How To Control Public Perception of Agriculture - Tips from Hostage Negotiation, Aristotle and Customer Service

Surveys show again and again, people love farmers, they appreciate farmers’ markets—but they don’t like farming.  It makes zero sense, until we delve deep into who has controlled the narrative in social media. A significant portion of Americans get their news and general information online, particularly from news groups and websites that reinforce their beliefs and biases.  It’s human nature. The problem is that creators of modern technology assumed that the public would line up for the newest and best, yet those opposed to innovation manufactured an ecosystem of fear and doubt around solid technology, which dominates the conversation. This situation means new technology is slow to reach the agricultural field. The good news is that we can take control of the conversation, if we do it correctly. It’s not about facts and data, we win hearts and minds with a sophisticated understanding of human psychology, coupled to the nuance of hostage negotiation and the lessons learned from customer service. In this session we’ll discuss how to become part of the conversation, and how to be effective in communicating controversial topics.

Speaker:

Dr. Kevin Folta, Professor of Horticultural Sciences, University of Florida Dr. Kevin Folta is a professor in, and chairman of, the Horticultural Sciences Department at the University of Florida, Gainesville. He got his Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from University of Illinois at Chicago in 1998 and worked at University of Wisconsin before settling in at University of Florida. Dr. Folta researches the functional genomics of small fruit crops, the plant transformation, the genetic basis of flavors, and studies at photomorphogenesis and flowering. He has also written many publications and edited books, most recently was the 2011 Genetics, Genomics, and Breeding of Berries. Dr. Folta received the NSF CAREER Award, an HHMI Mentoring Award and was recognized as "University of Florida Foundation Research Professor" in 2010.