In the marketing world, there seems to be a day for almost everything. From celebrating different foods and fruits to recipes, there are a plethora of opportunities to recognize different things. However, one particular occasion that deserves attention is Farmworker Awareness Work Week. This is an important time for Equitable Food Initiative (EFI), agricultural producers, and retailers to focus on farm workers and close the transparency loop with consumers.
In this podcast episode, Brianna Shales, the Marketing Director from Stemilt Growers, and LeAnne Ruzzamenti, the Marketing Director from EFI, discuss how Farmworker Awareness Week can help raise awareness of the 2.6 million men and women working in farms and ranches in the USA alone. They also discuss how everyone can help support this essential workforce.
EFI has promoted the hashtag #alwaysessential to highlight the critical role that farm workers play in bringing food to market. The pandemic further underscored the importance of essential workers, including farm workers. Consumers are increasingly interested in learning more about where their food comes from, how it is grown, and how it is produced. They are also concerned about the treatment of people working on farms and in packing facilities.
To bring attention to the contributions of farm workers, EFI offers a communications toolkit on their website specifically for Farmworker Awareness Week. Additionally, Stemilt is providing authentic stories about their farm workers to help raise awareness about the importance of this essential workforce.
So, what can companies do individually and collectively to support this essential workforce and raise awareness about their contributions? According to Brianna, the key is to provide authentic stories. Companies can incorporate these stories into their marketing plans to create more transparency. All you need to get started is a phone and social media. Listen to the podcast, and learn all the ways you can contribute to this week!
Overall, Farmerworker Awareness Week is an important occasion for everyone to reflect on the contributions of farm workers and raise awareness about the importance of this essential workforce. Sharing authentic stories supporting workers, companies, and consumers can help create a more equitable and sustainable food system.
