are utilizing these practices to produce safe food, then she thinks that will hopefully help consumers understand the issue.
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